Weather, Climate, Atmospheric Science, and Astronomy Review

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering weather, climate, atmospheric layers, astronomy, thermodynamics, and heat transfer based on lecture notes.

Weather

Refers to the dynamic, constantly changing condition of the atmosphere at any particular time and place.

Climate

Represents the accumulation of daily and seasonal weather events over a timeframe typically averaged across $30$ to $35$ years.

Permanent Atmospheric Gases

Gases with constant concentrations in Earth's atmosphere, primarily nitrogen ($78\%$), oxygen ($21\%$), and argon ($0.934\%$).

Variable Atmospheric Gases

Gases whose concentrations vary in the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide, and hydrogen.

Layers of the Atmosphere

The five distinct thermal layers surrounding Earth: Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, and Exosphere.

Exosphere

The outermost atmospheric layer with low density that functions like a space bridge where gas particles float and escape Earth's gravity.

Thermosphere

The second-outermost layer of the atmosphere that absorbs high-energy X-rays and ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.

Mesosphere

The third and middle layer of the atmosphere that shields Earth's surface from meteors and space debris.

Stratosphere

The fourth layer of the atmosphere that shields Earth from harmful ultraviolet rays and serves as the altitude for airplane travel.

Troposphere

The lowest layer of the atmosphere containing breathing air, water vapor, and most atmospheric mass where weather events occur.

Meteorology

The study of the atmosphere and its phenomena, a term coined around $340\text{ BC}$ by Aristotle.

RADAR

Acronym for Radio Detection and Ranging; a system that transmits radio/microwave signals and calculates speed, distance, and direction from returning echoes.

Big Bang Theory

The widely accepted cosmological explanation stating that the universe originated about $13.7\text{ billion}$ years ago from an expanding tiny volume of hot mass.

Galaxies

Systems of millions or billions of stars held together by gravitational attraction between gas and dust, categorized as spiral, elliptical, or irregular.

Geocentric Theory

The theoretical model asserting that Earth was located in the center of the galaxy/universe and celestial bodies revolved around it.

Heliocentric Theory

The theoretical model asserting that the Sun was in the center of the galaxy/solar system with planets revolving around it.

Star Cluster

A group of stars, categorized as open or globular clusters, differing from galaxies because they exclusively contain stars.

Terrestrial Planets

Inner planets with solid surfaces, which include Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.

Planetary Distance Table (AU)

Distances of planets from the Sun expressed in Astronomical Units: Mercury ($0.39$), Venus ($0.72$), Earth ($1$), Mars ($1.52$), Jupiter ($5.2$), Saturn ($9.54$), Uranus ($19.2$), and Neptune ($30.06$).

Planetary Physical Characteristics Table

A tabular reference listing diameters in kilometers and distances from the Sun in kilometers for planets in the solar system.

Earth's Revolution

The orbital movement of Earth around the Sun taking $365 \frac{1}{4}\text{ days}$ ($8,776\text{ hours}$), ranging from $147,000,000\,km$ in January to $152,000,000\,km$ in July.

Astronomical Unit (AU)

The average distance from the Earth to the Sun, approximately equal to $150,000,000\,km$ ($1\,AU$).

Earth's Rotation

The spin of Earth on its tilted axis taking $24\text{ hours}$, causing day and night.

Summer Solstice

Occurs on June 21st when the Sun is directly above $23 \frac{1}{2}^\circ$ north latitude (Tropic of Cancer) in the Northern Hemisphere.

Autumnal Equinox

Occurs on September 22nd when the Sun is directly above the equator, causing equal length of day and night.

Greenhouse Effect

The mechanism where incoming solar energy absorbed by Earth is partially trapped by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, keeping the planet warm.

Energy

The ability or capacity to do work on some form of matter.

Temperature

A measure of the average speed of atoms and molecules in a substance.

Density

The amount of mass packed into a given volume, defined mathematically as $\text{Mass}/\text{Volume}$.

Heat

Energy in the process of being transferred from one object to another due to a temperature difference between them.

Kinetic Energy

The energy of motion possessed by an object, given by the formula $KE = \frac{1}{2} m v^2$.

Latent Heat

The heat energy required or hidden when a substance transforms from one phase state to another (such as melting, freezing, evaporation, sublimation, condensation, or deposition).

Sensible Heat

Heat energy that can be felt or directly measured using a thermometer.

Specific Heat

The heat required to raise the temperature of a unit mass of a substance by a given amount.

Conduction

The transfer of heat from a warmer object to a colder object through direct molecular interaction.

Convection

The transfer of heat by the mass movement of a fluid, such as liquids and gases.

Advection

The transfer of heat or atmospheric properties by horizontally moving air.

Radiation

The transfer of energy from the Sun or other sources through electromagnetic waves.

Electromagnetic Spectrum

The complete range of radiation ordered by wavelength and energy, encompassing gamma rays, X-rays, ultraviolet, visible light ($0.4\,\mu m$ to $0.7\,\mu m$), infrared, microwave, and radio waves.