Earth Science Meterology Unit
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What analogy did Lewis Thomas use to describe the Earth's atmosphere, comparing it to a biological structure?
He compared it to a cell's membrane, calling it "the world’s biggest membrane."
The envelope of gases held around a planet by gravity is known as the _.
atmosphere
What is the Coriolis effect?
the deflection (or veering off course) of free moving objects caused by rotation of the Earth
what does the coriolis effect affect?
Affects the wind direction
what is lifting air?
Lifting of air is the vertical movement of air.
the two types of lifting air
Horizontal movement and vertical movement.
example of horizontal movement
wind
What does air have to overcome to lift? What is the only way to do this?
We have to overcome gravity and the only way to do that is change the density of the air.
isobars
lines of equal pressure
What is the primary characteristic that distinguishes 'severe weather' from 'regular weather'?
it puts people, animals, or buildings at risk
In which layer of the atmosphere does all weather occur, and where is the air densest?
the troposphere
What is the natural greenhouse effect?
The greenhouse effect is the process through which heat is trapped near Earth's surface by substances known as 'greenhouse gases’, warming the sun
How can a severe drought impact the biosphere?
by reducing habitats for water dwelling animals and food for other animals
When solar radiation travels through the atmosphere, some of it is scattered by particles like dust and smoke. What is this scattered radiation that still reaches the Earth's surface called?
Diffusion Radiation
The increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has an impact on the ocean, which acts as a large 'carbon sink'. What is the direct consequence of this process?
it causes the ocean to be acidic
Biosphere
The sphere of the environment where all life exists on Earth’s surface.
Terrestrial Radiation
Energy emitted from cooler objects, like the Earth, in the form of longer heat waves.
Everything in meteorology is about
storing, moving, and releasing energy
What is the universe made up of?
Matter and energy
What type of energy is important to meteorology?
heat(the atmosphere has to be heated) and kinetic energy(energy in motion)
Radiation is organized
by wavelength
Meterology
study of the atmosphere and processes that causes weather
Atmosphere
is the envelopment of gasses and solid particles(aerosols)
What happens when an object absorbs any form of radiant energy?
increase in temperature
___ form when the moisture content of the air is low.
snowflakes
Gases, like the atmosphere
are selective absorbers and emitters of radiation.
How is heat mainly transported in the atmosphere?
convection
What is energy?
ability to do work
Which form of precipitation is hard, rounded pellets of ice?
hail
The hook shape on Doppler Radar revels
the thunderstorm is rotating.
laten heat
the heat absorbes or relased during a change of temperature with NO change in temperature
aerosols
solid particles or tiny droplets of a certain particle
cirrus clouds
thin, whispery clouds. made of ice crystals
fog
a cloud with its base on the ground
What do fronts create?
storms (weather)
For an occluded front, once the two fronts have merged, why does weather turn to light rain?
all warm air has been lifted
What front produces nimbostratus clouds?
warm
Which of the air masses only form during summer?
cT
the troposphere
What kind of air movement occurs in high-pressure systems?
Cold, dense air sinks, compresses, and warms.
What is an air mass?
large bodies of air characterized by specific temperature and moisture content.
How does a hurricane diminish?
move that storm over cold water, which takes away heat source or over land, which also takes away tea source
What type of weather is typically associated with a high-pressure system, and what is the primary reason for these conditions?
fair weather because sinking air compresses and warms which lowers relative humidity
As a parcel of air rises through the troposphere, it encounters lower atmospheric pressure. What happens to the air parcel's temperature as a result of this change?
it cools due to the adiabatic process of expansion
If the temperature of the air increases throughout the day but the amount of water vapor in the air remains constant, what happens to the relative humidity?
it decreases because the air capacity to hold water increases
Which type of cloud is characterized by significant vertical development and is associated with severe weather such as thunderstorms, hail, and tornadoes?
cumulonimbus cloud
What is the primary mechanism for transporting excess heat from the tropics towards the polar regions within Earth's atmosphere?
convection
Explain how thunderstorms develop.
in 3 stages Developing, Mature, and Dissipating.
Mature stage of a thunderstorm
The cumulus cloud grows into a towering cumulonimbus cloud.
Dissipating Stage of a thunderstorm
Downdrafts become stronger and spread throughout the entire cloud, eventually cutting off the updraft.
downdrifts
are localized sinking air(caused by the rain)
updrafts
localized rising air
lighting
A studden flash of light generated by the flow of electtrons
thunder
sound given of by raidly expanding gases along the path of thunder
Generally, describe how tornadoes form.
from powerful thunderstorms, typically supercells, when warm, humid air rises and collides with cool, dry air. can form from a cold or an Occluded cloud
What is the scale used to determine the strength of a tornado?
the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale
How Does a Hurricane Begin to Form?
When humid air is flowing upward at a zone of low pressure over warm ocean water, the water is released from the air, creating clouds that grow into a strong storm. As it rises, the air in a hurricane rotates.
What is the eye? Eye wall?
the eye is in the center and the eye wall is the area around the eye
Where is the warmest part of the storm? Why?
The warmest part of a hurricane is its eye, specifically the upper-levels of the eye. This is because air sinks and warms up in the center of the storm, while thunderstorms release latent heat that makes the eye a "warm core" system
What part of the hurricane is the strongest?
the right hand side of the storm is the strongest
What is required to form a hurricane?
warm sea surface temperatures of at least 80 °F, and storms, these hurricanes are going to develop over, um, probably 4 different stages that are all based off of winds speed
the speed of wind is determined by
the difference in air pressure