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Weather and Climate > Weather and Climate: Ch. 2 > Flashcards

Weather and Climate: Ch. 2 Flashcards

1
Q

annual orbit around sun

A

Revolution

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2
Q

How many days is Earth’s revolution?

A

365.25 days

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3
Q

orbit slightly ________

A

elliptical

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4
Q

What is it called when Earth is closest to the sun?

A

Perihelion

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5
Q

How far is the Earth from the sun in a Perihelion?

A

91 million miles

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6
Q

When is Perihelion?

A

On or about January 3rd

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7
Q

What is it called when Earth is farthest from sun?

A

Aphelion

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8
Q

How far is the Earth from the sun in a Aphelion?

A

94 million miles

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9
Q

When is Aphelion?

A

On or about July 4th

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10
Q

What is the average distance from the Earth to the sun?

A

93 million miles

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11
Q

spinning of Earth on its axis

A

Rotation

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12
Q

Rotation accounts for ____ and _____

A

day and night

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13
Q

______ regulated by amount of solar energy received at earth’s surface

A

Seasons

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14
Q

angle that sun strikes surface

A

Sun altitude

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15
Q

What causes the seasons?

A
  • Sun altitude
  • # of daylight hours at a latitude
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16
Q

Sun is directly _______

A

overhead

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17
Q

Solar attitude is max at ___

A

90° (vertical)

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18
Q

Solar rays (isolation) are most _________

A

concentrated

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19
Q

Tilt of Earth’s spin axis is ___

A

23.5°

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20
Q

Earth’s spin axis always remains in same orientation relative to stars during its revolution

A

Parallelism

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21
Q

90° solar altitude shifts from:

A

Tropic of Cancer (23.5° N) to Equator to Tropic of Capricorn (23.5° S)

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22
Q

When does the Summer Solstice occur?

A

Occurs June 21 or 22

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23
Q

Where is the sun during the Summer Solstice?

A

Sun directly (90°) above Tropic of Cancer (23.5° N)

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24
Q

During the Summer Solstice, Northern Hemisphere days greater than ___ hours

A

12

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25
Q

Summer solstice is the _______ day length of year

A

longest

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26
Q

When does the Autumnal (fall) Equinox occur?

A

Occurs September 22 or 23

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27
Q

Characteristics of the Autumnal Equinox

A
  • Sun directly (90°) above Equator (0°)
  • All locations have a 12 hour day (equal)
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28
Q

When does the Winter Solstice occur?

A

Occurs December 21 or 22

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29
Q

Characteristics of the Winter Solstice

A
  • Sun directly (90°) above Tropic of Capricorn (23.5°S)
  • Northern Hemisphere days less than 12 hours
  • Shortest day length of year
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30
Q

When does the Vernal (spring) Equinox occur?

A

Occurs on March 20

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31
Q

Characteristics of the Vernal Equinox

A
  • Sun directly (90°) above Equator (0°)
  • All locations have a 12 hour day
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32
Q

Season in the Southern Hemisphere is ________ of the Northern Hempisphere

A

opposite

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33
Q

Southern Hemisphere is ______ to sun in summer but not significant difference from NH

A

closer

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34
Q

Great amount of water absorbing heat in the _______ hemisphere

A

southern

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35
Q

Capacity to do work on some form of matter

A

Energy (NRG)

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36
Q

What are the 2 forms of energy?

A
  • Kinetic Energy
  • Potential Energy
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37
Q

Characteristics of Kinetic Energy

A
  • Energy of motion
  • Faster something moves = greater kinetic energy
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38
Q

Potential to do work

A

Potential Energy

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39
Q

Measure of average kinetic energy of molecules in a substance

A

Temperature

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40
Q

Energy transferred from one object to another (temperature difference between two objects)

A

Heat

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41
Q

Heat is transferred from a ______ object to a _______ object

A

hotter; colder

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42
Q

Heat we can feel and measure with a thermometer

A

Sensible heat

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43
Q

Heat released or absorbed when water changes phases (phase change of water)

A

Latent Heat

44
Q

Characteristics of Latent Heat

A
  • Evaporation
  • Energy carried to other locations
  • Condensation
45
Q

Evaporation = _______ process = ________ heat from environment

A

cooling; removes

46
Q

Condensation = _________ process = heat ________ to environment

A

warming; returned

47
Q

What are the 4 forms of Heat Transfer?

A
  • Latent Heat
  • Conduction
  • Convection
  • Radiation
48
Q

Transfer of heat from molecule to molecule within a substance

A

Conduction

49
Q

Characteristics of Conduction

A
  • Direct physical contact
  • Warmer object to colder object
  • Metals are good conductors of heat
  • Air (gases) is a poor conductor of heat
  • Least significant means of heat transfer in atmosphere
50
Q

Air is a good ________

A

insulator

51
Q

Transfer of heat that involves circulation in fluids (water or air)

A

Convection

52
Q

Warm air expands and rises then cools and sinks

A

Convection circulation

53
Q

Convection circulation produces a ________

A

Thermal

54
Q

Rising warm air bubbles that carries heat energy

A

Thermal

55
Q

Solar energy we receive from sun

A

Radiation (Electromagnetic)

56
Q

What is the most important form of energy in terms of heat transfer?

