ESS 111 Exam Real

Gas warming lower atmosphere

Carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide has what concentration in the atmosphere

400ppm

Meteorology

The study of the atmosphere and its related weather systems

February is the wettest month in Los Angeles CA, with an average rainfall of 3.92 inches

is an example of an expression of climate

Difference between the concepts of weather and climate

Time period involved

The basic elements of weather and climate

Humidity, Pressure, Temperature

Theory

A hypothesis that has been extensively tested and is generally accepted by the scientific community

Scientific Method

Collect data, form a hypothesis, test the hypothesis, and accept/modify/reject the hypothesis

Most abundant gas in atmosphere

Nitrogen

Variables of the Atmosphere

Water vapor, ozone, aerosol

Most important atmospheric component

Water vapor

Ozone layer is found in what layer

Stratosphere

Studies have shown that on average ozone depletion is greatest over what area

Antarctica

When Chlorofluorocarbons are subjected to sunlight, they release what that in turn is leading to the destruction of the ozone layer:

Chlorine

Ozone

Protects life on earth by filtering harmful UV radiation from sunlight

Ninety percent of our atmosphere lies below an altitude of about what?

16km

The four thermal layers of the atmosphere in order beginning from the surface area

Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere

With an increase in altitude, what happens to air pressure?

Decreases with increasing rate

The term troposphere literally means:

region where air "turns over"

On the average, for every 1 km increase in altitude in the troposphere, what happens to the air temperature?

Drops 6.5° C

The summit of Mt. Everest (8.85km) is most typically found in what atmosphere?

Troposphere

You're gathering nformation for a severe weather forecast and you need to know the air temperature and relative humanity of the air all the way up to the tropopause. What instrument should you use?

A weather balloon with radiosonde

The layer of the atmosphere with the highest temperatures is what?

Thermosphere

The heterosphere and ionosphere both coincide with what atmospheric layer?

Thermosphere

The ionosphere is an atmospheric region defined on the basis of?

Electrical charges

Earth is closest to the sun when?

The northern hemisphere winter

Why do Low sun angles result in reduced solar energy?

Energy is spread over a larger area

What is the earth's current angle of inclination?

23.5 degrees

The 90 degrees angle rays strike the tropic of cancer on what day?

June 21

At 45 degrees S latitude, the angle of the noon sun is lowest and the length of daylight is shortest on what day?

June 21

Which of the following correctly describes the equinoxes?

Days and nights are equal in length in all parts of the world

Spring equinox in the Northern hemisphere occurs on approximately what day?

March 21

The primary cause of the earth's seasons is?

The tilt of earth's rotation axis, which causes sun angles and daylight length to vary

Flagstaff, AZ is at 35 degrees N latitude. What is the angle of the suns noon rays here on march 21?

55 degrees

The first day of the climatological season of summer is?

June 1

Which of the following is a measurement of the average kinetic energy possessed by the atoms or molecules in a substance?

Temperature

During natural processes, heat transfer is always from?

Warmer to cooler substances

The transfer of heat through matter by thermal agitation is called?

Conduction

The vertical movements of air molecules that result in heat transfer are known as ____, while horizontal movements are known as ____?

Convection, advection

What is the only form of heat transfer that can operate in a vacuum?

Radiation

How does the earth receive energy from the sun?

radiation

Wavelengths of the visible spectrum are between what?

0.4 and 0.7 micrometers

The longest wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum is what?

Radio

The wavelength emitted by the earth are what?

Longer than those emitted by the sun

The primary factor which determines what type and how much radiation an object emits is its what?

Temperature

What happens to solar radiation as it passes through the atmosphere

Transmission

Suppose the albedo of a plant is measured to be 40 percent. This means what?

40 percent of the sun's energy is reflected

What has the highest albedo?

Fresh snow

Earth's sky is blue during the day because of what?

The molecules in the atmosphere scatter blue wavelengths of light.

The length of daylight gets progressively longer going south from the equator when?

September 22

How are clouds formed?

They are formed when we have unstable weather climates and warm air rises and cools adiabatically, reaches its dew point and condenses.

How are clouds classified?

They are classified based on their shape and altitude in the sky

How do stratus clouds grow?

