S2 Earth Science Exam - Meteorology

Atmosphere

A layer of gases and tiny particles that surrounds the earth

Meteorology

The study of the Atmosphere

Weather

General condition of the atmosphere at a particular time and place

Climate

The general weather conditions over many years

Weather & Climate

Includes temperatures, air movements and moisture content

Main Chemical Elements of the Earth’s Atmosphere

78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, 0.9 % Argon

Most abundant compound in Earth’s atmosphere

Carbon Dioxide

Fluctuating compound in atmosphere based on what?

H2O/Water Vapor, fluctuates because of evaporation and condensation

Ozone

an important upper layer of the atmosphere that blocks out harmful ultraviolet rays from reaching the Earth’s surface

Atmospheric Dust

Tiny solid particles which can be Soil, Volcanic ash, Microscopic organisms, Fire ash and Salt

Oxygen/Carbon Dioxide Cycle

Organisms using and producing oxygen/carbon dioxide in order to keep a balance

Nitrogen Cycle

nitrogen moves from the air to the soil, to plants and animals, and back into the air

Denitrifying Bacteria

Returns the solid nitrogen back into the atmosphere as a gas

Atmospheric Pressure

The ratio of the force of the air to the area of the surface on which it presses

Barometer

device used to determine atmospheric pressure

Troposphere

layer closest to the Earth’s surface where nearly all weather changes occur

Tropopause

the upper boundary of the Troposphere

Stratosphere

Above the troposphere, contains almost all Ozone

Stratopause

upper boundary of the Stratosphere

Mesosphere

Coldest layer where temperatures decrease as altitude increases

Mesopause

upper boundary of the Mesosphere

Thermosphere

starts above the Mesopause and extends upwards for thousands of kilometers

Ionosphere

The lower layer of the Thermosphere

Exosphere

The upper layer of the Thermosphere

Air Pollution

any substance in the atmosphere that is harmful to people, animals, plants, or property

Two most common types of Air Pollution

Burning of fossil fuels & Acid Precipitation

Temperature Inversion

Very dangerous, when warm air, which is less dense, can trap the polluted air below it

The Sun

source of the heat in the earth’s atmosphere

Radiation

all forms of energy that travel in the form of waves

Visible Light

all the waves of radiation that we can see

Radiation Shorter than Visible Light

Ultraviolet rays, X rays, Gamma ray

Radiation Longer than Visible Light

Infrared waves, Radio waves

Electromagnetic Waves

All the waves that make up all Radiation

Electromagnetic Spectrum

the complete range of wavelengths

Ultraviolet Rays

Shortwave radiation absorbed in the upper atmosphere

What reaches the Earth’s surface

Visible Light and Infrared

Absorbs most of the Infrared Rays

Water Vapor

Scattering

when the path of the Sun’s rays is affected by clouds, dust and gas molecules

Albedo

the average reflectivity of the earth

The Greenhouse Effect

When Infrared Rays reflected on the surface then trapped by CO2 in the atmosphere

Four Factors that affect amount of radiation that reaches Earth

Latitude, Elevation, Water, and Wind Patterns

Conduction

heating up the surface of the earth

Convection

the movement of the unevenly heated air

What causes Wind?

Cold air rushing into an area where warm air was because of its density

The Coriolis Effect

deflection of wind caused by the rotation of the earth on it’s axis

Convection Cells

Air completing three looping patterns of flow as it travels from the poles to the equator

Trade Winds

both hemispheres between 30 and 0 degrees latitude

Northeast Trade Winds

Northern Hemisphere trade winds

Southeast Trade Winds

Southern Hemisphere trade winds

Doldrums

Narrow zone at the equator where both trade winds meet

Undependable

The winds at the doldrums

The Horse Latitudes

a high pressure zone created by descending air at 30 degrees in both hemispheres

The Westerlies

located between 40 and 60 degrees latitude

Polar Easterlies

near each poles located between 60 and 90 degrees

The Jet Stream

westerly wind located in the upper troposphere-lower stratosphere which is a border between warm and cold air

Breezes

gentler wind, moving at speeds less than 100 km/hr

A Sea Breeze

When land heats up quicker than water in day, causing a local wind

A Land Breeze

Caused by land cooling down faster than water at night

A Valley Breeze

When a mountain heats up faster than a valley in the day causing air to move

A Mountain Breeze

When a mountain cools faster than a valley at night causing air to move

Three States of Matter - H2O

Solid, Liquid, and Gas

Molecule

Smallest unit of H2O

Heat Energy

Energy introduced to ice that makes it melt

Evaporation

The process of H2O turning into the gas state

Sublimation

Water going from solid to gas

Frost

Created from sublimation

Equator

Where most water vapor is created

Latent Heat

Hidden energy stored in evaporated H2O

Humidity

The amount of water vapor in the atmosphere

Temperature

Factor affecting humidity

Saturation Point

The point where the air can’t hold any more water

Relative Humidity

Present Water/Saturated Water x 100

Psychrometer

instrument used to measure Relative Humidity

Specific Humidity

number of grams of water vapor in 1 kilogram of air

Dew Point

what the temperature must cool to in order to reach Saturation Point

Precipitation

Any moisture that falls from the air to the earth’s surface

Types of Precipitation

Rain, snow, sleet, and hail

Coalescence

different sizes of water droplets interacting with one another

Supercooling

supercooled water droplets condense on ice crystals and fall as rain or snow

Cloud Seeding

50/50 process used by humans to create rain

Rain Gauge

Instrument used to measure rainfall

Clouds

Visible masses of liquid water droplets or ice particles suspended in the atmosphere

Fog

Clouds that form near the surface of the earth

Condensation Nuclei

Suspended particles of Ice, dust, and salt that H2O can condensate on

Convective Cooling

Process by which clouds are created, cooling and the moving of air from one place to another

Adiabatic Temperature changes

the temperature changes that result from the cooling of rising air and the warming of sinking air

Adjective Cooling

when wind carries warm, moist air across a cold ocean or region of land

Types of Clouds

Stratus Clouds, Cumulus Clouds, and Cirrus Clouds

Stratus Clouds

sheet-like or layered clouds with very little rainfall

Nimbostratus clouds

Stratus clouds that produce heavy rains

Nimbo

Prefix meaning “rain”

Altostratus clouds

At the middle latitudes, usually thinner

Cumulus Clouds

puffy and vertical growing clouds

Altocumulus Clouds

start at the middle latitudes

Stratocumulus Clouds

A combination Stratus and Cumulus clouds at low altitudes

Cumulonimbus Clouds

High, Dark, Storm clouds

Cirrus Clouds

the highest clouds in the sky

Cirrocumulus Clouds

very rare and are formed entirely from ice crystals, typically occur before snowfall

Cirrostratus Clouds

long, thin clouds that form a transparent veil across the upper sky

Radiation Fog

forms when a layer of air comes in contact with the cold ground and becomes chilled below the dew point