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84 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
What are the 3 states of H2O?
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water vapor, water, ice/snow
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What happens when water changes states? Why is this important to weather?
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latent heat is taken in or released; impact on weather - heat exchanged produces greater than 30% of energy for general circulation
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Why is water weird?
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liquid to solid transition: contracts until 4°C, then expands
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What separates drainage basins?
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drainage divides
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What is the formula for discharge?
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Q = V x A
(discharge = average velocity x cross-sectional area) |
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What is the formula for percent runoff?
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% runoff = volume from stream flow / volume from precipitation
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How is base flow determined from a hydrograph?
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base flow = original level of water in system before precipitation (on graph, level before peak)
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Where does water in streams and rivers come from at base flow?
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groundwater, water table
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Define flood.
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when discharge exceeds bank full discharge
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What is the formula for recurrence interval?
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RI = (years of record + 1)/rank
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What is the formula for percent probability that a flood will happen in a given year?
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%P = (1/RI) x 100
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Define groundwater.
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underground water
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What are some inputs and outputs for a groundwater system?
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inputs - precipitation, seepage from surface
outputs - wells, streams, lakes, oceans |
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What are the three major components of a groundwater system?
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unsaturated zone, water table, saturated zone
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What two factors control the speed and direction of groundwater flow?
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slope of the water table, permeability of the material through which the groundwater flows
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Define porosity.
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percent of non-mineral space in a rock, sediment or soil (void space)
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Define permeability.
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extent to which fluids can pass through rock, sediment, or soil
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Define aquifers and give a few examples.
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permeable rocks/materials that hold H2O
ex. sand and gravel, limestone, heavily fractured rocks, sandstone |
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Define aquicludes and give a few examples.
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materials impermeable to H2O
ex. clay/mud, mudstone/shale, unfractured rock |
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Define hydraulic head.
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pressure buildup created by groundwater trapped between aquicludes
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What happens if the pumping rate is greater than the rate of recharge?
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the well goes dry
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Define karst.
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landscape dominated by features formed from limestone dissolution and underlain by cavern systems
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Define residence time.
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average length of time a substance spends in a reservoir
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How is residence time calculated?
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T = S/F
T = residence time S = amount of substance stored in reservoir F = flux, the amount of substance input OR output from a reservoir |
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What's the difference between exact residence times and average residence times?
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exact residence time can be calculated if input = output; average residence time is calculated when input does not equal output (it's the average of the residence times for input and output)
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What is steady-state?
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when the volume of water stays the same (input = output)
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How do you calculate erosion time given volume of sediment eroded and the drainage basin area?
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erosion rate = volume eroded per year/drainage basin area
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How do you calculate erosion time given average erosion rate and average elevation?
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time to erode = average elevation/average elevation rate
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What three factors influence the processes that alter/cover and destroy bedrock?
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climate, topography, tectonic environment
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Define denudation.
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wearing away of landforms
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Define weathering.
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disintegration of rock near Earth's surface
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What are the two major types of weathering?
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physical, chemical
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Define frost action.
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a repeated freeze-thaw that breaks rocks
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Define unloading.
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as surface rock erodes, pressure on buried rock decreases
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What are the three types of chemical weathering, and which one is most likely to cause rusty coloration?
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hydrolysis, acid action, oxidation (makes rusty color)
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Define soil.
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natural terrestrial surface layer containing minerals, organic matter, and organisms
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Define estuary.
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a river or bay where the tide flows in and there's a mixing of salt and fresh water
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Define glacier. What are the two broad types?
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year-round ice on the landscape
types - continental, alpine |
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How do glaciers form?
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whenever snowfall input (accumulation) exceeds snowmelt (ablation) year after year - pressure increases, and the snow is changed into a firn, then ice
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What are the inputs and outputs for glaciers?
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inputs - snowfall, blown snow, snow avalance
outputs - melting, evaporation/sublimation, calving |
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Explain glacial mass balance in the context of the accumulation zone, the equilibrium line, and the ablation zone.
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accumulation zone - where input exceeds output (positive balance)
ablation zone - where output exceeds input (negative balance) equilibrium line - where accumulation = ablation |
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Define firn.
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densely packed snow - transition stage between snow and ice
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What type of valleys to eroding glaciers form?
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U-shaped valleys, hanging valleys
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How/why are hanging valleys formed?
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eroded by a small tributary glacier --> valley is smaller than valley eroded by larger glacier that it joins
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What two forces control glacial motion?
