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154 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What are meteorological seasons ? |
Changes in temperature or precipitation over the year |
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What are astronomical seasons ? |
Changes in the position of the sun and the stars in the sky through the year |
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What shape the earth revolve around the sun ? |
An ellipse |
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How long is an elliptical orbit ? |
365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes |
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What is the plane of the ecliptic ? |
The flat plane that the orbital paths of the planets in the solar system trace |
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What is parallelism\polarity ? |
Plane of the ecliptic, angle always stays the same going around the plane of the ecliptic (23.5) |
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What is the perihelion ? |
Earth is closer to the sun in January (Jan 3) |
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What is the Aphelion ? |
Earth is furthest from the sun in July (July 4) |
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What is an astronomical unit? |
The average distance between earth and the sun |
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What causes the seasons ? |
The tilt of the earths axis |
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What is the earths axial tilt ? |
23.5 degrees |
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What are four comments of the earth movement and position that are necessary to understand how it’s tilt causes seasons ? |
1.earths revolution and the plane of the ecliptic 2. Axial tilt 3.parallel axis 4.sub solar point |
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What is the subsolar point? |
The single point at which the suns rays are perpendicular to the earths surface at or near noon |
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What is the solar altitude ? |
Height of sun above the horizon |
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Where is sunlight perpendicular to the earths surface ? |
Tropica |
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What is the Tropic of Cancer ? |
The 23.5 north parallel; the maximum latitude of the subsolar point in the Northern hemisphere (June solstice ) |
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What is the Tropic of Capricorn ? |
The 23.5 south parallel; the maximum latitude of the subsolar point in the Southern Hemisphere (December solstice) |
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What is the declination ? |
Location (latitude) of the subsolar point |
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What is the circle of illumination? |
The line separating night from day |
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What does the solar altitude determine ? |
The intensity of the noontime sun |
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What is the December solstice? |
A seasonal marker that occurs when the subsolar point is at 23.5 south on December 21 |
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What is the March equinox ? |
A seasonal marker that occurs when the subsolar point is over the equator about March 20 |
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What is the June solstice ? |
A seasonal marker that occurs when the subsolar point is 23.5 North latitude, about June 21 |
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What is the September equinox ? |
A seasonal marker that occurs when the subsolar point is over the equator about sept 22 |
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What is the arctic circle ? |
66.5 north parallel |
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Where is the Antarctic circle? |
66.5 south parallel |
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What is heat index temperature? |
The temperature perceived By people as a result of high atmospheric humidity coupled with high air temperatures |
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What is temperature? |
The average kinetic movement of atoms and molecules of a substance |
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Where does the word equinox come from ? |
Comes from Latin for time of equal days and equal nights |
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What is autumnal ? |
First day of fall |
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What is vernal? |
First day of spring |
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What is insolation ? |
Intensity of incoming solar radiation measured in w/m2 |
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What is the temperature? |
Kinetic movement of Atoms and molecules of a substance |
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What is heat? |
Internal energy transferred between materials or systems due to temperature differences |
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Movelecules move ___ in objects with high temps and relatively ____ in objects with low temps? |
Quickly, slowly |
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The point of which molecules are no longer moving is called? |
Zero kelvins or absolute zero |
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0 degrees celcius= ____ kelvins |
273 |
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What is the boiling point of water at sea level? |
100 celcius |
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What is earth highest recorded temperature in death Valley, California, July 10, 1913? |
56 C |
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What is the freezing (melting) point of water (ice) at sea level? |
0C |
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What is our slowest recorded temperature in Vostok, Antarctica, July 1983? |
-89C |
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thermometers describe molecular movement in what form ? |
Sensible heat |
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What is sensible heat? |
The heat you can sense (you can feel, measured by thermometer). The transfer of energy from an object to you |
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What is conduction? |
The process by which energy is transferred through a substance or between objects in direct contact |
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What three ways is heat transferred through space and earth physical systems? |
Conduction, convection, and radiation |
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How does heat flow in conduction? |
Heat always flows from object of higher temperature to objects of lower temperature |
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What material has the highest conductivity? |
Copper |
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What materials are good heat conductors? |
Metal |
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Is air a good heat conductor? |
No, Air is an insulator (any material that inhibits energy from transferring through it) |
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What is convection? |
The transfer of heat through movement of mass within a fluid (a gas or liquid). -An example, when the ground is warmed by sunlight, it heats the air above it |
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What is radiation? |
The process by which wave energy travels through the vacuum of space or through a physical medium such as air or water Eg) sunlight |
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What is the annual temperature range? |
Difference between the average Max. and average min. temperature is over a year at a location, or seasonality |
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What controls the average annual temperature? |
What controls the average annual temperature? |
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Where is the average annual temperature lower? |
