Earth and Space Science Exam 4 Study Guide

What creates the Coriolis effect?

difference in Earth's rotational speed

Evaporation is an example of _.

latent heat

Wind is air moving from .

high pressure to low pressure

What atmospheric feature occurs when warm, moist air rises away from the surface?

low pressure

What are the names of three vertical atmospheric circulation cells?

Hadley, Ferrell, Polar

Which clouds are composed entirely of ice crystals?

cirrus

What are the main cloud types?

stratus, cirrus, cumulus, cumulonimbus

Strong updrafts are associated with ____.

large hail

The airmass that is typically over Jacksonville, FL is the _ airmass.

maritime tropical

What are the 4 types of fronts?

cold, warm, stationary, occluded

Relative humidity measure the level of __ in the air.

saturation

Dew point is a _ value.

temperature

To increase relative humidity, you either have to increase ___.

the amount of water vapor and decrease temperature

Which is not a mechanism for air to rise?

radiation

Water has a very high _, which allows it to retain heat much better than air.

heat capacity

What atmospheric feature helps steer hurricanes?

subtropical high

Sea breezes occur when the land cools down faster than the ocean.

False

The purpose of tropical cyclones is to transport .

heat

What are the ingredients for hurricane formation?

high humidity

atmospheric instability

warm water

low wind shear

Pre-existing disturbance

Coriolis Effect

What are the main causes of hurricane dissipation?

wind shear

landfall

cold water interaction

dry air intrusion

A tropical storm can cause more damage due to flooding than a hurricane.

True

What are the 3 hurricanes that affected the Jacksonville area?

Donna, Dora, David

We use the Saffir-Simpson scale to classify tornadoes.

False

In a freezing rain event, the raindrops do not refreeze before hitting the surface.

True

What part of the atmosphere contains the ozone layer?

Stratosphere

What are the layers of the atmosphere in order closest to farthest?

troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere

What part of the atmosphere is where weather occurs?

Troposphere

What type of wave radiation is emitted by the Sun?

shortwave

Which gasses contribute to the greenhouse effect?

water vapor, ozone, methane, carbon dioxide

____ is the ability of a surface to reflect light.

Albedo

What type of heat transfer doesn't require a medium?

radiation

What happens to radiation when it encounters dust or gasses in the atmosphere?

It is scattered

Condensation is a more energetic process than freezing.

True

Shortwave radiation

visible light, contains a lot of energy

Longwave radiation

Infrared light, less energy

High Pressure

cold, dry air sinks

Low Pressure

warm, moist air rises

What is the worst quadrant to be in during a storm surge?

Front- Right Quadrant

Tornadoes are classified using…

The Enhanced Fujita Scale

Hurricanes are classified using…

The Saffir-Simpson Scale

Sleet

refreezes when rain falls through layer of freezing air

Freezing Rain

does not refreeze when going through freezing layer

stationary front

the air masses do not move

occluded front

Warm air masses and gets trapped between two cold air masses

Which type of air "holds" more moisture?

warm air

Saturation

the amount of water entering the atmosphere equals the amount leaving

Absolute Humidity

The amount of water vapor in the air

Relative Humidity

the level of saturation of the air

dew point

temperature at which air is saturated any decrease in temperature will allow water to be precipitated

Air rises due to…

orographic uplifting, frontal wedging, convergence, convection

Latent heat

heat absorbed or released during a change of state

subtropical high

A semipermanent area of high pressure located over the ocean caused by difference in temperature between land and sea

Land Breezes

The breeze caused when the water stays warm and the land has cooled

Sea Breezes

wind blowing from a cool ocean surface onto warm land

tropical cyclone

warm core, low pressure system without a front attached that develops over the tropical or subtropical

tropical depression

wind speed 23-38mph

Tropical storm

wind speeds 39-73

storm is named

Hurricane Tracks

Steering depends mainly on position of subtropical high.

subtropical high

cause trade winds and westerlies

steer hurricanes

stronger in the summer