Weather And Climate Flashcards
(43 cards)
What are air masses
Huge bodies of air that have similar temperatures, humidity, and air pressure
What are fronts
When an air mass moves into an area and interacts with other masses, it causes the weather to change
What is a cold front
When fast cold dense air pushes slow moving warm air up
What is a warm front
Fast moving warm air overtakes slow moving cold air
What is a stationary front
When cold air and warm air meet but neither can move the other
What is a occluded front
A warm air mass is caught between two cold air masses
The denser air mass pushes the warm air mass up
The two cold air masses may mix underneath the warm one
Warm air mass is cut off from ground
What are cyclones and anticyclones
Fronts become distorted because of things like mountains or jet streams (bending )
Bending can cause swirls that can create low pressure centers
What are cyclones (3)
-Convergent air flow
-Swirling low pressure system
- spins counterclockwise
What are anticyclones
- high pressure systems
- divergent air flow
- swirls clockwise
What causes atmospheric pressure
Weight of air
What are variable gasses in the atmosphere (4)
- water vapor
-carbon dioxide
-methane
-ozone
What parameters do we use to determine the layers of the earths atmosphere
Altitude and temperature
What parameters do we use to determine the layers of the earths atmosphere
Altitude and temperature
What is the Montreal protocol
A global agreement to protect the stratospheric ozone layer by phasing out the production and consumption of CFCs
What causes a increase in the thermosphere
- high UV and X-ray radiation absorbed (closer to the sun)
- FEELS cold because the molecules are so sparse and far apart
What causes a increase in the thermosphere
- high UV and X-ray radiation absorbed (closer to the sun)
- FEELS cold because the molecules are so sparse and far apart
What causes decrease in the mesopause
Air becomes thinner again
What causes decrease in the mesopause
Air becomes thinner again
What causes increase in the stratopause
Formation of ozone layer which traps heat
What causes decrease in the tropopause
Air becomes thinner (molecules farther apart)
What is weather
The set of short term atmosphereic conditions typically those occurring over hours or days for a particular area
What is climate
A general pattern of atmospheric or weather conditions measured over long periods of time ranging from decades to thousands of years
What is a gyre
Large scale water circulation that moves clockwise in the northern hemisphere and counterclockwise in the southern
What is upwelling
Upward movement of ocean water
