Natural Processes

What are the four divisions of the atmosphere?

troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere

Which is more dense, stratosphere or troposphere?

troposphere

insolation

exposure to sun’s rays

albedo

surface’s ability to reflect UV radiation

convective heat exchange

transfer of heat through movement of fluids/gases

Where is short-wave radiation located on the globe?

short-wave radiation input decreases towards poles

What season is the polar jet strongest in?

Winter, when contrast between temperatures is highest

Why is the troposphere most important to us?

90% of gas, pollution, weather

Why is the stratosphere important?

contains the ozone layer

What is a blackbody?

approximated theoretical maximum curve of radiation in a perfect-world setting

Stefan-Boltzmann Law

E = eoT^4

lateral energy transfer

transfer through sensible heat or latent heat

sensible heat

heat transfer due to temperature differences

latent heat

energy used for phase changes

conduction

heat transfer through contact

exogenetic

originating from outside system

endogenetic energy

generated by radioactive decay, volcanic activity, and tectonics

thermodynamic principles

energy conserved, energy flows from high to low energy states, systems move towards equilibrium

What direction does air move in terms of temperature on the globe?

warm air moves towards poles; cold air moves towards equator

isobar

lines on weather map connecting places of equal atmospheric pressure

coriolis effect

deflection of moving objects due to earth’s rotation

What direction does air moving towards the pole in the Northern Hemisphere deflect?

to the east

What direction does air moving away from the pole in the Northern Hemisphere deflect?

to the west

What direction does air moving towards the pole in the Southern Hemisphere deflect?

to the east

What direction does air moving away from the pole in the Southern Hemisphere deflect?

to the west

Formula for Coriolis Force

F = 2(rotspeed)sin(latitude)

Buy’s Ballot Law indicates that wind moves in what direction around low pressure systems in the Northern Hemisphere?

counter-clockwise

Buy’s Ballot Law indicates that wind moves in what direction around low pressure systems in the Southern Hemisphere?

clockwise

Buy’s Ballot Law indicates that wind moves in what direction around high pressure systems in the Northern Hemisphere?

clockwise

Buy’s Ballot Law indicates that wind moves in what direction around high pressure systems in the Southern Hemisphere?

counter-clockwise

When looking at the wind currents from the side, what direction does wind flow in the tropical/Hadley cell in the Northern Hemisphere?

counter-clockwise

When looking at the wind currents from the side, what direction does wind flow in the tropical/Hadley cell in the Southern Hemisphere?

clockwise

When looking at the wind currents from the side, what direction does wind flow in the mid-latitude/Ferrel cell in the Northern Hemisphere?

clockwise

When looking at the wind currents from the side, what direction does wind flow in the mid-latitude/Ferrel cell in the Southern Hemisphere?

counter-clockwise

When looking at the wind currents from the side, what direction does wind flow in the polar cell in the Northern Hemisphere?

counter-clockwise

When looking at the wind currents from the side, what direction does wind flow in the polar cell in the Southern Hemisphere?

clockwise

El Nino

warming phase; ocean water is warmer; leads to fires & droughts

El Nina

cooling phase; ocean water is cooler; leads to hurricanes and severe flooding

clausius-clapeyron relation

air can hold more water when warmer

What is DALR?

Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate

What is SALR?

Saturated Adiabatic Lapse Rate

What is the DALR (in C/km)?

9.8C/km

evaporation

liquid is heated into gas or vapor

transpiration

water is carried through plant and evaporates from stomata

potential evapotranspiration (PET)

maximum water flux that can be taken up by the atmosphere

When is the atmosphere absolutely stable?

SALR < ELR

When is the atmosphere conditionally stable?

DALR < ELR < SALR

When is the atmosphere absolutely instable?

ELR < DALR

What is a stable atmosphere?

small temperature fluxes, resists vertical motion, calm weather

What is an unstable atmosphere?

large temperature fluxes, encourages vertical motion, severe weather

adiabatic

no heat exchange between air parcel and surroundings

When do clouds form?

when air reaches saturation point

What season is the ozone hole over Antarctica strongest in?

Spring

radiation fog

ground loses heat at night by radiational cooling to dew point

advection fog

warm air flows from warm region to cover cold surface

coalescence

merging of elements to form one mass

bergeron-findeisen process

snow flakes grow further by collision with cloud droplets before they reach ground as rain

rime

ice deposits on objects

guttation

plants release excess water through pores at tips of leaves

rime

frozen cloud droplets on vegetation

What is the equation for rainfall variability (in percentage)?

standard deviation / average rainfall

How do you model pollution using normal modeling?

calculate concentrations based on emissions

How do you model pollution using reverse modeling?

calculate emissions based on concentrations

drainage basin

river and all land surrounding the area

discharge

volume of water flowing through a river channel