Physical Geography Exam 2

Front 1

density

Back 1

number of molecules per volume unit

Front 2

greater density does what to pressure

Back 2

increases

Front 3

what does it mean that pressure is omni-directional

Back 3

exerted equally in all directions

Front 4

is density high or low at high altitudes

Back 4

low

Front 5

temperature

Back 5

at higher temperatures, molecules get agigated and absorb energy

Front 6

temperature and pressure relationship

Back 6

lower temp = lower pressure
higher temp = higher pressure

Front 7

complications with pressure relationships

Back 7

temp increase > adiabatic cooling > pressure decrease
water and carbon dioxide

Front 8

what is pressure measured in

Back 8

millibars

Front 9

mean sea level pressure

Back 9

1013.25 mb

Front 10

isobars

Back 10

lines of equal pressure

Front 11

high pressure associated with

Back 11

stability

Front 12

low pressure associated with

Back 12

instability

Front 13

why are high pressure zones along tropics

Back 13

zone gets most radiation

Front 14

what is the primary driver of climate

Back 14

radiation

Front 15

wind

Back 15

horizontal movement of air

Front 16

what is direction of wind determined by

Back 16

radiation and unequal heating of earth's surface

Front 17

air flows from what pressure to what pressure

Back 17

high to low

Front 18

pressure gradient

Back 18

activating force and moves air at right angles to isobars

Front 19

greater pressure differential =

Back 19

higher wind velocity

Front 20

close isobars =

Back 20

high pressure differential

Front 21

coriolis effect causes air to flow which ways in each hemisphere

Back 21

to the right in the north
to the left in the south

Front 22

geostropic wind

Back 22

air flows parallel to isobars at high elevation because pressure gradient and coriolis effect are in balance

Front 23

friction

Back 23

decreases wind velocity and causes direction of flow to alter

Front 24

friction does what to wind angle

Back 24

flows at angle less than 90 across isobars

Front 25

high surface roughness =

Back 25

high turbulence

Front 26

cyclonic activity

Back 26

low pressure, instability

Front 27

anticyclonic activity

Back 27

high pressure, stability

Front 28

anticyclonic activity top and side views

Back 28

air flowing out from high pressure center
descending and diverging from adiabatic warming

Front 29

cyclonic activity top and side views

Back 29

air is flowing into low pressure center
ascending and converging through adiabatic cooling

Front 30

anticyclonic rotation in each hemisphere

Back 30

clockwise in north
counterclockwise in south

Front 31

cyclonic rotation in each hemisphere

Back 31

counterclockwise in north
clockwise in south

Front 32

polar high pressure

Back 32

over the poles
anticyclonic
stable

Front 33

polar easterlies

Back 33

60 degrees-poles
winds from east to west
cold and dry winds

Front 34

subpolar low pressure

Back 34

50-60 degrees
contains polar front (meeting of polar easterlies and westerlies)
unstable

Front 35

westerlies

Back 35

midlatitudes
flow is from west to east
30-60 degrees
rossby waves

Front 36

subtropical high pressure

Back 36

30 degrees N and S
position shfts depending on seasons
arid
anticyclonic

Front 37

trade winds

Back 37

25 degrees
wind interrupted by continents
flow to west
steady and strong winds
hold a lot of moisture but only released if they are uplifted by topographic barrier

Front 38

ITCZ

Back 38

intertropical convergence zone
tradewinds converging
equator
low pressure
unstable
frequent rainfall

Front 39

local variation controlling factors

Back 39

surface matter and topography

Front 40

monsoon process

Back 40

huge change in elevation > summer heats up land > convection > low pressure > huge pressure gradient between ocean and mountains > air moves from high pressure ocean to low pressure mountains > high velocity winds > lots of precipitation and flooding

Front 41

monsoons in summer or winter

Back 41

summer

Front 42

sea breeze

Back 42

during day, due to differential heating of land and water, from sea

Front 43

land breeze

Back 43

at night, due to differential heating of land and water, from land

Front 44

valley breeze

Back 44

warming of slopes and breeze up topographic slope

Front 45

mountain breeze

Back 45

cooling of the land and air and downslope movement of air

Front 46

katabatic winds

Back 46

very powerful air movement downslope, dense and cold air, common in Antarctic

Front 47

chinook wind

Back 47

downslop movement of air, low pressure trough on the leeward side, warm air from condensation and is also adiabatically warmed

