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Earth Science > Unit 7: Meteorology > Flashcards

Unit 7: Meteorology Flashcards

(70 cards)

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1
Q

What is the order of the layers in the atmosphere from the bottom to the top?

A

Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere

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2
Q

What layer of our atmosphere contains the ozone layer?

A

Stratosphere

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3
Q

What is the purpose of the ozone layer?

A

To absorb UV rays (heat)

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4
Q

What layer of our atmosphere does weather occur in?

A

Troposphere

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5
Q

What is the relationship between altitude and air pressure?

A

Indirect - as altitude increases, air pressure decreases

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6
Q

What is the relationship between altitude and water vapor?

A

Indirect - as altitude increases, water vapor decreases

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7
Q

What is the relationship between temperature and air density?

A

Indirect - as temperature increases, air density decreases

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8
Q

What are isotherms?

A

Lines of equal temperature on a weather map

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9
Q

What is most heat from?

A

Long wave infared radiation

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10
Q

What three gases absorb heat?

A

Water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane

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11
Q

What process is heat transferred by?

A

Wind and air currents by convection

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12
Q

What tool measures air pressure?

A

Barometer

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13
Q

What are isobars?

A

Lines of equal pressure on a weather map

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14
Q

What are the two air pressure scales we need to convert between?

A

Inches (in) and millibars (mb)

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15
Q

What direction do winds flow around areas of low air pressure?

A

Counterclockwise

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16
Q

What direction do winds flow around areas of high air pressure?

A

Clockwise

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17
Q

True or false: winds flow roughly parallel to isobars

A

True

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18
Q

What type of weather is associated with low air pressure systems?

A

Warm air, stormy weather, lots of precipitation, and clouds

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19
Q

What type of weather is associated with high air pressure systems?

A

Cool air, clear skies, and little or no precipitation

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20
Q

What is wind caused by?

A

Differences in air pressure

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21
Q

How does wind always flow?

A

From HIGH pressure to LOW pressure areas

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22
Q

What does the term pressure gradient mean?

A

Differences in air pressure

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23
Q

True or false: closer together isobars mean a steeper pressure gradient

A

True

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24
Q

What is the relationship between the pressure gradient and wind strength?

A

The steeper the pressure gradient (closer together isobars), the stronger the winds

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25
How are winds always named?
For the direction they come from
26
What tool measures wind direction?
Wind vane
27
What tool measures wind speed?
Anemometer
28
What causes the coriolis effect (winds deflect instead of traveling in a straight line)?
Earth's rotation
29
What direction do winds curve to in the northern hemisphere?
Right
30
What direction do winds curve to in the southern hemisphere?
Left
31
What tool measures humidity?
Psychrometer
32
What is humidity?
Moisture in the air
33
What are two processes that cause water vapor?
Evaporation (from the world's oceans) and transpiration (water vapor given off by living plants)
34
Does warm or cold air hold more water vapor?
Warm air has more space for water vapor than cold air
35
What is relative humidity?
A comparison (%) of how much water vapor that the air IS holding with how much water vapor the air COULD hold at that particular temperature
36
True or false: relative humidity CAN'T change even if the water content does not change
False - relative humidity CAN change even if the water content does not change
37
How does relative humidity change?
As air temperature changes
38
What is the relationship between temperature and relative humidity?
Indirect - as temperature increases, relative humidity decreases
39
What does it mean if the relative humidity is at 100%?
The air is holding all the water vapor it can possibly hold
40
What is the dew point?
The temperature at which the relative humidity reaches 100%
41
What process begins when relative humidity is at 100%?
Condensation - clouds form in the sky
42
What is the rule for the relationship between dew point, relative humidity, and chance of clouds and precipitation?
The closer the air temperature is to the dew point temperature, the higher the relative humidity, and the greater the chance of clouds and precipitation
43
What are the three steps for cloud formation?
1. Warm air rises and expands 2. Air cools to the dew point and condenses 3. A cloud is formed Air rises, expands, cools, and then condenses
44
What do station models show?
The current weather conditions
45
What is an air mass?
A body of air with similar temperature and moisture conditions
46
Where does an air mass get its characteristics from?
From the area it comes from (its source region)
47
What two factors is an air mass classified by and how?
Temperature and humidity - Warm (tropical) or cold (polar) - Humid (maritime) or dry (continental)
48
Which type of temperature air mass froms over lower latitudes?
Tropical
49
Which type of temperature air mass froms over higher latitudes?
Polar
50
What are air masses pushed by?
Planetary winds
51
What are boundaries between air masses called?
Fronts
52
Does a warm or cold front move faster?
Cold front
53
What type of weather does a cold front create and where?
Thunderstorms along leading edge
54
What happens to air pressure, mositure, and temperature after a cold front passes?
- Air pressure increases - Moisture decreases - Air temperature decreases
55
What happens to air pressure, mositure, and temperature after a warm front passes?
- Air pressure decreases - Moisture increases - Air temperature increases
56
What type of weather does a warm front create and where?
Long, steady rain along edge
57
What is happening at an occluded front?
A cold front is catching up to and passing a warm front Warm air is squeezed out
58
What happens at a stationary front?
There is no motion of the air masses
59
What do the symbols on a front tell us?
What type of front it is and they point in the direction it is going
60
What do the triangle symbols on a weather front represent?
A cold front
61
What do the semi-circle symbols on a weather front represent?
A warm front
62
What do the alternating triangles and semi-circles on opposite edges represent on a weather front?
Stationary front
63
What do the alternating triangles and semi-circles on the same edge of a weather front represent?
Occluded front
64
What forms due to rapidly rising air at fronts?
Thunderstorms
65
What forms due to a rapidly rotating, extremely low-pressure funnel that hangs down from thunderstroms clouds?
Tornados
66
What forms due to an extreme low pressure system that forms over tropical ocean waters?
Hurricanes
67
What is a rotating band of precipitating clouds with a cloudless eye in the center and with high winds?
Hurricane
68
How do hurricanes gain their energy?
From the condensationg of millions of gallons of water vapor
69
What occurs when cold air moves across the open waters of the Great Lakes?
Lake Effect Snow
70
What happens during lake effect snow?
As the cold air passes over the unfrozen waters of the Great Lakes, warm air and water vapor rise into the atmosphere. The warm air and water vapor cools and condenses, forming a lot of snow

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