unit 3 Atmosphere

Atmosphere

The gases that surround the Earth

What does Dark absorb

light

What does white do?

reflects

Albedo

The % of solar radiation reflected back into space

Lapse Rate

drop in temp as you go higher

What are the 5 layers of the Atmosphere

Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, Exosphere

Troposphere

closest to the ground where weather occurs

Stratosphere

2nd layer in the Ozone Layer

Mesosphere

3rd layer where meteors burn up

Thermosphere

4th and thickest layer

Exosphere

end of the atmosphere

Fronts

leading edge of an air mass

What are the 5 types of front

Polar, warm, cold, stationary, occluded

what are the 4 types of air masses

Continental & maritime polar, conteintal & maritime tropical

2 factos that determine wind direction

Rotation of earth on its axis, location of high/low pressure air masses

Coriolis effect

The force created by the spinning of the earth resulting of curving wind

what are the 3 types of winds

chinook, sea breeze, land breezes

Polar front

cold moves south from N pole

Warm front

leading edge of warm mass of air for nice weather

cold front

leading edge of cold air mass for not nice weather

stationary

warm/cold air boundary that remains in one place

occluded

formed when a cold front overtakes a warm front, lifting the warm air.

air masses

large body of air w similar moisture & temperature levels

Doldrums

winds that are generally low/calm at equator

Chinook wind

warm wind blows the leeward did then gets warm going down

sea breezes wind

cool air from the sea and blows to land

Land breezes

air from land into the sea due to sun setting with land cooling hence calm wind w/o heat

Causes of Tornados

Columns of air rotating crazily when moist air is close to dry cold ground + wind

How are tornados classified

Enhanced Fujita scale from EP-0 to 5

How do hurricanes form

warm water 20C, low upper level wind, moist air

lifespan of a hurricane

forms west coast of africa to east coast of central US, moves up with thunderstorms joining however once it is away from warm water supply it dies off

4 destructive characteristic of hurricanes

storm surge, fierce wind, intense rainfall, ability to spawn tornadoes

storm surge

quick rise of sea from atmospheric pressure changes

fieree winds

low 56 knots or 72mph, hgh 120+ knots or 140mph

intense rainfall

can drop 1 meter of rain over 24-23 hour period causing floods/mudflows

ability to spawn tornadoes

tornadoes can be more violent when added to hurricane winds

3 types of precipitation

orographical/relief, frontal convection

orographical/relief precipitation

the process of cold air going on the windward part causing warm air on the other side from a drop

frontal precipitation

process where 2 air masses meet with the warmer one rising over the cold one

convection precipitation

the process where the sun warms up the ground, then the air, and causes clouds to form up resulting in thunderstorms

leeward

side of mountain or island sheltered from wind

windward

side of mountain or island facing wind

precipitation

water released from clouds, returning it to Earth's surface in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail. Part of the water cycle to bring atmospheric moisture back to the land

What are the 7 climate controls

Latitude, distribution of land & water masses, ocean currents, winds, mountain barriers, altitude, high & low pressure belts

climate

the average weather conditions for a region

Latitude

responsible for annual temperature range, as latitude increase, average temp decrease, annual temp range increase

Distribution of land and water masses

Land warms/cools faster, and water warms/cools slower

ocean currents

influences temperature and preciptation

winds

winds over dry land, result in dry conditions; winds over water, result in moist warm condition

altitude

higher the altitude, lower the air temperature

high & low pressure belts

high presssure = sunny, low pressure =rainy

What does a climate graph show?

the average temperature & precipitation