The average annual temperature is lower at higher elevations and higher latitudes |
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What determines temperatures at the surface? |
Energy balance |
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Why does temperature generally decrease at higher latitudes (colder near the poles)? |
Because the earth is spherical, temperature generally decreases away from The equator as sunlight becomes more diffuse |
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Name seven factors affecting air temperature? |
1.Latitude 2.insulation 3.cloud cover 4.altitude 5.land water heating differences 6.Maritimes versus continental effects 7. Surface type (ruralvs. Urban) |
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What is the global average temperature? |
15°C |
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_____ latitudes have a greater annual temperature range than _____latitudes |
High, low |
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______locations have a greater annual temperature range than ______ locations |
Continental (inland); maritime (ocean influence) |
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What is the continental affect? |
The increase in seasonality with distance from oceans |
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What moderate global temperatures? |
Global transfer of heat |
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Why does the max air temperature occur mid afternoon? |
At night the earth is emitting more energy, which is why it is colder, and clouds can form mid afternoon |
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Why are the air temperatures for the equinox is different? |
Snow in the winter with reflects energy, colder grounds. September has warmer ground so it’s warmer compared to march equinox. |
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Where do you clouds reflect short wave energy? |
Back to space |
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Where do clouds remit longwave energy? |
Long wave energy can be remitted back to earth |
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Why is temperature hottest in the subtropics and not the equator? |
The equator has more clouds |
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What are four main factors that cause the continental affect? |
1)The specific heat of water 2)the evaporation of water 3) the mixing of water 4)the transparency of water |
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As a general pattern, continents become ____ in summer than oceans at the same latitudes. In winter, contenents become___ than oceans. |
Warmer; colder |
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What are isotherms? |
Lines of equal temperature |
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What is heat capacity? |
The amount of heat that must be absorb to change the temperature of an object |
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What is specific heat? |
The heat required to raise the temperature of any object or material by a given amount |
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As elevation increases the mean temperature _____and temperature range____ |
Decreases, increases |
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What is the average environmental temperature lapse rate? |
6.5°C /1000 m |
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Why does land heat and cool more rapidly than water? 4 factors |
1.Specific heat 2. transmission 3.mobility 4.evaporative cooling |
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Is the specific heat of water greater than or less than the specific heat of land? |
Greater than |
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Explain evaporative cooling and how it affects water and land heat? |
Evaporation cause water and prevents it from becoming warmer than it would otherwise become. Because land has relatively little water to evaporate, land heats up more in sunlight then oceans do. |
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Explain transmission of heat in water compared to land? |
Because water is trans parent, sunlight can pass through several hundred metres of water and warm it. When is OP, and sunlight does not penetrate it. |
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Explain mobility in regards to heating and cooling of land and water? |
Convection mix is the water warm to buy some light with cooler water at greater depth. Land is rigid and cannot mix, so the land surface heats up faster into a higher temperature |
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Maritime climate mean temperature ____and temperature range_____.Continental climates mean temperature____ and temperature range____ |
Maritime: increase; decrease Continental: decrease; increase |
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Warm ocean currents ____average annual temperature and ______the average annual temperature range |
Raise ; reduce |
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What percentage of land is there in the northern hemisphere?Southern hemisphere? |
40% ; 20% |
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Why does the southern hemisphere have a lower annual temperature range the northern hemisphere? |
There is less land |
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At equivalent latitudes, why does western North America have a lower annual temperature range than eastern North America? |
Prevailing winds |
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Evaporation + transpiration = |
Evatranspiration which cools surface |
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Why is there more heat in urban areas? |
-H2O is channelled because there is dry surfaces - surfaces are more observant the rural areas |
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What is an urban heat island? |
And urban area or metropolitan area that is significantly warmer than surrounding rule areas due to human activities. |
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What is the environmental lapse rate? |
The rate is about 6.5°C per kilometre |
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What are two types of temperature inversion’s? |
1.Surface inversions 2.upper air inversions |
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What do isotherms reveal? |
Isotherms reveal centres of low or high temperatures, and temperature gradients |
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What do isotherms reveal? |
Isotherms reveal centres of low or high temperatures, and temperature gradients |
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What is the temperature gradient? |
Rate of temperature change along the selected line or direction at 90° to the isotherm |
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What are four main factors that explain the worlds isotherm patterns? |
1.Latitude 2.maritime continental contrast 3. elevation 4.ocean currents |
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Summer isotherms overland been towards______; winter isotherms overland bend toward_____ |
The poles;the equator |
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Where does the greatest temperature range occur? |
In the sub or arctic zones of Asia and North America |
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What are Photons? |
Packets of energy |
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Everything above absolute zero emits ____ ? |
Photons |
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What are Photons? |
Packets of energy |
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Everything above absolute zero emits ____ ? |
Photons |
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-273°C =____ Kelvin |
0° |
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The warmer the objects; the ____ wavelengths; the _____ amount of radiation emitted |
Shorter;greater |
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What type of wavelength does the sun emit? Earth emit? |
Shortwave; longwave |
