Weather and Climate Flashcards
(162 cards)
1
Q
weather
A
state of the atmosphere at a given time in RELATION to meteorological phenomena
2
Q
climate
A
the meteorological condition of an area in general over a LONG period of time
3
Q
what is a climate normal
A
30-year averages for climate variables like temperature and precipitation
4
Q
how long is a climate normal
A
30 years
5
Q
what happens to climate normal every 10 years
A
it changes and evolves
6
Q
average temp in Lethbridge
A
5.9
7
Q
Net radiation is made up of
A
- incoming shortwave radiation from sun
- reflected shortwave radiation
- longwave radiation radiated BY the earth
- longwave radiation reflected BACK towards the earth
8
Q
energy balance is the
A
accounting of energy
9
Q
what is the principal heat source at earth’s surface
A
solar energy
10
Q
what is the difference between diffuse and direct radiation
A
diffuse = radiation that is not direct on an object (like through clouds)
direct = direct sunlight shinning on something
11
Q
outputs of energy balance at the earth’s surface
A
- evaporation
- convection
- radiated longwave energy
12
Q
true or false
energy budgets at specific places or times on earth are always the same
A
FALSE - not always the same
13
Q
light-coloured surfaces are ______ reflective
A
more
14
Q
______ amounts of longwave radiation are lost from ________
A
Greater AND subtropical deserts
15
Q
whee is the least amount of LW radiation lost
A
, polar regions, tropics
16
Q
true or false
between the tropics, less energy is gained than lost
A
false, more is gained than lost
17
Q
between the tropics more energy is gained than lost =
A
energy surplus
18
Q
true or false
in the polar region more energy is lost than gained
A
true
19
Q
in the polar regions, more energy is lost than gained=
A
energy deficits
20
Q
the imbalance of energy from the tropical surpluses and the polar deficits drives
A
the global circulation pattern
21
Q
the unequal heating of earth drives
A
weather
22
Q
what causes the variety of solar radiation at the equator
A
based on when the planet is closest to the sun
23
Q
incoming energy arrives during
A
daylight
24
Q
when does incoming energy begin to arrive
A
sunrise
25
when does incoming energy peak
at noon
26
when does incoming energy end
at sunset
27
when does the air temp peak between
3 pm and 4 pm
28
when does the air temp dip to its lowest point
right at or slightly after sunrise
29
the warmest time of the day occurs NOT
at the moment of maximum insolation
30
when does the warmest time of day occur
when a maximum of insolation has been absorbed and emitted from the ground
31
why doesn't the hottest time of day occurs at the moment of max insolation
because there is a lag
32
are there short-wave fluxes at night
NO, there is no sun
33
lag
time between occurrence of something and WHEN something happens
34
what does a lag cause
energy to buildup
35
planetary boundary line
energy and moisture are continually exchanged with the LOWER atmosphere at earth's surface
36
microclimatology
science of physical conditions (radiation, heat and moisture) at given locations
37
Net radiation
sum of ALL radiation gains and losses at any defined location on earth's surface
38
sensible heat
when heat transfer is assocaited with temperature changes
39
latent heat
heat transfer associated with phase changes
40
latent heat of vaporization
energy that is stored in water vapor as water evaporates
41
sensible heat is the heat transferred back and forth between
air and surface in turbulent eddies
42
how is sensible heat transferred between air and surface
convection and conduction within materials
43
what is the layer of the atmosphere associated with the planetary boundary layer
troposphere
44
environments with lots of bodies of water will have
no large shift in temp fluxes because of water's high specific heat capacity
45
what makes up the radiative heat transfer fluxes
K* = shortwave inputs and outputs
L* = longwave inputs and outputs
46
by day, the net radiation is
Both shortwave and longwave fluxes
47
by night, the net radiation is
JUST the longwave fluxes
48
negative and positive heat transfers
positive = energy is moving towards the surface
negative = energy is moving away from the surface
49
why is L-down relatively stable
there are no big swings in atmosphere temp in ONE day
50
what time is sunrise
wherever K down starts
51
what is the value of albedo
precentage difference between shortwave out and shortwave in
52
what does L up depend on
temp - it's at its highest when the air temp is its highest
