Geography Chapter 3

Front 1

absorption

Back 1

process in which radiation is captured by amolecule unlike reflection absorption represents an energy transfer to absorbing molecule

Front 2

refelction

Back 2

process in which radiation arriving at surface bounces back without being absorbed or transmitted

Front 3

albedo

Back 3

fraction of solar radiation arriving at a surface that is reflected

Front 4

specular reflection

Back 4

light that beams back from a mirror with equal intensity

Front 5

diffuse solar radiation

Back 5

light that is scattered down to the earth's surface

Front 6

direct solar radiation

Back 6

sunlight that passes through the atmosphere without absorption or scattering

Front 7

rayleigh scattering

Back 7

scattering of radiation by agents substantially smaller than the radiation's wavelength, scattering of visible radiation by air moolecules

Front 8

mie scattering

Back 8

scattering of visible radia4tion caused by particulates

Front 9

non selective radiation

Back 9

scattering of radiation in which all wavelengths are scattered about equally,

Front 10

extraterrestrial radiation

Back 10

solar radiation incidet at the top of earthh's atmosphere

Front 11

atmospheric window

Back 11

range of wavelengths that are not readily absorbed by the gases of the atmsphere

Front 12

net longwave radiation

Back 12

difference between absorbed and emitted long wave radiation

Front 13

net allwave radiation

Back 13

difference between absorbed and emitted wave radiations(both long and short)

Front 14

laminar boundary layer

Back 14

where the temperature gradient begines

Front 15

free convection

Back 15

mixing process related to buoyancy, tendency for a lighter fluid to float upward when surrounded by a denser fluid

Front 16

forced convection

Back 16

occurs when a fluid breaks into disorganized swirling motions as it undergoes a large scale flow

Front 17

sensible heat

Back 17

energy is added to a substance an increase in temp can occur that we physically sense

Front 18

specific heat

Back 18

the amount of energy needed to change the given temperature change per unit mass of substance

Front 19

latent heat

Back 19

energy required to change the phase of a substance

Front 20

advection

Back 20

horizontal transport of some atmospheric property

Front 21

greenhouse effect

Back 21

absorbing longwave radiaiton, earth would be much cooler without greenhouse effect

Front 22

isotherm

Back 22

connects points of equal temperatures on a map

Front 23

inversions

Back 23

lowering of temperatures with increasing distance from the surface

Front 24

four reasons water bodies tend to be more conservative than landmasses in with regards to temperature

Back 24

speciic heat of water is 5x that of land
radiation received at surface of water body can go several meters deep
warming of a water surface can be reduced considerably because of vast supply of water available
water can be mixed easily vertically and horizontally

Front 25

continentality

Back 25

an inland location favors greater temperature extremes

Front 26

maximum thermometer

Back 26

must contain mercury, have small constriction that only allows the mercury to move outward from the bulb

Front 27

minimum thermometer

Back 27

similar to a regular thermometer, only may contain dyed alcohol and has within it a small index shaped like a weightlifter's dumbbell

Front 28

bimetalic strip

Back 28

two different thin strips 0of metal bonded together, they will expand and contract at different rates as all metals do f

Front 29

thermograph

Back 29

a pointer and scale are attached to the bimetallic strip, whose bending is amplified by aa lever.
mechanism is coupled with a rotating drum and a pen l

Front 30

resistance thermometer

Back 30

sens an electrical current through a very thin filament made of conductor or semiconductor

Front 31

thermistor

Back 31

an object whose electrical resistance changes with temperature, thus allowingtemperature to be determined by

Front 32

radiosonde

Back 32

an instrument package carried by balloon used to measure vertical profiles of temperature, moisture and pressure

Front 33

wind chill temperature index

Back 33

an index of apparent temperature used for cold conditions that incorporates air temperature and wind speed

Front 34

heating degree days

Back 34

index of amount of seasonal heating required for a location

Front 35

cooling degree days

Back 35

index of amount of seasonal air conditioning required for a location

Front 36

growing degree day

Back 36

index for estimating when crops wil have undergone enough growth to send them to market

Front 37

thermodynamic diagram

Back 37

diagram showing the relationship between pressure, temperature, density, and water vapor content

Front 38

stuve diagram

Back 38

diagram measuring temperature against pressure

Front 39

intergovernmental panel on climate change issued a report worldwide in 2007 stating

Back 39

over 100 year period from 1906 to 2005 global average surface temperature increased by .74 degrees celsius

rate of warming was about twice as great over last 50 years

of 12 warmest years since 1850, 1995-2006 accounted for 11 of them

warming around the artic has been almost twice aws strong as around the rest of the world