Front 48

is evaporation a net warming or net cooling effect

Back 48

cooling

Front 49

firn

Back 49

higher density than snow

Front 50

glacier

Back 50

when ice is influenced by gravity and moves downslope

Front 51

cryosphere

Back 51

where snow and ice is found

Front 52

permafrost

Back 52

permanently frozen ground

Front 53

area perhaps most influenced by temperature and climate

Back 53

cryosphere

Front 54

confined aquifer system

Back 54

deeper in ground

Front 55

unconfined aquifer system

Back 55

more near the surface

Front 56

density of liquid water

Back 56

1000 kg/m^3

Front 57

ice density

Back 57

900 kg/m^3

Front 58

snow density

Back 58

100-200 kg/m^3

Front 59

firn density

Back 59

600 kg/m^3

Front 60

is condensation a net warming or net cooling process

Back 60

warming

Front 61

sublimation

Back 61

solid to gas or gas to solid

Front 62

evaporation and wind speed relationshiop

Back 62

faster = more evap

Front 63

evaporation and atmospheric temperature relationship

Back 63

higher temp = more evap

Front 64

high water vapor in air =

Back 64

less evaporation

Front 65

humidity

Back 65

amount of water vapor in air

Front 66

absolute humidity

Back 66

direct measure of water vapor
weight of water vapor in given volume of air

Front 67

what is absolute humidity dependent on

Back 67

temperature

Front 68

specific humidity

Back 68

direct measure of mass of water vapor per mass of air

Front 69

when does specific humidity change

Back 69

only when quantity of water vapor changes

Front 70

relative humidity

Back 70

amount of water vapor in the air compared to amount that could be there if the air were saturated

Front 71

relative humidity equation

Back 71

RH = AH / P
absolute humidity / air moisture holding capacity

Front 72

dew point

Back 72

temperature at which complete saturation occurs

Front 73

what do you need in order for condensation/cloud formation to occur

Back 73

nuclei

Front 74

high clouds

Back 74

cirrocumulus, cirrostratus, cirrus

Front 75

middle clouds

Back 75

altocumulus, altostratus

Front 76

low clouds

Back 76

nimbostratus, stratus, stratocumulus, cumulus

Front 77

stratus

Back 77

low cloud, dull, gray, featurless

Front 78

nimbostratus

Back 78

low cloud, gray, dark, low, drizzling rain

Front 79

cumulus

Back 79

low cloud, bright and puffy

Front 80

stratocumulus

Back 80

low cloud, lumpy, grayish, patches

Front 81

altocumulus

Back 81

middle cloud, patches of cotton balls, rippling waves, patchy rows

Front 82

altostratus

Back 82

middle cloud, gray day, sun's outline just visible

Front 83

cirrus

Back 83

high cloud, ice crystals, feathery strokes, wispy

Front 84

cumulonimbus

Back 84

vertically developed cloud, towering giant, thunderhead, lightning, tunder

Front 85

radiation fog

Back 85

from land cooling

Front 86

advection fog

Back 86

warm air moves over cool surface

Front 87

upslop fog

Back 87

cooling when forced up

Front 88

evaporation fog

Back 88

addition of water vapor to cold air

Front 89

where does hail develop

Back 89

cumulonimbus clouds

Front 90

convergent lifting

Back 90

rising air from low pressure area

Front 91

convective lifting

Back 91

tied to type of material on surface and amount of energy that is absorbed

Front 92

orographic lifting

Back 92

air runs into barrier, rises, cools, clouds form, precipitation

Front 93

frontal lifting

Back 93

cold front moves into warm air, warm air moves up along front slope, creates tall clouds

Front 94

as you go west in U.S. does precip increase or decrease

Back 94

decrease

Front 95

evapotranspiration

Back 95

evaporation and loss of water through plant leaves

Front 96

homogenous characteristics of air mass

Back 96

temperature, humidity, stablility

Front 97

air mass formation: where, how long, stability condition

Back 97

large surfaces
2-4 days
stable conditions

Front 98

arctic air mass

Back 98

A
poles

Front 99

continental polar

Back 99

cP
north hemisphere high latitude
stable, cold, dry

Front 100

maritime polar

Back 100

mP
oceans 50-60 degrees
cool, humid, unstable

Front 101

continental tropical

Back 101

cT
deserts, low latitude
hot, high pressure, stable

Front 102

maritime tropical

Back 102

mT
subtropical oceans
warm, humid, unstable

Front 103

equatorial

Back 103

E
oceans near equator

Front 104

front

Back 104

location on earth surface where air masses meet

Front 105

frontal activity

Back 105

what happens when air masses meet

Front 106

instability and frontal activity relationship

Back 106

lots of instability = lots of frontal activity
little instability = little frontal activity

Front 107

warm front

Back 107

warm air moves over cold air
gradual gradient
little instability
spatially extensive

Front 108

cold front

Back 108

cold air displaces warm air
lots of instability
steep slope
vertical cloud development

Front 109

stationary front

Back 109

neither air mass displaces the other because the air mass characteristics are similar

