The Atmosphere in motion

Question 1

give the five main weather variables

Answer 1

temperature
air pressure
humidity
cloudiness
wind speed and direction

Question 2

does wind contain lots or little of energy

Answer 2

a huge amount

Question 3

from which pressure gradient to which does wind flow

Answer 3

high to low pressure

Question 4

what determines the speed of wind

Answer 4

pressure differential

Question 5

av speeds for winds

Answer 5

10-30 km per hour

Question 6

why do windier days feel colder

Answer 6

the thickness of boundary around your skin is reduced

Question 7

what three factors control the speed and direction of the wind

Answer 7

pressure-gradient force
coriolis force
friction

Question 8

how does pressure-gradient impact wind speed

Answer 8

winds flow more slowly over spaced out isobars (low pressure gradient) and more quickly over close isobars (high pressure gradient)

Question 9

how does the coriolis effect affect the wind

Answer 9

in the NH, pulls wind to the right as it flows towards low pressure.
coriolis+ pressure combined= wind is parallel to isobars (geostrophic winds)
higher speed= more affected by coriolis

Question 10

impact of friction on wind

Answer 10

winds move more slowly near the ground, can reduce coriolis effect by slowing down wind, ensures that not all winds are geostrophic

Question 11

what causes atmospheric circulation overall

Answer 11

uneven heating from the sun

Question 12

what is the intertropical convergence zone

Answer 12

low pressure region of the tropics at a zone of convergence

Question 13

what direction do anticyclones flow in the nh

Answer 13

clockwise

Question 14

what direction do cyclones flow in the nh

Answer 14

anticlockwise

Question 15

explain weather conditions at high pressure

Answer 15

winds converge at top and diverge at bottom.

cold dense air is drawn downwards (sinks), where it is compressed and heated adiabatically, good weather

Question 16

explain weather conditions at low pressure

Answer 16

winds converge at bottom and diverge at top.

warm, moist air rises and cools, condensing and forming clouds, precipitation

Question 17

describe the Hadley cells

Answer 17

blocks of 30 degrees.
high level winds are westerlies and low level ones are trade winds returning to the tropics, nearly easterlies due to friction

Question 18

what is the polar front jet stream

Answer 18

high speed westerly geostrophic wind that occurs at top of troposphere over the polar front due to a steep pressure gradient

Question 19

what causes jet streams

Answer 19

unique air masses converging at the boundaries between cells

Question 20

why is the tropopause lower at the poles

Answer 20

higher pressure and distant from the heat of the equator

Question 21

what prevents jet streams from being straight?

Answer 21

rossby waves

Question 22

what is monsoon circulation

Answer 22

a seasonally reversing wind system

Question 23

explain monsoon circulation in winter

Answer 23

cold high pressure over central and northern asia contrasts with warm waters around India. and the low pressure equator. creates dry winds across india (blowing from land-> sea)

Question 24

explain monsoon circulation in summer

Answer 24

low pressure over south asia (India), higher pressure in Indian Ocean causes water-laden winds to flow across india.

Question 25

what is the name of the circulation system caused by a pressure gradient force, how does it work

Answer 25

Walker circulation. east trade winds push warm water to the west, causing it to "pile up" this causes cold water to upwell on the east to replace it heated, low pressure air in the west causes more unsettled weather temp of the sea reinforces the easterly winds

Question 26

what is El Niño

Answer 26

weakened trade winds mean less warm water on the west, and less upwelling on the east Changes the wind patterns so the low pressure is over the middle of the ocean and flows west and east Can increase global temperatures

Question 27

what is la niña

Answer 27

strengthening of trade winds, more upwelling in the east and warm, low pressure moves further west, over indonesia.

Question 28

impacts of el nino

Answer 28

drought conditions in the west, increase global temperatures and wind patterns, impact on monsoons in asia, decline in fish population due to fewer nutrients upwelling

Question 29

what is southern oscillation

Answer 29

link between the el nino events and changing pressure over the equator

Question 30

what are katabatic winds

Answer 30

a wind that carries high density air down a slope under the force of gravity

Question 31

using which scale are hurricanes classified

Answer 31

saffir-simpson hurricane wind scale

Question 32

what is a hurricane

Answer 32

a very strong cyclone

Question 33

what are hurricanes over the pacific called

Answer 33

typhoons

Question 34

what are hurricanes over the indian ocean called

Answer 34

tropical cyclones

Question 35

what causes a thunderstorm

Answer 35

updraft of warm humid air releases latent heat very quickly.

Question 36

name four types of deserts

Answer 36

polar deserts, coastal deserts, subtropical deserts, rainshadow deserts

Question 37

what is a desert

Answer 37

a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs, and living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life less than 25 cm of rainfall a year