Earth Science Test 2

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