53
when Q* is positive there is a
radiation surplus
54
in a radiation surplus, energy will flow
AWAY from the surface
55
non-radiative heat transfer elements
Qh
Qe
Qg
56
non-radiative heat transfer element Qh
convective sensible heat flux into the air
57
non-radiative heat transfer element Qe
convective latent heat flux into the air
58
non-radiative heat transfer element Qg
conductive sensible heat flux into the surface
59
____ and ____ both depend on wind to carry heat away from the surface
Qh and Qe
60
what is the total radiative heat transfer equation
+sw - Sw + lw - lw =Qh + Qe + Qg
61
true or false
radiated and non-radiated fluxes are equal
true
62
what is the energy surplus divided into in dry conditions
Qh and Qg
63
what will happen in dry conditions
the temp of the ground and air near the surface will both increase
64
division of the energy into the two fluxes during dry conditions is dependent on
the relative ease of the fluxes
65
in moist conditions, there the energy surplus is divided into
Qg, Qh, Qe
66
in moist conditions, the larger the Qe
the LESS temp will rise because energy is going into evaporating water NOT rasing temp
67
how do plants control Qe in moist environments
by transpiration/evaporation
68
non-radiative heat transfer by DAY
1. Q* is positive
2. ground and air becomes warmer
3. water vapour in the air increases
69
why during the day is water vapour increased in the air
evaporation is happening
70
why during the day is the ground and air becoming warmer
the sun is present
71
non-radiative heat transfer by NIGHT
1. Q* is negative
2. ground and air become cooler
3. water vapour decreases
72
why is water vapour decreased at night
1. there is condensation or sublimation
73
what does Q* look like in a desert
it is low because of a high albedo
74
what does temp look like in a desert during the DAY
temp increase during the day is large
75
why is there a large temp increase during the day in the desert
1. there is a low specific heat capacity
2. little moisture for evaporation
3. low heat conductivity
76
what does temp look like in a desert at NIGHT
there are large temp decreases at night
77
what fluxes are high in a desert surface
1. L up
2. K down
3. K up (relatively high)
78
what flux is low in a desert surface
L down
79
what does Q* look like in the ocean
it's HIGH due to the low albedo
80
what does temp look like in the ocean during the DAY
temp increase during the day is LOW
81
why is there a low temp increase during the day in an ocean
1. water has a high specific heat capacity
2. lots of evaporation
82
what does L up look like in the ocean
it's LOW
83
what does temp look like in the ocean at NIGHT
there are SMALL temp decreases at night
84
why is K up so SMALL in the ocean
because the ocean is transmissive in respect to energy which means light can pass through
85
what is a large flux in the ocean
K down
86
what fluxes stay relatively the same in the ocean
L up and L down
87
what flux is very small in the ocean
K up
88
what are the 7 elements of climate
1. temperature
2. precipitation
3. wind speed
4. wind direction
5. relative humidity
6. evaporation
7. insolation
89
temp is the measurement of
average kinetic energy
90
what influences precipitation
temperature
91
how is air temp measured
by a thermometer is a result of its energy balance
92
how to avoid major errors in measuring temp
1. use shields and shade
2. enhance convective exchange with fans
3. build very small sensors
93
precipitation is
moisture that falls from the sky
94
precipitation can be either
liquid (drizzle or rain) or solid (snow or hail)
95
wind is the
horizontal movement of air (advection)
96
wind is the horizontal movement of air due to
the unequal heating of the surface
97
wind influences
1. temperature
2. evaporation
3. snow distribution
98
wind travels from ____ pressure to ____ pressure
high to low
99
the relative humidity is the
ratio of water vapor in the air compared to the max water vapor the air could hold at that temp
100
relative humidity affects
temperatures and environments
101
when is relative humidity high
morning because of the water is in a fixed amount of air
102
when is relative humidity low
during the day as the air is changing shape
103
what is relative humidity dependent on
the time of day
104
100% relative humidity is also known as
saturation (can't hold any more water)
105
what is the humidex
relates the sensed heat to temp and relative humidity
106
true or false
there is less discomfort with high humidity
false - more discomfort
107
