MET1010 TEST #1

Radiosone Balloons, what do they transmit?

Temp, Pressure, & Humidity

Pressure is the only element in the atmosphere that

always goes down. It also decreases with height at a decreasing rate.

Normal Lapse rate

Average rate that air cools (6.5 degrees celcius/km)

Kelvins to Celcius Formula

K+273=C

Celcius to Farenheight Formula

1.8(C)+32=F

When is freezing/ Boiling point in F?

Boiling- 100 degrees

Freezing -32 degrees

Latent Heat

hidden or stored heat that is either released or absorbed when water changes its phase.

Solid to Liquid; Liquid to Gas; Gas to Solid

1-Melting,2-Evaporation, 3-Depostion

Gas to liquid; Liquid to solid ; Solid to gas

1-Condensation, 2-Freezing, 3- Sublimation

What are the methods of heat transfer?

Conduction, Convection, Advection, Raditation

Conduction

The direct transfer of heat from one substance to another substance that it is touching.

Convection-

Vertical heat transfer of a fluid (liquid or gas)

Radtiation

Wavelike energy given off by every object that passes heat or has a temperature.

Advection

Horizontal heat transfer of a fluid (Liquid or gas)

Electromagnetic Spectrum

Scale of radiation based on wavelength (temperature)

What are the three main wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum? (longest to shortest)

Infrared raditation, visible light , and UV

What are greenhouse gases? give examples

- gases that absorb infrared radiation from the sun

- Nitrous oxide, methane, water vapor, carbon dioxide

Rules of raditation

1-All objects emit radiation

2-Hotter objects emit more radiation than cooler objects

3-Hotter objects emit shorter wavelength of radiation

4-Theoretically, a perfect absorber of radiation is also a perfect emitter.

What is a black body?

a perfect emitter and absorber ex: the earth, the sun

What are the methods of interference

Absorption, Reflection, and Scattering

Absorbtion

Clouds can absorb radiation. When absorption occurs, there is a net heat gain.

Scattering

Direct radiation becomes indirect or diffused

Reflection

The angle of incoming radiation must be equal to the angle of outgoing radiation

Albedo

Measure of reflectivity. Good at reflecting=High albedo;

The northern and southern hemisphere have

opposite seasons

What degree is earth tilted at

23.5

What are the two motions of the earth? How long does each take?

Rotation- Earth spinning on its axis (takes about 24hrs)

Revolution- Elliptic orbit around the sun(takes about 364.25 days)

What is the average distance that the earth is from the sun

93 million miles

How is temperature affected by latitude?

The angle of the sunlight. This also determines the number of daylight hours we get in the sky, as well as the amount of atmosphere that the sunlight travels through.

Winter solstice

Dec 21-22, sun overhead at 23.5 south, fewest daylight hours

Spring or Vernal Equinox

Mar 20, the sun is overhead at the equator, an equal number of day and nighttime hours

Summer solstice

June 21-22. the sun is overhead at 23.5 North, greatest number of daylight hours

Fall or Autumn Equinox

September 22-23, the sun is overhead at the equator, an equal number of daytime and nighttime hours

A city in the north in the summertime would receive (more/less) sunlight than a city in the south

MORE

How is temperature affected by altitude?

An increase in altitude means a decrease in temperature

How is temperature affected by ocean currents?

ocean currents from the north have more a cooling impact and ocean currents from the south have a more warming impact when it comes to temperature

Specific heat for water is what compared to land?

3 times higher

How is temperature affected by geographic position?

Temperature is difference is more mild of the west coast (mild summers and winters) and more severe on the east cost (severer summers and winters)

How is daily mean temp calculated?

Add up the highest temp of the day and the lowest temp of the day and divide that by 2

How is daily or diurnal range calculated?

Subtract the lowest temperature from the day from the highest

Monthly mean

Sum up all the daily means and divide by the amount of days in that particular month

Annual mean

Add up all the month means and divide by 12

Annual range

Subtract lowest monthly mean from the highest

When is a heat index used, and what does it measure.

It is used in the summer and it measures heat and humidity to tell how hot it will feel.

When is a wind chill factor used and what does it measure.

It is used in the winter and it measures temperature and wind speed to tell us how cold it will feel.

When is cooling degree days measured and how do we calculate it?

Summer; Daily mean-Base temp=CDD

When is heating degree days measured and how do we calculate it?

WInter; Base temp-Daily mean=HDD

What is used to tell the hottest temp and how?

Maximum thermometer; mercury expands and flows to tell the hottest temp

What is used to tell the coldest temp and how?

Minimum thermometer; alcohol drags index to tell coldest temp

Weather

Constant changing state of the atmosphere. Far more specific than climate because it describes short-term atmospheric conditions.

Climate

Average of the weather conditions over an extended period of time.

Elements of the atmosphere? What are they (6)?

Variables that are measured regularly because they are constantly changing. Temperature, Type and amount of precipitation, humidity (expressed as %), type and amount of cloud coverage, wind direction and speed, biometric pressure.

What does H mean as a map symbol?

Usually represents High Pressure. High pressure usually means good weather. Moves Clockwise.

What does L mean as a map symbol?

Usually means low pressure. Tends to signal clouds and precipitation. Moves counterclockwise. Fronts are only attached to low pressure.

How does a cold front look on a weather map?

Typically blue, concave up, with spikes.

How does a warm front look on a weather map?

Typically red, concave down, with semicircles

How does a stationary front look on a weather map?

Red and Blue line, mixture of semicircles and triangles, and it is a straight line.

Hurricane Symbol

74 mph winds or more

Tropical Storm Symbol

38-73 mph winds

Tropical Depression Symbol

below 38 mph winds

Isobars

Lines of equal pressure

Isotherms

lines of equal temperature

What does it mean when isobars are on a map close together?

It means it will be windy, and if they are far apart the winds will be calm.

Composition of the Atmosphere

78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% other [Argon (.93%), Carbon dioxide (.034%)]

Heterosphere

Above the earths surface ( about 48 miles up to 120)

Homosphere

The lower layer of the atmosphere ( earths surface) (below 48 miles)

Layers of the atmosphere in order

1-Troposphere

-Tropopause

2-Stratosphere

-Stratopause

3-Mesophere

-Mesopause

4-Thermosphere

Troposphere

Where all the weather happens , layer around us . Temp decreases with height. Followed by tropopause where temp remains constant.

Stratosphere

Temp beings to increase with height so Temp inversion occurs ( temperature begins to increase) . Greatest concentration of ozone, absorbs sunlight. Followed by stratopause, where temperatures remain constant.

Mesosphere

Coldest layer of the atmosphere, temp begins to decrease with height. Followed by mesopause where temperatures are constant.

Thermosphere

Hottest layer of the atmosphere. Temperatures begin to increase with height.

Ozone

O3 is a poisonous gas that is produced everyday in a photochemical reaction that is triggered by sunlight that happens in the stratosphere, it absorbs uv radiation.

What are CFCs and what were their issues.

When scientist released these gases( through freon, accelerants in aerosols, manufacture of styrofoam, or cleaners for electronics), they moved into the stratosphere and the chlorine from the cfcs reacted with the O3 breaking it down into O2 so it could no longer absorb UV rays, letting in way more heat than before.

Effects of CFCs and their Issue with O3

-Population shifts- People would leave areas like FL because they got way hotter)

-Increased electric usage

-Increased skin cancer

-Cataracts

-Farming/ agriculture shifts

-Hurricane season becomes longer because it is warmer

-Sea levels rise due to snow melting.

Temperature:

Measure of how cold or hot a substance is

Heat

Average kinetic energy of a substance (energy of motion)

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