Geog 1401 Exam 3: Atmospheric Moisture

Front 1

Evaporation

Back 1

When there is more liquid escaping into the air than there is liquid joining the water.

Front 2

Condensation

Back 2

When there is more liquid joining the water rather than escaping.

Front 3

Saturation

Back 3

When the amount of evaporation is the same as condensation

Front 4

sublimation

Back 4

When ice turns to water vapor or vice versa

Front 5

Humidity

Back 5

The amount of water vapor in the air.

Front 6

Absolute Humidity

Back 6

Density of the water vapor, or the massof water in a cubic meter of air. When air heats up it expands, so the absolutehumidity decreases as temperature rises.

Front 7

Relative humidity

Back 7

The amount of humidity in the air relative to the maximum humidity that is allowed at that temperature.

Front 8

Dew Point

Back 8

The temperature at which the relativehumidity will be 100%

Front 9

Methods of Condensation

Back 9

Cooling the air; adding water vapor

Front 10

Diabetic Method

Back 10

Removing the energy from the air

Front 11

Dew

Back 11

water on our glass in that the air near the surface iscooled to the dew point, generally at night

Front 12

Radiation Fog

Back 12

appears whenthe air at night gives off enough longwave radiation to cool to the dew point

Front 13

Advection Fog

Back 13

when warm, moist air moves over a cooler surface

Front 14

Adiabatic method

Back 14

Dropping the temperature by changing the volumeof the air (usually going up height-wise)

Front 15

Dry Adiabatic Method

Back 15

Rising air cools at about -10C for every 1000 meters until saturation; lower pressure- larger volume - lower temp.

Front 16

Wet Adiabatic Method

Back 16

Rising and saturated air cools at about -6 C/1000

Front 17

condensation nuclei

Back 17

Dust, soot, and salts floating around in the air for clouds to form around them.

Front 18

Stratus Clouds

Back 18

clouds that are often inthick layers that can cover the whole sky

Front 19

Cirrus Clouds

Back 19

Are thin andwispy cirriiform clouds

Front 20

Cumulus Clouds

Back 20

thepuffy, cotton-ball type clouds

Front 21

Nimbus

Back 21

is the term associated with rain, so clouds with this in their name are rainy clouds

Front 22

Types of Precipitation

Back 22

Sleet, Hail, Snow, Rain

Front 23

Atmospheric Stability

Back 23

This refers to how easily air will rise. If air is stable, it can be pushedup, but then will drop back down. Unstable air will keep rising.

Front 24

Convectional Precipitation

Back 24

Caused by differential heatingof the ground surface. If there is enough rising and enough moisture available,the rising air results in rain.

Front 25

Orographic precipitation

Back 25

The method of getting air to rise by pushing it over a mountain and it expands as it goes up.

Front 26

Rainshadow Effect

Back 26

Downwind of such mountain ranges, it tends to be dry becausethe air has lost much of its moisture crossing the mountains.