Front 110

occluded front

Back 110

cold front overtakes a warm front, energy in system is lost, stability develops

Front 111

tornado process

Back 111

warm and cold air mix>rotation horizontal>bends and rotation becomes vertial>extrememly low pressure

Front 112

group A

Back 112

tropical humid

Front 113

group B

Back 113

dry

Front 114

group C

Back 114

mild midlatitude

Front 115

group D

Back 115

severe midlatitude

Front 116

group E

Back 116

polar

Front 117

group H

Back 117

highland

Front 118

highland climate

Back 118

mountain, high variability in temp and precip due to high variation in topographic conditions

Front 119

polar climate

Back 119

coldest temps
very dry
stable

Front 120

tundra climate

Back 120

part of polar climate (group E)
southern edge of polar climate
treet line
grass, moss
low precip

Front 121

ice cap climate

Back 121

part of polar climate (group E)
freezing all year
katabatic winds
permanent ice and snow
polar deserts

Front 122

tropical humid climate

Back 122

0-20 degrees
highest temps
wettest climate
winterless

Front 123

tropical wet

Back 123

part of tropical humid climate (group A)
0 degrees
rains every day
consistently warm

Front 124

tropical monsoon

Back 124

part of tropical humid climate (group A)
seasonal dumpage of rain in summer
windward side of coasts

Front 125

tropical savannah

Back 125

part of tropical humid climate (group A)
grassland
wet and dry seasons
least precip of 3 tropical humid climates

Front 126

dry climates

Back 126

most area
high pressure
leeward side of mtns

Front 127

subtropical desert

Back 127

part of dry climate (group B)
subtropical high pressure zone
barely any precip

Front 128

subtropical steppe

Back 128

part of dry climate (group B)
east side of continents
little precip
surrounds sbtropical deserts

Front 129

midlatitude desert

Back 129

part of dry climate (group B)
deep interior of continents
low precip
distinct seasonality

Front 130

midlatitude steppe

Back 130

between desret and humid zone
big annual temp range

Front 131

mild latitude climate

Back 131

where air masses contrast
summer/winter climate

Front 132

mediterranean climate

Back 132

part of mild midlatitude climate (group C)
west side of continent
small temp variation
winter rain summer drought

Front 133

humid subtropical climate

Back 133

part of mild midlatitude climate (group C)
lots of rain
mild winters
high humidity

Front 134

marine west coast climate

Back 134

part of mild midlatitude climate (group C)
west side of continent
constant annual precip

Front 135

severe midlatitude climate

Back 135

four clear seasons
only in north hemisphere

Front 136

humid continental climate

Back 136

part of severe midlatitude climate (group D)
big annual temp range

Front 137

subarctic climate

Back 137

part of severe midlatitude climate (group d)
boreal forest
greatest annual temp range of all
greatest daily temperature range of all
less precip than humid continental

Front 138

ecosystem

Back 138

self-sustaining group of organisms that depend on each other and the surronding organisms and physical components of environment

Front 139

abiotic factors

Back 139

physical factors

Front 140

biotic factors

Back 140

living organisms

Front 141

limiting factors

Back 141

the single factor that is most deficient determines the presence or absence of a particular plant of animal

Front 142

tropical rain forest

Back 142

most complex
high species diversity
dense vegetation
rains every day
low temp variability

Front 143

tropical deciduous forest

Back 143

leaves of trees fall off during year
less dense vegetation
less precip
more ground vegetation

Front 144

tropical scrub

Back 144

low growing trees and bushes
grasses
low species diversity
high temps and low precip

Front 145

tropical savannah

Back 145

tall grasses
dry and wet season
totally controlled by climate

Front 146

desert

Back 146

sparse vegetation
plants can conserve moisture

Front 147

mediterranean woodland and shrub

Back 147

dry summer and wet winter
chaparral vegetation (rough and dry)

Front 148

midlatitude grassland

Back 148

prairie tall grasses
steppe shorter grasses

Front 149

midlatitude deciduous forest

Back 149

broad leaf deciduous
oak, hickory, maple, beech, birch

Front 150

boreal forest

Back 150

extensive
conifers (cone bearing plants)
pines, firs, spruces
lots of insects
swamps and bogs

Front 151

tundra

Back 151

cold desert
grasses, mosses, lichen, herbs
low shrubs

Front 152

ecotone

Back 152

boundaries of ecosystems

Front 153

ecotone and temperature relationship

Back 153

if temperature changes, the ecotones will change the quickest and greatest

Front 154

lapse rate

Back 154

change in temp / change in height

Front 155

5 factors for hurricane

Back 155

warm water
warm and humid air
calm upper level winds blowing from east
east wind needs to be unstable
strong coreolis effect