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71 Cards in this Set

  • Front
  • Back

Structure

Arrangement

Composition

What something is made of.

Atmosphere

Layer of gas above the surface of a planet.

Transfer

Move from one place/thing to another

Evaporation

Liquid turns to gas



Condensation

Vapour (gas) turns to liquid (e.g. water droplets)

Troposphere

Layer of atmosphere closet to earth's surface

Stratosphere

Layer of atmosphere above troposphere

Mesosphere

Third layer above the earth's surface (above stratosphere)

Thermosphere

Fourth layer above surface (above mesosphere)

Exosphere

Outer layer of atmosphere

Magnetosphere

Magnetic field around earth

Stratopause

Boundary between stratosphere and mesosphere

Mesopause

Boundary between mesosphere and thermosphere

Temperature

How hot something is / average kinetic energy of particles in a substance

Air Pressure

Force exerted onto a surface (per square metre) by the weight of air particles

Air Density

No. of air particles per cubic metre

Temperature gradient

Rate and direction of change of temperature in a location

Pressure gradient

Rate and direction of change of pressure in a location

Density gradient

Rate and direction of change of air density in a location

Dew point

Temperature (dependent on atmospheric pressure) where water condenses (turns from gas to liquid)

Aerosol

Solid or liquid particles suspended in the atmosphere (either natural e.g. volcanic ash or man-made e.g. sulfates

Cloud

Visible mass of condensed water vapour in the atmosphere

Insolation

Amount of solar radiation reaching a certain area

Radiation

Waves of energy e.g. light, heat

Heat

Total kinetic energy of particles / type of energy

Convection



Movement of heat in fluids (gases and liquids)  upwards as they are less dense.

Movement of heat in fluids (gases and liquids) upwards as they are less dense.

Wind

Moving air from high pressure to low pressure areas

Convection cell



Movement / circulation of air in the atmosphere caused by convection (heating)

Movement / circulation of air in the atmosphere caused by convection (heating)

Hadley cell

Closed convection cell moving from the equator to 30 N/S, caused by direct heating of the equator

Ferrel cell

Open convection cell between 30 and 60 N/S, caused as a result of the other two cells (Hadley and Polar)

Polar cell

Closed convection cell moving from the poles to 60N/S, caused by lack of heat at the poles (heat sink)

Coriolis effect

Apparent deflection of the earth's winds due to the rotation of the earth

Westerlies

Surface winds from west to east, found in the Ferrel cells

Easterlies

Surface winds from east to west, found in the Hadley and Polar cells

Climate

Average weather patterns in a region over many years

Weather

Events happening in the atmosphere on any day e.g. temperature, winds etc.

Weather is

The short-term atmospheric conditions that we see at any one moment.

Climate is

The average conditions found in the atmosphere over a long period of time

Climateis related to

the convection regions at various latitudes, temperature differences between the equator and the poles, and warm and cold surface ocean currents.

Why climate zones occur

Temperatures in the temperate zone are affected most by

the changing seasons.

The driving energy source for heating of Earth and circulation in Earth'satmosphere comes from

the Sun and is known as solar energy.

Convection Currents

Wind



Global Winds are caused by

Coriolis Effect

Trade Winds

Prevailing Westerlies

Polar Easterlies

Jet Stream

Weather systems in New Zealand move from

west to east because of the Jet Stream and the Prevailing Westerlies wind belt.

Tropical Weather Systems, like hurricanes, move

in the direction of the trade winds, from east to west. If they enter the prevailing westerly wind belt, they are often turned, and move from west to east.

Doldrums

Areanear the equator with very little wind.

Area near the equator with very little wind.

On a smaller scale, convection currents near large bodies of water can cause landand sea breezes.

Sea breeze

Land breeze

Radiation

Transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves. Sunlight and heat energy are examples.

Some of the Sun's energy coming through Earth's atmosphere is

Absorption is

when energy is taken in by an object. Gases in the atmosphere can absorb solar energy.

Reflection is

when energy bounces off a surface. Clouds tend to reflect sunlight back out into space. Since clouds reflect the energy, they don't get warmed by it.

Land heats up and cools down

fairly quickly.

Water heats up and cools down

fairly slowly.

Process known as the Greenhouse Effect.

Gases in the Troposphere that absorbs heat energy radiating off Earth's surface.

Gas is the Stratosphere that absorbs ultraviolet radiation.

Ozone

The water on Earth

helps to regulate the temperature range of Earth's atmosphere.

Surface currents of Earth's oceans

Surface ocean currents are caused by

Differences in temperature, Differences in salinity, and by wind.

Warm Gulf Stream current water

Cold California current