Geography Vocab test 3

microclimatology

the science focusing on physical conditions in the boundary layer at or near earths surface

net radiation (NET R)

the value reached by adding and subtracting the energy inputs and outputs at some location on the surface: the sum of all SW and LW radiation gains and losses

temperature

a measure of the average kinetic energy or molecular motion, of individual molecules in matter

land-water heating differences

physical differences causing land to heat and cool faster than water

transparency

the reason why water cools and heats slower than land

specific heat

water has more, which means it requires more energy to increase its temperature than an equal volume of land

Gulf Stream

• an example of ocean current effects

• moves warm water northward off the east coast of North America into the North Atlantic

isotherm

an isoline that connects points of equal temperature

thermal equator

an isoline connecting all points of highest mean temp, trends south in january and north in June

heat waves

prolonged periods of high temps lasting days or even weeks

arctic amplification

refers to the tendency for polar latitudes to experience enhanced warming relative to the rest of the planet

urban heat islands

where temps are higher than surrounding rural areas

cohesion

• effects of hydrogen bonding

• the attraction of molecules to other molecules of the same kind

adhesion

the attrction of molecules of one kind to molecules of another kind

phase change

a change from one state to another

latent heat

• heat energy required for water phase change

latent heat of vaporization

latent heat rquired to change water to vapor

latent heat of sublimation

latent heat rquired to change water to ice

saturation

when the rate of evaporation and condensation reach equilobrium

humidity

the amount of water vapour in the atmosphere

vapor pressure

portion of atmospheric produced by the presence of warer vapor

saturation vapor pressure

the point at which air is saturated at a given temp

specific humidity

the mass of water vapor per mass of air at any specified temp

relative humidity

a ratio of the vapor pressure to the saturation vapor pressure at a given temp

dew-point temp

the demo at whcih air achieves saturation

atmospheric stability

refers to the tendency of the atmosphere to either encourage or discourage veritical air motion

adiabatic

temp changes that occur due to expansion or compression

environmental lapse rate

the actual temp decrease with altitude averaging 6.4ºC/1000m

dry adiabatic rate (DAR)

the rate at which dry air cools by expansion on ascent or heats by compression on descent

moist adiabatic rate (MAR)

the rate at which moist air cools by expansion on ascent or heats by compression on descent

cloud

an aggregation of tiny water droplets and ice crystals suspended in the air

stratus

• mid altitude

• flat cloud layers

cumulus

• mid layer

• puffy clouds in heaps

altocumulus

• mid layer

• many different types

cumulonimbus

• thunderhead/ storm cloud

cirrus

• high level

• primarily composed of ice crystals

fog

ground level cloud formed by evaporation

advection fog

• forms when unsaturated (dry) air migrates to a new place where conditions bring it to saturation (moist)

upslope fog

forms when moist air is forced to higher elevations along a hill or mountain

valley fog

formed because cool, denser air settles in low-lying areas, producing fog in the chilled, moist layer near the ground

evaporation fog

forms when cold air flows over warm water, resulting in evaporation of water molecules

precipitation

occurs when cloud droplets or ice crystals in a cloud become large enough to fall with gravity (rain/snow)

air mass

a regional volume of air that id homogenous in humidity, stability, and cloud coverage and may extend through the lower half of the troposphere

convergent lifting

air flows converge and force some kind of air to lift

convectional lifting

air passing over warm surfaces gains buoyancy

orographic lifting

air passes over a topographic barrier

frontal lifting

air is displaced upward along the leading edges of the contrasting air masses

rain shadow

area behinf mountain blocked from the rain

cold front

formed by the leading edge of cold air mass when it meets warmer air and causes it to lift

warm front

formed by the leading edge of a warm air mass when it meets colder air and lifts above it

squall line

a narrow band of thunderstorms that often forms right along or slightly ahead of a cold front

midlatitude cyclone

wast low pressure systems that forms along a front between cold and warm air masses and migrates with the westerly winds

occluded front

produced when a cold front overtakes a warm front in the maturing cyclone

single-cell thunderstorm

fueled by the rapid upward movement of warm, moist air that forms a towering cumulonimbus cloud

lightning

electrical discharges from the atmosphere

thunder

sonic bangs produced by the rapid expansion of air after intense heating by lightning

super-cell thunderstorms

contain a deep, persistently rotating updraftand may produce heavy rain, large hail, and tornados

derchos’s

associated with thunderstorms and bands of showers crossing the region

tornado

a violently rotating column og air in contact with the ground

a mesocyclone

forms within a cumulonimbus cloud, sometimes rising to the mid-troposphere

funnel cloud

rising air and water vapour in the updraft visible as a funnel

tropical cyclone

becomes a hurricane, typhoon, or cyclone when winds exceed 64 knots

storm surge

when hurricanes make landfall and when winds drive ocean water inland

hydrology

science of water and below earth surface, including its global circulation, distribution, and properties is hydrology

outgassing

water molecules came from within earth over a period of billions of years

eustasy

refers to worldwide changes in sea level and relates to changes in volume of water in the oceans

hydrologic cycle

a model of earths water system which has operated for billions of years from the lower atmosphere to several km below earths surface

evaporation

the net movement of free water molecules away from a wet surface into air

transpiration

the movement of water through plants and back into the atmosphere

evapotranspiration

term combining evaporation and transpiration

climate

a synthesis of weather phenomenons at many scales from planetary to local

climatology

the study of climate and attempts to discern similar weather statistics and identify climate regions

classification

the ordering or grouping of data or phenomena into categories

climographs

a way to plot temperature and precipitation data

steppe

a regional term referring to the vast semiarid grassland biome of eastern europe and Asia

climate change science

the study of the causes of changin climate and the consequences for earths systems

paleoclimatology

the study of natural climatic variability over the span of earths history

proxy methods

sources of climate data from preserved natural archives that can be used to infer past climatic conditions

isotope analysis

a technique that uses relative amounts of the isotopes of chemicaal elements to identify the composition of past oceans and ice masses

radioactive carbon dating

technique used to idetify the rate of decay of a dead plant or animal

dendroclimatology

the science of using tree growth rings to study past climates

speleothems

analysis of mineral deposits in caves and the growth rings of oceans corals can also identitfy past environmental conditions

Maunder Minimum

a solar minimum from about 1645 to 1715, corresponded with one of the coldest periods of the little ice age

Milankovitch cycles

appear to affect the earths climate- especially glacial and interglacial cycles

carbon sinks

areas where carbon is stored

global carbon budget

the overall exchange between sources and sinks in earth systems

residence time

the length of time that gas resides in the atmosphere

radiative forcing

the increasing presense of gases

general circulation model (GCM)

a complex compurerized climate model used to assess past climatic trends and their causes and to project future changes in climate