PCC Earth And Space Test 3 (Gardner)

water molecules that have evaporated from a body of water

water vapor

water molecules escaping below the boiling point of water because of collisions at the surface of the water

evaporation

moisture content of the air measuring the amount of water vapor

humidity

air that can hold no more water vapor

saturated air

actual density of water vapor in the air

absolute humidity

percentage describing how close the air is to being saturated

relative humidity

temperature at which the current water vapor would be saturated

dew point

what is the first step of forming a cloud

abdiabatic cooling to saturation point

what is the process of reducing heat through a change in air pressure caused by volume expansion

abdiabatic cooling

what is the second step of forming a cloud

formation of ice crystals or water droplets

what features produce clouds

warm air rising over a land barrier, convection, warm air being forced over cold air

what is warmed air from the land heating air masses above causing them to expand and rise

convection

made of ice crystals at high altitudes, wispy clouds

cirrus clouds

made of broad flat layers, lowest type of cloud, form during calm conditions, fog is a low lying version of this cloud

stratus cloud

dense rising clouds with puffy tops

cumulus clouds

prefix meaning the cloud is higher than usual

alto

prefix meaning cloud that gives off precipitation

nimbo, nimbus

clouds that produce heavy rain, wind, thunder, hail, and tornadoes

cumulonimbus

high altitude clouds seen in mackerel skies, formed by vertical updrafts

cirrocumulus

mid lever cumulus clouds that look like lumpy cotton balls

altocumulus

low thick clouds with rain/thunderstorms

nimbostratus

cloud forming due to large volumes of air coming into contact with cold land/water

fog

quick condensation that forms droplets and falls

rain

condensation in cold conditions forming ice crystals

snow

raindrops that have frozen on the way to the ground

sleet

layered balls of ice that form in thunderstorms due to updrafts

hail

the temperature, humidity, air pressure, cloudiness, and rainfall/snowfall at any given moment

weather

study of weather and weather patterns

meterology

the summary of weather conditions over a period of years

climate

largest desert in the world

anarctica

what powers weather

insolation

what is solar energy in the atmosphere

insolation

what is the basic cause of all weather

sun

horizontal movement of air in response to convection

winds

hot air rises and produces low pressure, cool air sinks and produces high pressure

convection currents

the bending of air currents as the earth turns around them

coriolis effect

sea to land wind

sea breeze

land to sea wind

land breeze

easterly winds near the equator (from the east towards the west)

trade winds

light winds along the equator - these winds move upward

doldrums

regions of high pressure and light winds at 30 degrees latitude (these winds also blow through most deserts)

horse latitudes

winds rushing from 30 degrees to 60 degrees latitude (from west to north)

prevailing westerlies

high speed high altitude winds as the resulting from the westerlies being pushed upward (in the upper troposphere - from west to the east)

jetstreams

large bodies of air that have consistent weather conditions

air masses

low pressure air mass flowing inward and rotating counter clockwise, air rises

cyclone

high pressure air mass flowing outward rotating clockwise, air sinks

anticyclone

air mass formed over water

maritime

airmass that forms toward the south near the equator, made of warm air

tropical

air mass consisting of cold air from the north

polar

boundaries between air masses

fronts

boundary between cold polar air and warmer surroundings

polar front

leading edge of a warm air wedge (warm air replacing cold air OR warm air rising above cold air)

warm front

what kind of clouds do warm fronts that rise above cold air usually create

nimbostratus

leading edge of a cooler air wedge (cold air replacing warm air)

cold front

cold front overtaking a warm front forcing warm air upward (surrounds warm front and closes in on it, squeezing it upward)

occluded front

what two things do thunderstorms require

unstable atmosphere, lifting mechanism

what is an atmosphere that cools faster than a rising air mass

ambient atmosphere

what allows an air mass to rise without stalling

unstable atmosphere

warm air rising and cold air sinking

convectional lifting, convection

the result of a warm air mass rising over a cold air mass

frontal lifting

air flowing a steep land surface

orographic lifting

local thunderstorms that form over hotspots

single cell thunderstorms

(thunderstorm formation) indicated rising cumulus clouds

early stage

(thunderstorm formation) indicated by rain, cumulonimbus clouds, updrafts, and downdrafts

mature stage

(thunderstorm formation) indicated by falling clouds, down drafts continue

dissipating stage

a severe thunderstorm occurs under ONE or more of what three conditions

winds exceeding 50 knots, hail reaching 1 inch in diameter, tornado

large rotating thunderstorms that can extend for many miles, produce winds, hail, and tornadoes

supercell thunderstorms

rotation within a supercell thunderstorm, consists of a circulating updraft

mesocyclone

strong updrafts creating rapid condensation at lower altitudes forming a wall cloud as the wall cloud spins faster what will emerge

tornado

where do negative charges accumulate before a lightning strike

bottom of the cloud

where does a lightning bolt start

ground

(lightning) what is it negative charge first moving down from the cloud called

step leader

massive rotating tropical airmasses

tropical cyclones

temporary rises in sea level due to low pressure winds

surges

a large thunderstorm over the tropics

tropical disturbance

circulating tropical disturbance

tropical depression, tropical cyclone

tropical cyclone with sustained wind speeds of at least 39 mph

tropical storm

large group of circulating thunderstorms with windspeeds > 74 mph, typically indicated by the formation of an eye

hurricane

concentrated thunderstorms extending for hundreds of miles (in a hurricane), there is usually a high concentration of tornadoes in these

rain bands

large ring of rising rapidly rotating thunderstorms in a hurricane

eye wall

the center of a hurricane with clear calm conditions, slow moving sinking air spilling over the eye wall

eye

wall of water associated with the winds of a hurricane, effects coastal areas the most and causes the most devastating damages

storm surge

flooding as a result of rainfall from the hurricane, results in the most deaths

inland flooding

most widespread damage associate with hurricanes, can extend for hundreds of miles on shore

wind damage

0 degrees latitude, hot humid climate

doldrums

30 degrees latitudes, hot and dry climate

horse latitudes

between 0 and 30 degrees latitude, brings in monsoons

trade winds

alternating rainy/dry seasons

monsoons

30-60 degrees latitudes - have all four seasons

middle latitudes

predominately cold climate with short summers

high latitudes

the output of light energy from the sun

solar irradiance

approximately how long has the earths temperature trended upward

200 years

all the water on earth

hydrosphere

what percent of earths water is in the oceans

90

the periodic rise and fall of ocean waters produced by gravity (predominantly the moon)

tides

very high, high tides and very low, low tides. occur twice a month

spring tides

occur when the moon is perpendicular to the sun and makes the tides smaller overall - occurs twice a month between the 1st and 3rd quarter moons

neap tides

the general sloping of the ocean bottom from the shore, extends out from the continent and is part of the plate, extends several kilometers

continental shelf

steep drop off from the continental shelf around 2km off shore, the boundary between continental and oceanic crust

continental slope

an accumulation of debris at the end of the continental slope

continental rise