as humidity increases
evaporation decreases
108
true or false
humid air feels hotter than it actually is
true
109
evaporation can be either ____ or _____
potential or actial
110
potential evaporation
the ability to evaporate water IF there is water in the environment
111
evapotranspiration is made up of both
transpiration and evaporation
112
transpiration
results in a cooling of the surface and occurs during photosynthesis
113
evaporation is associated with
latent heat
114
insolation and cloudcover affects
how much direct sunlight is recieved
115
insolation affects
temp and evaporation
116
what can affect what types of plants exist in an environment
insolation and cloudiness
117
insolation and cloudiness is ____ dependent
moisture
118
the amount of solar radiation in an area is based on
cloud-cover
119
the 7 elements of climate describe
what a climate is in an area
120
the 7 influences of climate describe
why we see differing climates in different areas
121
what are the 7 influences on climate
1. latitude
2. altitude/elevation
3. distribution of land and sea
4. distribution of mountain barriers
5. ocean currents
6. wind patterns
7. locations of high and low pressure
122
latitude affects ____
insolation
123
what region has very LITTLE seasonality
the tropics
124
what moderates temperature changes
water bodies
125
what happens to temp as the latitude increases (away from equator)
there is a larger definition of seasonality
126
continental
location within the land mass
127
continental locations have ____ fluxes in temp
large
128
maritime
located near large bodies of water
129
maritime locations have ____ fluxes in temp
low - because of their proximity to large bodies of water
130
what are two examples of areas which have low variability in climate
Andes
Himalayas
131
range of temp
the mean temp in January and the mean temp in July
132
what is altitude
hight above a surface
133
elevation
height above the global sea level
134
temp _____ at higher elevations
cools
135
what happens to a rising parcel in the atmosphere
it expands which causes it to consume energy and cool in temp
136
why is it colder higher up on a mountain
because of the amount of ground in contact with the air
137
what is an exception to the elevation rule
inversions
138
_____ is better at distributing heat compared to _____
convection AND conduction
139
continentality has temps that are
more extreme as the land cools and warms rapidly
140
Maritimes have temps that are
more moderate because water warms and cools slowly
141
what causes the ocean to be better at controlling temp than land
1. ocean has 4x higher specific heat
2. water has mobility and mixes heat while land doesn't
3. water is transparent that allows light to enter the depths
4. water has greater evaporation (higher latent heat)
142
how do major mountain barriers influence temp
by affecting precipitation
143
rain-shadow effect
a patch of land that has been forced to become a desert because mountain ranges blocked all plant-growing, rainy weather.
144
according to the rain-shadow effect, what will the different sides of the mountain look like
On one side of the mountain, wet weather systems drop rain and snow. On the other side of the mountain all that precipitation is blocked.
145
why do chinooks occur
because moisture is lost as the air climbs up and down the mountains
146
air _____ as it climbs mountains
cools by 6Degrees Celcius/km
147
air _____ as it descends mountains
warms by 10 Degrees Celcius/km
148
true or false
Lethbridge has more sensible heat than Vancouver
true
149
is climbing dry air saturated
NO
150
is climbing wet air saturated
YES
151
the tropics have what prevailing wind pattern
Hadley's cell
152
jet streams
fast-moving winds that separate fronts
153
what separates the tropical air zone from the polar air zone
polar jet stream
154
ITCZ
the intertropical convergence zone
155
what is the ITZC
the area near the equator where winds originating in the northern and southern hemisphere come together
156
what can affect K(d)
clouds and shadows as they can block sunlight
157
what flux represents the GH effect
L(d)
158
why is it colder at night when its clear
there are less clouds to trap long wave radiation and less radiated back down
159
why are cloudy nights hotter
there are more clouds to trap longwave radiation and send it back down to the surface
160
what is the L(u) flux dependent on
surface temp
161
water or land gets hotter faster
land
162
why do the tropics not continue to get warmer and warmer
based on wind and ocean currents