They grow horizontally

How do cumulus clouds grow?

They grow vertically

What are the only two clouds that can produce precipitation?

Nimbostratus and cumulonimbus

What does (nimb) mean?

To produce precipitation

What does it mean if there is no clouds in the sky?

Stable atmosphere

Cold Air is sinking

What are clouds made out of?

Water droplets and ice crystals

What does it mean if there are clouds in the sky?

Unstable atmosphere

Warm air is rising

What three ways are inversions created?

Radiation cooling

Frontal interaction

Subsidence

Where is the mid latitude region?

Between 60 degrees and 30 degrees latitude

What are the four types of fog?

Radiation, Advection, Upslope, Evaporation

What does the windward side of a mountain mean?

The side of the mountain that is wet and has wind, it is the side that the wind pushes the air up the mountain and cools the air adiabatically and when it reaches its due point and condenses. This sides has clouds because of the air condensing.

What does the leeward side of a mountain mean?

The opposite side of the windward side, has no clouds or wind, the cool air is descending from the mountain warming the air adiabatically. This is the rain shadow effect., usually causes deserts

What causes Orographic lifting?

Topographic barriers

Frontal lifting is usually found in what region?

Mid level latitude

What is an example of frontal lifting?

When a cold cloud hits a pocket of hot air at high speed, which makes the pocket of air go over the cloud which is why there is an inversion. The heat is decreasing in the cloud, increasing in the air pocket, and decreasing again in the air.

Where does convergent lifting usually occur?

Over peninsulas

What is an example of a convergent lifting?

On a peninsula there is air coming from both sides of the island and they come in contact and rises to form a cloud

Where does Convective Lifting occur?

In tropical regions

What is an example of convection lifting?

The sun's radiations strikes an air pocket on the surface which warms it and makes it unstable and causes it to rise and cool adiabatically, reach dew point, and condense

What two mechanisms are responsible for producing precipitation droplets?

Collision and coalescence (in warm clouds)

What two mechanisms are responsible for producing ice crystal formations?

Rhyming and aggregation ( in cold clouds)

How do we measure precipitation?

rain gauge

What happens to clouds with altitudes?

The higher the altitude the colder the cloud is

What are the earth's spheres?

Lithosphere- land

Atmosphere- air

Hydrosphere- water

Biosphere- life forms

What is a part of all these spheres?

Soil

What is the difference between weather and climate?

Weather is day to day (short term),

Climate is long term, like weather patterns, or extremes, like tornados, hurricanes, droughts

What are the basic elements of weather and climate?

Air temperature,

Humidity,

Clouds,

Type and amount of perception,

Air pressure,

Speed and direction of wind

What can you use to gather weather data?

ASOS:Automated Surface Observing System,

Using balloons,

Radar imaging,

Satellite imaging

How much nitrogen is in the atmosphere?

78%

How much oxygen is in the atmosphere?

21%

What is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere?

Nitrogen

What gasses have a huge effect on the atmosphere?

Water vapor, carbon dioxide, ozone

What are sources of particulates

Dust storms,

Salt crystals,

Volcanic eruption,

Smoke/soothe

What are particulates?

Solid particles and water droplets suspended in the air

What are hydroscopic objects?

They absorb water

What can particulates do?

reflect/absorb solar energy

What are the four layers to the earth starting at the surface?

Troposphere,

Stratosphere,

Mesosphere,

Thermosphere

In what two layers does temperature decrease?

Troposphere and Mesosphere

In what two layers does temperature increase?

Stratosphere and Thermosphere

Most of the atmosphere lays under how many miles above sea level?

16 miles

Where is the ozone layer?

Stratosphere

Ionosphere is where and what does it do?

The thermosphere and it has electricity and in what sends fm radio waves from space to the earth

The troposphere, stratosphere, and mesosphere has a uniform mixture of gasses in the atmosphere which is called?

Homophere

The thermosphere does not have a uniform mixture but instead has different layers of gases in the atmosphere, which is called?

heterosphere

Where do meteor showers come from?

The Ionosphere

What is Atmospheric pressure?

It is the weight of the overlying air

When is air pressure at its highest?

At sea level

When does pressure decrease?

When you increase in altitude