AI generated active recall notes

Atmosphere

Layer of gases around Earth

Weather

Daily atmospheric conditions

Climate

Long-term weather patterns

Troposphere

Weather layer

Stratosphere

Ozone layer

Ozone layer

UV absorption

Insolation

Incoming solar energy

Radiation

Energy transfer by waves

Conduction

Heat via contact

Convection

Heat via rising air

Condensation

Gas → liquid

Evaporation

Liquid → gas

Jet stream

high-speed air flow in narrow tubelike zones within the upper-air westerlies.

Isobar

Equal pressure line

Isobars spacing

Close = strong winds

Prevailing wind

Dominant wind direction

Aspect

Direction slope faces

Low pressure

Rising air

High pressure

Sinking air

Anticyclone

High pressure system

Coriolis effect

an apparent deflection of moving bodies (like air currents and ocean, 1, 3) across the Earth's surface due to its rotation, causes trajectories to curve right in the Northern Hemisphere and left in the Southern Hemisphere

Trade winds

Tropical easterlies

Ferrel cell

Mid-latitude circulation

Polar cell

High-latitude circulation

Hadley cell

A tropical atmospheric circulation where warm air rises at the equator, moves poleward, sinks near 30° latitude, and returns as trade winds. 

Greenhouse effect

Heat trapped by gases

Cirrus cloud

High, thin

Stratus cloud

Low, layered

Cumulus clouds look

Puffy, like cotton balls

Cumulonimbus cloud

Thunderstorm cloud

Altostratus

Mid-level layered

Altocumulus

Mid-level puffy

Nimbostratus

Widespread rain

Stratocumulus

Low, broken

Convective precipitation

Heating-driven rain

Orographic precipitation

Mountain-forced rain

Frontal precipitation

Air mass boundary rain

Windward side

Wet side of mountain

Leeward side

Dry rain shadow

Warm front

Gradual uplift

Cold front

Steep uplift

Continental polar (cP)

Cold, dry

Maritime polar (mP)

Cool, moist

Continental tropical (cT)

Hot, dry

Maritime tropical (mT)

Warm, moist

Arctic air mass (cA)

Very cold, dry

Ocean current

Moving seawater

Cold current

Cooling effect

Warm current

Warming effect

Meteorology

Study of weather

El Niño

Warm ENSO phase

La Niña

Cool ENSO phase

Chinook

warm dry wind that blows down the east side of the Rocky Mountains at the end of winter

Weather

Short-term atmospheric conditions

Climate

Long-term average weather (≈30 yrs)

Weather data instrumentation

Thermometer, barometer, anemometer, wind vane, rain gauge, hygrometer

Weather data collection

Ground stations, radar, satellites

Weather forecasting

Observations + computer models

Vertical structure of atmosphere

Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere

Troposphere significance

Weather occurs; temp decreases

Stratosphere significance

Ozone layer; temp increases

Insolation

Incoming solar radiation

Shortwave radiation

Incoming solar energy

Longwave radiation

Outgoing terrestrial heat

Reflection

Radiation bounced back

Absorption

Energy taken in

Conduction

Heat transfer by contact

Convection

Heat transfer by rising air

Condensation

Gas → liquid

Albedo

Surface reflectivity

Atmosphere heating

Mostly heated from Earth’s surface

Conditions for precipitation

Moisture, cooling, condensation nuclei

Types of precipitation

Convectional, orographic, frontal

Convectional precipitation

Surface heating; rising air

Orographic precipitation

Air forced over mountains

Frontal precipitation

Warm air lifted over cold

Air mass

Large body of uniform air

Air mass characteristics

Temperature + moisture

North American air masses

cP, cA, mP, mT, cT

Air mass source regions

Latitude + surface type

Pressure systems

high pressure = sinking, low pressure= rising

Low pressure weather

Cloudy, precipitation

High pressure weather

Clear, dry

Fog

Cloud at ground level

Radiation fog

forms on clear, calm nights when the ground rapidly loses heat (radiates energy) to space, cooling the air near the surface to its dew point, causing water vapor to condense into fog, often in valleys or low areas where cool, moist air settles

Advection fog

Warm air over cold surface

Sea breeze

Day; sea → land

Land breeze

Night; land → sea

Prevailing winds

Dominant global wind direction

Jet stream

Fast upper-air winds

Jet stream role

Steers weather systems

Warm front

Warm air over cold; steady rain

Cold front

Cold air under warm; heavy rain

El Niño

Warm Pacific; weaker trade winds

La Niña

Cool Pacific; stronger trades

ENSO impacts

Global climate disruption

OLAMPNAS

Ocean currents, Latitude, Altitude, Mountains, Prevailing winds, Near water, Cloudiness, Slope

What cloud is this?

cumulus

What is standard sea air pressure?

101.3kPa

What cloud is this?

cirrus