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gravity, friction
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Define till.
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unsorted material deposited directly by ice
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Define moraine.
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linear features deposited at the bottom or along the side of glaciers - accumulations of till
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Define glacial erratic.
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enormous boulders transported and deposited by glaciers, often far from their source region
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What are the three types of moraines?
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lateral, terminal, medial
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What is the major factor that separates alpine from continental glaciers?
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alpine glaciers are controlled by topography; continental glaciers aren't
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In an atmosphere subdivided by temperature structure, what are the two lowest elevation zones, including the one that covers the surface of the earth?
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troposphere, stratosphere
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Define heat.
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form of energy that flows from one form to another
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Define temperature.
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measure of average kinetic energy molecules in matter
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Define net radiation.
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difference between all incoming and outgoing radiation
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What is the relationship between lag time and radiation surpluses and deficits?
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the hottest part of the day is between 3 and 5 PM because this is when solar radiation switches from surplus to deficit
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How is atmospheric pressure created?
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created by the push of the atmosphere on the earth's surface
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Define isobars.
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lines of equal pressure
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What causes wind?
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changes in pressure
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Define humidity.
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the amount of water vapor in the air
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What is the difference between specific and relative humidity?
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specific humidity = mass of water vapor/mass of air
relative humidity = percentage of saturation that the air has reached |
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What is the formula for calculating relative humidity?
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relative humidity = water vapor content (AKA specific humidity)/water vapor capacity x 100
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What is the dew point temperature?
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temperature at which a given mass of air becomes saturated
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What would a graph plotting relative humidity and temperature over a given average day look like?
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exponential curve
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Define adiabatic processes.
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changes in temperature caused entirely by changes in pressure
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What factor determines whether or not an air parcel is stable?
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difference in temperature of parcel and surrounding air
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What is the difference between the environmental temperature lapse rate (ETLR) and the adiabatic lapse rate?
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ETLR - rate at which temperature sinks with rising altitude (still air)
ALR - rate at which temperature of moving air parcel lowers with rising altitude (moving air) |
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What are the two types of adiabatic lapse rates and when is each used?
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MAR - for air parcels that have reached/crossed the dew point
DAR - for air parcels that aren't saturated |
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Define lifting condensation level.
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altitude at which condensation begins (switch from DAR to MAR)
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Define cloud.
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aggregation of water droplets and ice particles
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Briefly explain how thunderstorms and hail form.
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cumulonimbus clouds --> unstable atmospheric conditions
thunderstorms - associated with vertical air motion, humidity, instability hail - form within cumulonimbus clouds, raindrops cycle + and - freezing, builds up ice layers, updrafts and downdrafts |
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Define wind.
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horizontal motion of air across Earth's surface
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Define Coriolis effect.
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apparent deflection of winds
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Briefly explain how Hadley cells form.
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convection loops - heat rises and moves away from equator towards 30 N, cools and sinks, heads back to equator (lower pressure)
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How do Hadley cells contribute to to the huge dry climate belts located at about 30 N/S?
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Hadley cells pull air and moisture back towards equator at 30 degrees (Ferrel cells are also moving air away from 30 N/S towards poles)
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Define gyre.
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circular ocean current that transfers heat energy
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What two major processes control deep ocean currents?
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upwelling, downwelling
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Briefly explain how a hurricane is born. What is an easterly wave? What generally leads to the formation of an easterly wave?
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begins as an easterly wave (wave heading east), weak disturbance in the atmosphere (localized ocean high temps) --> "wave" formed in isobar structure of region
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Why do hurricanes never form right near the equator?
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no Coriolis effect
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Explain the relationship between wind speed and pressure in the center of a hurricane.
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lower pressure = higher surface winds
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What three major factors control whether or not an easterly wave will eventually become a hurricane?
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warm sea-surface temperatures, light easterly winds aloft (no shearing of storms), rotation created by winds coming into the system
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What causes hurricanes in the Atlantic to change their path from west to east as they move north? At what approximate latitude does this happen?
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westerlies change course (at about 30 N)
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Why did Hurricane Isabel not turn back towards the NE? Is this common?
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high pressure system in new england forced hurricane to keep a straight path inland (uncommon)
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What is the formula for effective wind velocity?
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EWV = hurricane wind velocity + storm-center velocity
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What are the primary and secondary causes of storm surge?
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primary cause - wind-driven surge driven by low pressure convergence
secondary cause - low pressure near center of storm |