Unit 1: Weather Dynamics and Climate Change

Fill-in-the-blank practice flashcards covering atmospheric properties, heat transfer, weather components, global wind and ocean systems, forecasting tools, and climate change.

The physical conditions of the atmosphere at a specific time and place is known as __________.

weather

The first $12\,\text{km}$ of Earth's atmosphere, in which all weather takes place, is called the __________.

troposphere

Thermal energy transfer in which atoms or molecules give off energy as electromagnetic waves is called __________.

radiation

The horizontal, large-scale movement of air in the atmosphere that transfers thermal energy is called __________.

advection

The reflectivity of a surface, indicating how much energy it reflects, is known as __________.

albedo

The amount of energy required to raise the temperature of $1\,\text{kg}$ of a material by $1\,^\circ\text{C}$ is called its __________ heat capacity.

specific

Earth is closest to the Sun during the month of __________ and farthest away during the month of July.

January

The SI unit for atmospheric pressure, defined as a force of one newton per square metre, is the __________.

pascal

At sea level, average atmospheric pressure is approximately $101.3\,\text{kPa}$.

101.3

Humid air exerts __________ atmospheric pressure than dry air because water vapour displaces heavier oxygen and nitrogen molecules.

less

The temperature at which air becomes saturated with water vapour so that it condenses is called the __________ point.

dew

The amount of heat required to cause a phase change between solid and liquid is known as the latent heat of __________.

fusion

In the Northern Hemisphere, winds circulate in a __________ direction around a high pressure centre.

clockwise

In the Northern Hemisphere, the Coriolis effect deflects moving air and winds to the __________.

right

The global wind system located between $30^\circ$ and $60^\circ$ latitude in both hemispheres is known as the prevailing __________.

westerlies

Narrow bands of fast-moving westerly winds that occur high in the atmosphere at speeds up to $300\,\text{km/h}$ or greater are called __________ streams.

jet

A weather front formed when two air masses meet but neither advances is called a __________ front.

stationary

A weather front formed when a fast-moving cold front overtakes a slow-moving warm front is called an __________ front.

occluded

Deep-water ocean currents driven by differences in temperature and salinity form the Great Ocean __________ Belt.

Conveyor

Atmospheric pressure is measured using an instrument called a __________.

barometer

Relative humidity can be measured using an instrument called a hygrometer or a sling __________.

psychrometer

An instrument designed to catch wind in open cups to measure wind speed is called an __________.

anemometer

Weather balloons carry an instrument package and radio transmitter called a __________.

radiosonde

Weather satellites in a __________ orbit hover over a fixed location at an altitude of about $36\,000\,\text{km}$ above the equator.

geostationary

Predicting weather conditions over a period of up to $6$ hours using real-time remote sensing data is known as __________.

nowcasting

According to Table 2.2, the weather map symbol representing a __________ front is shown as a line with blue triangles.

cold

The process in which human-produced greenhouse gases absorb heat energy from the Sun and Earth's surface is called the __________ greenhouse effect.

anthropogenic

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that absorbs $25$ times more heat than __________ dioxide.

carbon

Nitrous oxide is a potent greenhouse gas that absorbs $300$ times more heat than __________ dioxide.

carbon

Industrial chemical compounds produced solely by human activities, such as CFCs, are called __________.

halocarbons

When warming ocean waters cause corals to expel their algae and turn white, the process is called coral __________.

bleaching

Trees in Canada's north that tilt or fall over due to thawing permafrost are referred to as __________ forests.

drunken

The expansion of deserts resulting from rising temperatures and decreasing rainfall is called __________.

desertification

According to Table 1.2, Continental Polar air masses in winter are characterized as very cold and __________.

dry