Theme 10- 2011

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ENSO

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El Nino Southern Oscillation. El Niño is the warm oceanic phase where it accompanies high air surface pressure in the western Pacific

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atmosphere

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the layer of gases surrounding the planet Earth and retained by the Earth's gravity

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troposphere

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First layer of the atmosphere that extends from the surface to 17km up. It is the part of the atmosphere where weather occurs and air currents flow. It also has the highest atmosphere pressure.

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stratosphere

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Second layer of the Earth's atmosphere that extends from 17km to 50km. No weather takes place in this layer, and it contains less matter than the troposphere. It also contains most of the Ozone Layer.

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mesosphere

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Third layer of the Earth's Atmosphere that extends from 50km to 83km. It is the part of the atmosphere where meteors burn up and it has low atmospheric pressure.

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thermosphere

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the region of the upper atmosphere in which temperature increases continuously with altitude, encompassing essentially all of the atmosphere above the mesosphere.

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tropopause

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the boundary, or transitional layer, between the troposphere and the stratosphere.

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stratopause

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the level of the atmosphere which is the boundary between two layers, stratosphere and the mesosphere

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mesopause

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the temperature minimum at the boundary between the mesosphere and the thermosphere atmospheric regions

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temperature inversion

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aurora borealis/australis

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Coriolis effect

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The tendency for any moving body on or above the earth's surface, such as a water current, to drift sideways from its course because of the earth's rotation

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rain shadow effect

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The result of the process by which moist air on the windward side of a mountain rises and cools, causing precipitation and leaving the leeward side of the mountain dry.

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jet streams

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.wind currants over the US from west to east

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convection cells/Hadley cells

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windward

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side of the mountain that the wind comes from. aka an off shore breeze comes in and hits the mountains with cool air. orange county is on windward side of the mountains

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leeward

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The opposite side of the mountain of where the wind hits. palm springs is on the leeward side of the mountains

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monsoon

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. wind from the southwest or south that brings heavy rainfall to southern Asia in the summer

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Milankovich cycles

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electromagnetic spectrum

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ultraviolet light

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.A type of electromagnetic radiation whose wave length is shorter than lights, but longer than x-rays. It is often identified due to it's violet colors.

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climate

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the average weather conditions at a particular place over a long period of time. Climate is the long-term predictable state of the atmosphere. It is affected by physical features such as mountains, rivers, positioning of the globe, plateaus, deserts, depressions and much more.

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weather

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.The state of the atmosphere at a given time and place, with respect to variables such as temperature, moisture, wind velocity, and barometric pressure

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weather front

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.It is a boundary that separates 2 different masses of air of different densities, temperatures, and humidity.

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hurricane/cyclone/typhoon

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. severe tropical cyclone having winds greater than 74 miles per hour; originating in the equatorial regions of the Atlantic Ocean or Caribbean Sea or eastern regions of the Pacific Ocean, traveling north, northwest, or northeast from its point of origin, and usually involving heavy rains

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tornado

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a dangerous, rotating wind that is caused by the combining of warm and cool air and forms a wind tunnel. Can either travel far distances or short distances

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seasonal wind

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Santa Ana

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strong, extremely dry offshore winds that characteristically sweep through Southern California and northern Baja California in late fall and winter.

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Sirocco

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anthropogenic cause

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An environmental effect caused by humans

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methane

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(CH4) A gas that naturally occurs in the atmosphere. Considered one of the greenhouse gases.

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carbon dioxide

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a chemical compound that is made of two oxygen atoms that are covalently bonded to a carbon. Carbon Dioxide makes up .039% of the atmosphere.

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nitrous oxide

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At room temperature nitrous oxide is a colorless non flammable gas. It is 300 times more impactful on the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.

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albedo

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the ability of the planet to reflect light

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greenhouse effect

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The greenhouse effect is a natural warming process for the Earth, much like a greenhouse for plants, but not the same process. The actual greenhouse effect occurs when waves are absorbed and then reemitted by the atmosphere, and the Earth, in turn, heats up.

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greenhouse gases

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Gases that contribute to a greenhouse effect (ex. carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor).

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global warming

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A global increase in the average temperature of the atmosphere near the Earth's surface. May be caused by humans or occurring naturally

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global dimming

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The gradual reduction in the amount of global direct electromagnetic radiation at the Earth's surface.

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ozone

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O3, a colorless gas that makes up the ozone layer in the earth's stratosphere.

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ozone layer (shield)

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O3 in the stratosphere that absorbs UV radiation and protects the Earth's surface from the mutating effects of radiation. It was formed over time as the concentration of oxygen increased and built in the stratosphere.

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ozone depletion

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The reduction of the protective layer of ozone in the upper atmosphere by chemical pollution.

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photodissociation chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

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Dobson unit

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UVA

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the type of UV rays that are the least strong and thus the ozone layer completely blocks them from the earth and from human contact. Recent studies have shown that UVA rays have cancer causing agents

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UVB

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UVC

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the ultraviolet rays with the shortest wavelength and that have the most energetic and all of which are blocked by the ozone layer. UVC rays are the most harmful to cells.

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Montreal Protocol

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a meeting in 1987 of 36 nations who got together to address the problem of global warming and they agreed to cut emissions by 35% between 1989 and 2000

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Kyoto Protocol

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Opened for signature in 1997 and entered into force in 2005. Countries that ratify commit to reduce emissions of CO2 and five other g.h. gases, OR engage in emissions trading if they maintain or increase emissions of these gases. Most countries in the world have joined except for the United States.

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polar vortex

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A polar vortex is a large scaled cyclone that is located usually at the geographical poles. They are also located in the middle and upper troposphere and the stratosphere

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polar stratospheric clouds

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Rowland & Molina

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Mauna Loa Observatory

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Charles Keeling

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