GE-101 Introduction to Geography - Atmospheric and Oceanic Systems

Vocabulary based flashcards covering key terms from a GE-101 geography exam including atmospheric lifting, global winds, weather instrumentation, and oceanic cycles.

El Niño

The name given to the periodic warming of the ocean that occurs in the central and eastern Pacific, often occurring in cycles of $3$ to $7$ years.

La Niña

a climate pattern characterized by cooler-than-normal sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, occurring every 2–7 years

Coriolis Effect

The phenomenon describing how Earth’s rotation deflects moving objects to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere.

Anemometer

A weather instrument that resembles a cup and is commonly used to measure wind speed.

Barometer

An instrument used for measuring air pressure.

Psychrometer

An instrument consisting of a wet bulb and a dry bulb thermometer used to determine atmospheric humidity.

Subsolar Point

The location where the sun's rays are perpendicular (at right angles) to the Earth's surface.

Relative humidity

The amount of water vapor in the air expressed as a percentage of the maximum amount the air can hold at a given temperature.

Jetstream

Fast-moving 'rivers' of air that travel between $120$ and $240\text{ km/h}$ in a west-to-east direction.

Monsoons

Seasonal reversal of wind direction associated with large continents, like Asia, where wind blows from land to sea in winter and sea to land in summer.

Gulf Stream

The main oceanic current that regulates most of western Europe, providing relatively mild winters.

Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)

A belt of low pressure circling the Earth near the equator where the trade winds of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres come together.

Sublimation

The process of ice water turning directly into its gaseous form without going through a liquid phase.

Orographic precipitation

Precipitation produced when moist air is lifted as it moves over a mountain range, cooling and forming clouds.

Air pressure

The phenomenon exerted by the weight of air in all directions—down, up, and sideways.

Sea Breeze

The dominant daytime breeze in coastal areas where land heats faster than the ocean, causing air to rise on shore and creating lower pressure.

Land Breeze

The dominant nighttime breeze occurring when air above the sea is warmer than the land surface, causing air to expand and rise offshore.

Tradewinds (Easterlies)

Two belts of winds that blow almost constantly from the east towards the western directions, located north and south of the subtropical highs.

Westerlies

The dominant west-to-east motion of the atmosphere that characterizes regions on the poleward side of the subtropical highs.

Summer Solstice

Occurs every June 20 to 23 in the northern hemisphere, representing the longest day and shortest night of the year.

Winter Solstice

Occurs every December 20 to 23 in the northern hemisphere, representing the longest night and shortest day of the year.

Spring Equinox

Occurs March 20 to 23 when both hemispheres experience equal day and night lengths of $12$ hours.

Autumnal Equinox

Occurs September 20 to 23 when both hemispheres experience equal day and night lengths of $12$ hours.

Cyclones

Atmospheric centers characterized by low air pressure.

Insolation

Solar radiation that reaches a horizontal plane at the Earth's surface.

Doldrums

Another name for the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ).

Hadley Cells

The atmospheric circulation cells labeled (O) in global circulation models.

Ferrel Cells

The atmospheric circulation cells labeled (P) in global circulation models.

Convectional Lifting

Atmospheric lifting labeled (L) caused by unequal heating of the surface.

Frontal Lifting

Atmospheric lifting labeled (M) occurring when less dense warm air rises over denser cooler air

Convergent Lifting

Atmospheric lifting labeled (J) where air flows together from different directions and is forced upward.

Orographic Lifting

Labeled K, air forced to rise over higher elevation

Cold Front

leading edge of a cooler, denser air mass replacing a warmer, less-dense air mass, typically moving from northwest to southeast in the Northern Hemisphere. It acts as a cold-air "bulldozer" that forces warm, moist air upward, often resulting in narrow bands of cumulus clouds, thunderstorms, and sharp, quick-moving weather changes

Warm Front

the leading edge of a moving, less dense warm air mass that slides up and over a retreating, colder, and denser air mass. It typically moves slower than cold fronts (approx. 12 mph) and brings gradual increases in temperature, humidity, and falling pressure

Cumulus Clouds

Labeled C, detached, low-level, fluffy cotton like

Cirrus Clouds

Labeled A, high altitude, wispy, composed of ice crystals

Cumulonimbus Clouds

Labeled B, dense, vertical, formed by water vapor, carried by buoyant air currents

Wind

The result of horizontal differences in air pressure

Air Flow

Air flows from areas of higher pressure to ares of lower pressure

Epipelagic Zone

“sunlight zone”

most solar heating, lots of temp change

surface to 200m, influenced by wind

transition layer

temp decreases rapidly

Mesopelagic Zone

“Twilight Zone”

most temp change near top

200-1000m

Bathypelagic Zone

“Midnight Zone”

no light at all, only light from animals

very little temp change

pressure: 5800 psi

Abyssopelagic Zone

“The Abyss” (no bottom)

4000-6000m

water temp near freezing

Hadalpelagic Zome

“The Trenches”

below 6000m

deepest trench: Mariana Trench >8 tsi