Earth System Exam 2 Rutgers Robinson STUDYYYY

Atmospheric Pressure

The force exerted by gas molecules on some rea of Earth's surface or any other body.

Isobars

Lines drawn on maps joining areas of equal atmospheric pressure.

Coriolis effect

The effect of Earth's rotation on the direction of winds and currents, which makes them appear to be deflected to the right.

Trade winds and westerlies

The air that descends and spirals out of the subtropical high pressure belt

When is a sea breeze experienced?

During the day.

A Thermal high

The semi-permanent area of high pressure over the poles of Earth

El Nino is

A warming of eastern equatorial Pacific waters

Rossby Waves

Waves in the jet stream pattern

Air which has decreased in density and temperature will

Have a lower air pressure

The continuous interchange of our planet's water supply between Earth and the Atmosphere is called what?

The Hydrologic cycle

The condition of the atmosphere when it contains as much water as it can hold at a given temperature (state of total wetness) is known as what?

Saturation

There is an inverse relationship between temperature and relative humidity such that relative humidity tends to be lowest and highest when?

Be lowest in the afternoon and highest just before dawn

When atmospheric lifting results from the meeting of two air masses of different physical properties (moisture and temperature), the resulting form of precipitation is what kind of rainfall?

Frontal

The most conspicuous feature of the worldwide annual precipitation pattern is that WHICH LOCATION contain the wettest areas of Earth?

Tropical Latitudes

Condensation is not sufficient to explain large drop growth in warm clouds. What is the primary process responsible for this?

Collision and Coalescence

In order to grow hail ina cloud, the cloud must have what?

Strong Updrafts

Which climate is the only true winterless climate?

Tropical Wet

Where is the Intertropical Convergence Zone responsible for high rainfall the whole year?

Tropical Wet Climate

How is the distinction of the tropical monsoon climate shown?

With the seasonality of it's rainfall pattern, spiking in Summer and dipping near zero in Winter.

What is the high diurnal temperature range in the subtropical desert associated with?

Torrential Summer Rainfall

Uneven solar insolation

Strong winds the whole year

Lack of cloudiness

Warm ocean currents

Lack of cloudiness

Most subtropical deserts coincide with the subtropical high pressure belt which is responsible for _________, hence little uplift to cause rain.

Anticyclonic subsidence of air

What is the climatic control party responsible for the midlatitude desert off the coast of Chile in South America?

Ocean Currents

Which mild midlatitude climate which receives winter rainfall but rainless summers?

Mediterranian

Why is the Southeastern US' citrus production limited to only 29deg North?

Frequent incursions of cold waves in winter

What is associated with the great weather variability in the US and many other middle latitudinal locations?

Air mass convergence in the context of midlatitude cyclones.

What are the high annual temperature fluctuations in the severe midlatitude climates a result of?

Continental dominance

Polar climates are extraordinarily dry, but classified as non-arid because:

Evaporation is miniscule

How are cyclones and anticyclones shaped?

Pressure gradient, Coriolis effect, and friction

How do Cyclones rotate in the Northern hemisphere?

counterclockwise

What do cyclones create?

Fronts

How buoyant is stable air?

Negatively buoyant, needs external force to rise

How buoyant is unstable air?

Positively buoyant, will rise without an external force.

What does a surface divergence and high pressure indicate?

Sinking motion

What does a surface convergence and low pressure indicate?

Rising motion

What does a rising motion of air result in?

Clouds and storms

What does a sinking motion of air result in?

Sunny skies

Why do tropical wet climates have distinctive seasonal precipitation regimes?

Summer rains are derived from moist maritime air, while the winter dry season is associated with offshore flow moving continental air seaward.

What is the most determinate factor of global climate Besides insolation?

General Circulation of the Atmosphere

What are the major semipermanent components of the atmosphere?

Wind and pressure

What is a Hadley cell?

a large-scale atmospheric convection cell in which air rises at the equator and sinks at medium latitudes, typically about 30° north or south.

What are the three forces that govern the wind?

pressure gradient force, Coriolis effect, friction

What are isobars?

lines of equal pressure

What causes unequal heating?

The earth is tilted on it's axis.

What are sea breezes?

Winds caused by differential heating over land and water

What two factors influence atmospheric pressure?

Density and Temperature

How does density influence atmospheric pressure?

At higher density, particles are closer together and collide more frequently

How does temperature influence atmospheric pressure?

Warmer particles move faster and collide more frequently, increasing pressure.

What are the three cloud families?

High Clouds >6km

Middle clouds 2

What are the different cloud types?

Cirrus clouds: Wispy, loose

Stratus clouds: Big, foggy

Cumulus clouds: puffy, "regular"

What are Cumulonimbus clouds?

Thunderstorm clouds

What are the five types of precipitation?

rain, snow, sleet, glaze (freezing rain), hail

What is humidity?

The amount of water vapor in the air

What is vapor pressure?

The contribution of water vapor to the total atmospheric pressure

What is relative humidity?

How close the air is to saturation

How are temperature and relative humidity related?

Inversely Related

What is the dew point?

the temperature at which air becomes saturated

What happens when air temperature continues to cool after saturation?

Condensation

How are thunderstorms formed?

Warm, humid air rises in an unstable environment

What are the three stages of thunderstorms?

cumulus, mature, dissipating

What is lightning?

an electrical discharge in the atmosphere during a thunderstorm

Where do Hurricanes originate?

Over warm water, a few degrees north or south of the equator.

What is a storm surge?

Wind-driven waves that increase water height

What is an air mass?

a body of air with horizontally uniform temperature, humidity, and pressure.

What do each of the letters in the classification system represent?

c,m

P,T,A,E

Continental

Maritime

Polar source Region

Tropical source Region

Arctic Source Region

Equatorial Source Region