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air
a mixture of distinct gases
troposphere
lowest layer of the earth
nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide
what gases make up the atmosphere
1013 miles
global average sea level air pressure
stratosphere
atmosphere layer where good ozone is located
carbon and water vapor
2 important greenhouse gases
aerosols
tiny solid and liquid particles
ozone
three atoms of oxygen; absorbs UV radiation
3.5 miles
50% of air molecules lie below ___ miles
the sun
all weather is a result of electromagnetic energy from where
summer solstice
longest day of the year; June 21
winter solstice
shortest day of the year; dec 21
spring equinox
days are 12 hrs long at the equinox; march 21
perihelion
earth is closest to the sun; jan 3
aphelion
earth is farthest from the sun; july 4
conduction
heat transfer through molecular activity (contact)
most
low latitudes receive ____ solar energy
least
high latitudes receive____ solar energy
receipt of solar radiance
most important temperature control
land
hottest/coldest temperatures occur where
sublimation
solid directly to a gas; latent heat energy is absorbed
dew point temperature
temperature to which a parcel of air would need to be cooled to reach a saturation
dry adiabatic lapse rate
unsaturated air at 5.5 degrees F
wet adiabatic lapse rate
saturated air at 3.3 degrees F
stable air
air that resists lift; surrounded by cooling air wanting to sink
unstable air
air with absolute instability; air rises
cirrus
cloud type with whispy high, thin clouds
cumulous
cloud type with globular form associated with fair weather
stratus
cloud type with layers covering most of the sky associated with overcast skies
fog
cloud with its base at the ground; forms because of radiative cooling
advection fog
fog type with warm, moist air moves over a cool surface
radiation fog
fog type when earth’s surface cools rapidly; cool, clear nights
nimbus
any cloud producing precipitation is classified as
sleet
wintertime phenomenon when rain freezes as it falls
pressure gradient force
only cause of wind
isobars
how pressure is plotted on a map
prevailing westerlies
continental US has what prevailing winds?
tropical rainforest
what location has year round high temps and high rainfall
subtropical high at 30 degrees
why do deserts exist?
coriolis effect
apparent deflection of wind to the right in N. Hemisphere; does not create wind, but affects the direction of wind
cyclonic airflow
low pressure system that is inward toward its center; counterclockwise with general uplift; stormy weather associated
anticyclonic airflow
high pressure system that is outward from its center; clockwise with general sinking
high wind speeds
what do close isobars mean
winter
when is india’s only monsoon
afternoon
when is a coastal sea breeze most prominent
early morning or evening
when is a coastal breeze most prominent
cold front
front associated with violent weather for short time periods
warm front
front associated with light to moderate precip. over long periods of time
hurricane
most destructive storm with wind speeds greater than 74 mph
tropical cyclone
cyclone formed over warm oceans
middle latitude cyclone
cyclone that is primary weather producer in the US
3.5 degrees F
what is the normal environmental lapse rate
expand
does rising air expand or contract
Maritime Polar, Continental Polar, Maritime Tropical, Continental Tropical
what are the 4 types of air masses?
Bergeron process
precipitation process where ice crystals collect water vapor because the cloud is below freezing and forms snowflakes
Collision-coalescence process
precipitation process where large droplets form from bumping into other droplets
condensation
process where vapor releases latent heat energy to become liquid and requires a surface
humidity
amount of water vapor in the air
relative humidity
expressed as a percent of capacity; can be changed by adding/subtracting moisture or changing air temp
evaporation
state change where heat energy is absorbed from liquid to gas
melting
state change where energy is absorbed from solid to liquid
freezing
state change where heat is released from liquid to solid
radiation
heat transfer through electromagnetic activity