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What is radiant energy? |
Energy propagated in the form of electromagnetic waves, including visible light and heat |
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The electrical and magnetic properties of radiation are referred to as_______. |
Electromagnetic energy |
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What acts as a wave and a particle? |
Electromagnetic energy |
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What speed do electric magnetic waves travel at? |
Lightspeed (300,000 km/s) |
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What is a wavelength? |
Distance between the peaks of two waves |
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What are three important areas on the electromagnetic spectrum? |
1.Visible radiation 2.ultraviolet radiation 3.infrared radiation |
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What is the electromagnetic spectrum? |
The full range of wavelengths of radiant energy |
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What is one micrometre wavelength? One nanometer? |
1um= 1/1,000,000 m 1nm=1/1,000,000,000 m |
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What’s the range of wavelengths in shortwave category? |
Shortwave: <0.2-4um Visible light: 0.4-0.7um Longwave: 4->50um |
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What is the surface temperature of the sun? |
5800 Celsius |
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What is the internal temperature of the sun? |
16,000,000°C |
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How far is the sun away from the earth? |
150,000,000 km from the sun to the earth |
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What is the speed of light? And how long does it take for the sun light to reach the earth? |
300,000 km/s 8 1/3 minutes for the suns light to reach the earth |
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what percentage of energy does the sun’s light give us for all physical processes on earth? |
99.97% |
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What is the total energy admitted from the sun? |
63 million w/m2 |
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What is the solar constant? |
1367 w/m2 |
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What is the inverse square law intensity equation? |
I/d2 |
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All radiation admitted by earth is ______ radiation. |
Longwave |
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What types of UV radiation can break apart DNA and cause sell mutations and cancers? |
UVB and UVC |
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What type of radiation does sun peak in ? |
Visible (shortwave) |
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What is black body? |
A body that emits electromagnetic radiation, at any temperature, at the maximum possible rate per unit surface area. This body also absorbs all electromagnetic radiation that it is intercepted by |
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What is insolation? |
Solar radiation that reaches Earth |
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Insolation is _______,________,________ and _________in earths physical systems as it travels through the atmosphere to the earth surface. |
Transmitted, scattered, reflected and absorbed |
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If insolation is absorbed the temperature______; is insolation is reflected the temperature_____ |
Increases; the temperature does not change |
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What is transmission? |
The unimpeded movement of electromagnetic energy through a medium such as air, water, or glass |
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What is scattering? |
The process of re-directing solar radiation and random directions as it strikes physical matter, such as aerosols, gases, or planet surface. |
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The atmosphere absorbs ____ wavelengths but transmits ____wavelength? |
Absorbs UV and IR wavelengths but transmits visible wavelengths |
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Glass transmits___ light but absorbs ____wavelengths |
Visible light but absorbs UV wavelength |
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What is reflection? |
The process of returning a portion of radiation striking a service in the general direction from which it came |
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Scattering creates ____ light |
Diffuse |
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What is responsible for the gray appearance of the sky? |
Mie scattering |
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What is albedo? |
The reflectivity of the surface, given as the percentage of incoming radiation that it reflects |
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What is the albedo of the earth? |
30% |
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_____ colored surfaces, such as snow have a higher albedo than _____surfaces, such as vegetation. |
Lighter; darker |
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What factors affect the reflection? |
1.Colour 2.composition 3. slope of surface |
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What is absorption? |
Process by which radiation is retained by substance and converted into heat energy |
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What are five major constituent absorbers in the atmosphere? |
CO2, H20, O3, N20, CH4 |
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What is the greenhouse effect? |
The process by which the atmosphere is warmed as greenhouse gases (such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane) and clouds absorb and counter radiate heat |
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What is counterradiation? |
Long wave radiation admitted by the earths surface, that it was absorbed by the atmosphere and Reidradiated back down to the surface |
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What is the radiative equilibrium temperature? |
The temperature of an object resulting from the balance between incoming and out going energy |
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What is the amount of solar energy that the earth reflex? |
30% |
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What percentage of sore energy reaching the edge of the atmosphere reaches Earth? |
53% |
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Insolation can be modified by a variety of factors which include the following? |
1.Angle of incidence 2.atmospheric obstructions 3.day length |
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What does the tilt of the earth responsible for? |
Tilt of the earth moderate seasons and prevents temperature extremes |
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Tilt of the earth axis means the poles are much ____then it would be without a tilt |
Warmer |
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What is the global heat engine? |
The movement of heat from low to high latitudes and low to high altitudes as a result of heating differences |
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Heat is re-distributed primarily by_____, secondarily by____ |
Atmospheric circulation; oceanic circulation |
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Heat is re-distributed primarily by_____, secondarily by____ |
Atmospheric circulation; oceanic circulation |
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What latitude absorbs and remits energy that are roughly equal? |
37° north and south latitude |
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____ Shift in isotherms from one season to another |
Latitudinal |
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Changes are more pronounced over____ then____ and over ___ latitudes then ___latitudes |
Continents, water; high, low |
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Early or late in the day there is a ______of insulation |
Deficit |
