ESS 111

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