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Meteorology
Study of the atmosphere and weather systems
Climate expression
February as the wettest month in Los Angeles CA with 3.92 inches of average rainfall
Difference between weather and climate
Time period involved
Basic elements of weather and climate
Humidity, pressure, and temperature of the air
Theory
Extensively tested hypothesis accepted by the scientific community
Scientific method steps
Collect data, form hypothesis, test hypothesis, accept/modify/reject hypothesis
Most abundant gas in the atmosphere
Nitrogen
Growing gas in the atmosphere causing warming
Carbon dioxide
Variable components of the atmosphere
Water vapor, ozone, aerosol
Concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
400ppm
Importance of water vapor in climate and weather
Earth's climate and weather formation
Location of the ozone layer
Stratosphere
Greatest ozone depletion area
Antarctica
Substance leading to ozone layer destruction
Chlorine
Ozone's role in protecting life on earth
Filters harmful UV radiation from sunlight
Altitude of 90% of the atmosphere
16km
Thermal layers of the atmosphere
Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere
Air pressure with increasing altitude
Decreases at an increasing rate
Meaning of troposphere
Region where air 'turns over'
Temperature drop per 1 km increase in troposphere
About 6.5 degrees Celsius
Typical location of Mt. Everest in the atmosphere
Troposphere
Instrument to measure air temperature and humidity up to tropopause
Weather balloon with radiosonde
Atmospheric layer with highest temperatures
Thermosphere
Layers coinciding with heterosphere and ionosphere
Thermosphere
Ionosphere definition
Atmospheric region defined by electrical charges
Earth's closest position to the sun
Northern hemisphere winter
Effect of low sun angles on solar energy
Energy is spread over a larger area
Earth's current angle of inclination
23.5 degrees
Date when 90 degrees angle rays strike the Tropic of Cancer
June 21
Date with lowest noon sun angle and shortest daylight at 45 degrees S latitude
June 21
Equinoxes description
Days and nights are equal in length worldwide
Spring equinox date in the Northern hemisphere
March 21
Primary cause of Earth's seasons
Tilt of Earth's rotation axis
Angle of the sun's noon rays in Flagstaff, AZ on March 21
55 degrees
First day of the climatological summer season
June 1
Measurement of average kinetic energy in a substance
Temperature
Direction of heat transfer during natural processes
Warmer to cooler substances
Heat transfer through thermal agitation in matter
Conduction
Vertical movements of air molecules resulting in heat transfer
Convection
Horizontal movements of air molecules resulting in heat transfer
Advection
Heat transfer operating in a vacuum
Radiation
Earth's energy receipt from the sun
Radiation
Wavelength range of visible spectrum
0.4 to 0.7 micrometers
Longest wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum
Radio
Wavelengths emitted by the Earth
Longer than those emitted by the sun
Primary factor determining radiation type and amount emitted by an object
Temperature
Transmission of solar radiation through the atmosphere
Transmission
Meaning of 40% albedo
40% of the sun's energy is reflected
Highest albedo
Fresh snow
Reason for Earth's blue sky during the day
Atmospheric scattering of blue wavelengths of light
Progressively longer daylight going south from the equator
September 22
Cloud formation process
Unstable weather, warm air rising, cooling adiabatically, reaching dew point, and condensing
Cloud classification
Based on shape and altitude
Horizontal growth of stratus clouds
Horizontally
Vertical growth of cumulus clouds
Vertically
Clouds that can produce precipitation
Nimbostratus and cumulonimbus
Meaning of (nimb)
To produce precipitation
No clouds in the sky meaning
Stable atmosphere, sinking cold air
Cloud composition
Water droplets and ice crystals
Clouds in the sky meaning
Unstable atmosphere, rising warm air
Ways inversions are created
Radiation cooling, frontal interaction, subsidence
Location of mid-latitude region
Between 60 degrees and 30 degrees latitude
Types of fog
Radiation, advection, upslope, evaporation
Meaning of windward side of a mountain
Wet side with wind, air pushed up and condenses
Meaning of leeward side of a mountain
Dry side with no clouds or wind, descending cool air
Cause of orographic lifting
Topographic barriers
Region where frontal lifting is usually found
Mid-level latitude
Example of frontal lifting
Cold cloud hitting a pocket of hot air, causing inversion
Location of convergent lifting
Over peninsulas
Example of convergent lifting
Air coming from both sides of an island, rising to form a cloud
Location of convective lifting
Tropical regions
Example of convective lifting
Sun's radiation striking a warm air pocket, causing it to rise and condense
Mechanisms for producing precipitation droplets
Collision and coalescence (in warm clouds)
Mechanisms for producing ice crystal formations
Rhyming and aggregation (in cold clouds)
Measurement of precipitation
Rain gauge (in inches)
Effect of altitude on clouds
Higher altitude, colder cloud
Earth's spheres
Lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere
Part of all Earth's spheres
Soil
Difference between weather and climate
Weather is day-to-day, climate is long-term
Basic elements of weather and climate
Air temperature, humidity, clouds, precipitation, air pressure, wind speed and direction
Methods to gather weather data
ASOS, balloons, radar imaging, satellite imaging
Nitrogen concentration in the atmosphere
78.084%
Oxygen concentration in the atmosphere
20.948%
Most abundant gas in the atmosphere
Nitrogen
Gases with significant effects on the atmosphere
Water vapor, carbon dioxide, ozone
Sources of particulates
Dust storms, salt crystals, volcanic eruptions, smoke/soot
Particulates definition
Solid particles and water droplets suspended in the air
Hygroscopic objects
Objects that absorb water
Effect of particulates
Reflection/absorption of solar energy
Earth's layers from surface
Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere
Temperature decrease layers
Troposphere and mesosphere
Temperature increase layers
Stratosphere and thermosphere
Location of most of the atmosphere
Below 16 miles above sea level
Location of the ozone layer
Stratosphere
Ionosphere definition
Atmospheric region with electricity and FM radio wave transmission
Troposphere, stratosphere, and mesosphere mixture
Homosphere
Thermosphere mixture
Heterosphere
Ozone layer function
Protection from harmful UV rays
Meteor shower origin
Ionosphere
Atmospheric pressure definition
Weight of the overlying air