A

Radiation

57
Q

Why is radiation the most important form of energy in terms of heat transfer?

A

drives weather and climate

58
Q

Radiation travels in the form of _______ of ___________ energy

A

waves of electromagnetic

59
Q

Waves travel in wavelengths:

A

Distance between successive wave crests

60
Q

Short waves = ______ energetic

A

more

61
Q

Radiation perceptible by human eye

A

Visible region (visible light)

62
Q

What wavelengths are in the visible region?

A

Wavelengths from about 0.40 micrometer (violet) to about 0.70 micrometer (red)

63
Q

Not visible, feel heat it generates

A

Infrared Radiation (IR)

64
Q

What of infrared radiation by certain atmospheric gases is responsible for warming of lower atmoshpere?

A

Absorption and emission

65
Q

What are the 4 laws of Radiation?

A
  1. All objects continually emit radiant energy
  2. Hotter objects radiate more energy than colder objects
  3. Hotter objects radiate energy in form of shorter wavelengths
  4. Objects that are good absorbers of radiation are also good emitters
66
Q

Shortwave radiation =

A

solar radiation from sun

67
Q

Longwave radiation (IR) =

A

radiation emitted by Earth

68
Q

Any object that’s a perfect absorber and perfect emitter

A

Blackbody

69
Q

What is a perfect blackbody?

A

Earth

70
Q

Selectively absorb and emit radiation

A

Selective absorber

71
Q

What is an example of a selective absorber?

A

Atmospheric gases

72
Q

Solar energy received at top of atmosphere is nearly constant

A

The Solar Constant

73
Q

Interactions take place when solar radiation enters atmosphere:

A
  • Transmission
  • Absorption
  • Reflection
  • Scattering
74
Q

Energy passes thru atmosphere without interacting with gases or other particles

A

Transmission

75
Q

During transmission, about ______ of incoming shortwaves (solar) energy that reaches Earth’s surface

A

half

76
Q

Radiation striking surface is converted to heat energy

A

Absorption

77
Q

lower atmosphere is heated by _________

A

surface

78
Q

Characteristics of Reflection

A
  • Light bounces back from an object at about same intensity it was received
  • Solar radiation is reflected without being converted to heat
79
Q

% of radiation reflected by an object

A

Albedo

80
Q

Characteristics of High Albedo

A
  • Reflect a larger (more) % of solar radiation
  • light in color
  • cooler temps
  • snow = 75-95%
81
Q

Characteristics of Low Albedo

A
  • Reflect a smaller % of solar radiation (absorb more)
  • dark in color
  • warmer temps
  • forest: 10-35%
82
Q

What is Earth’s total albedo (planetary albedo)?

A

30%

83
Q

Radiation bounces off an object in many directions (diffused light)

A

Scattering

84
Q

Scattering involves …

A

molecules and aerosols

85
Q

Atmosphere is nearly _______ to incoming shortwave radiation

A

transparent

86
Q

Atmosphere is relatively _______ to outgoing longwave radiation

A

opaque

87
Q

What are the primary absorbers of outgoing IR?

A

Water vapor and carbon dioxide (gases)

88
Q

Greenhouse gases are

A

selective absorbers

89
Q

What is the most significant selective absorber

A

Water Vapor

90
Q

Allows longwave radiation from Earth’s surface to pass directly to space without being absorbed

A

Atmospheric Window

91
Q

Clouds (tiny liquid droplets) are excellent absorbers of ______ in atmospheric window

A

energy

92
Q

Clouds absorb outgoing ________ radiation and radiate much of _______ back to Earth

A

longwave; energy

93
Q

Natural phenomenon that warms surface and lower atmosphere

A

Greenhouse Effect

94
Q

What is most important in the Greenhouse Effect?

A

CO2 and H2O vapor

95
Q

Extreme heat inside a car: temps can exceed _____ rapidly

A

140℉

96
Q

Earth and atmosphere together maintain an annual energy balance

A

Annual Energy Balance

97
Q

Balance is ___ maintained at each latitude

A

not

98
Q

Equater = ________

A

warming

99
Q

Polar latitudes = ________

A

colder

100
Q

Winds (3/4) and ocean currents (1/4) balance:

A
  • Warm air and water toward poles
  • Cold air and water toward equator
101
Q

What drives Earth’s weather system

A

Transfer of surplus heat between tropics and poles

102
Q

What are the 3 segments UV radiation is divided into?

A
  1. UVA (aging)
  2. UVB (burning)
  3. UVC
103
Q

Characteristics of UVA (aging)

A
  • weakest
  • accelerate natural aging of skin
104
Q

Characteristics of UVB (burning)

A
  • sufficiently intense to damage cells
  • cause sunburn, skin cancer, and other health issues
105
Q

Characteristics of UVC

A
  • most energetic
  • readily kill exposed cells

Weather and Climate (11 decks)

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