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51 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Seven Major Elements of Weather
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Temperature
Pressure Moisture Clouds Precipitation Wind Visibility |
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temperature
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the degree of hotness or coldness
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pressure
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the weight of the air above an area
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moisture
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the measure of water content
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clouds
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visible mass of suspended water droplets and/or ice crystals
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precipitation
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any form of water falling to the surface
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wind
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movement of air
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visibility
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farthest distance one can see
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Climate
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average weather or mean conditions of seven elements over extended period of time
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Earth's Atmosphere
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99% within 30 km
Mostly nitrogen and Oxygen protects from uv radiation and space debris |
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semi permanent gases
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Nitrogen-78%
Oxygen-21% Argon-1% |
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variable gases/trace gases
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Water Vapor-2%
Carbon Dioxide-.0385% Ozone-.000004 |
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source
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something that allows gas to enter the atmosphere
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sink
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something that takes gas away from the atmosphere
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explain carbon dioxide dilemma
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absorbs longwave radiation, keeps atmosphere warm.
earth's atmosphere warming due to athropogenic increase of co2 |
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explain ozone dillema
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decrease of o3 in the stratosphere resulting in ozone hole
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radiosondes
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measure vertical distribution of several weather elements-temp, pressure, humidity, wind
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density
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mass/volume
mass of air atoms and molecules to space in between them DECREASES wrt Height |
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air pressure
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force/area
the weight of the atmosphere above a given point DECREASES very rapidly wrt height |
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Temperature in the Troposphere
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0-11
most weather occurs in this region temp decreases wrt height 11km tropopause |
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Temp in the Stratosphere
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temp increases wrt height
11-50 increase is called a TEMPERATURE INVERSION stratopause |
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Temp in the Mesosphere
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50-85
temp decreases wrt height because: lost the source of heating, o3 85 km mesopause |
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Temp in the Thermosphere
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85-120
temp increases wrt height because of absorbtion of uv radiation by o2 |
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Temperature as Kinetic Energy
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measure of the average speed of all the atoms and molecules of that object
speed increases T increases speed decreases T decreases |
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Absolute Zero
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temp at which all atoms and molecules stop moving
OK -273 C -459 F |
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Temp Conversions
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K= C + 273
C= (5/9 (F-32)) F= (9/5 (C+32)) |
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Four Types of Heat Transfer
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Conduction
Convection Advection Radiation |
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Conduction
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Transfer of heat by molecular activity from one substance to another within a substance
transfer is always from hot to cold the larger the T the faster the transfer only occurs at earth's surface where the change in T is very large STUDY TABLE 2.2 |
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Convection
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Transfer of heat by the movement of air in the vertical direction
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Advection
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Transfer of heat by the movement of ait in the horizontal direction
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Radiation
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Transfer of heat through the propagation of electromagnetic waves, which only release heat when striking an object
speed of light does not need a medium |
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electromagnetic wavelengths
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microns/micrometers
1x10-6 meters as the wavelength of radiation decreases, the amount of energy it carries increases |
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Radiation and Temperature
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all object emit radiation
the higher the T the more radiation Described by the Stefan Boltzman law |
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Stefan-Boltzman Law
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E = T4
(sun and earth examples) |
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Wiens Displacement Law
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max = 2897 μ K
T as temp of a body increases the wavelength of maximum emission decreases earth's radiation-longwave sun's radiation-shortwave |
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solar electromagnetic spectrum
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figure 2.10
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black body
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object/body that is both a perfect emitter and perfect absorber of
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radiative equilibrium
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when the rate of absorbtion of shortwave radiation by the earth is equal to the rate emission of longwave radiation by the earth
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selective absorbers/emitters
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atoms and molecules that compse the atmosphere absorb/emit very well at particular wavelengths and very poorly at others
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Kirchhoff's Law
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gases that are a good absorber of a given wavelength of radiation tend to be good admitters of the same wavelength
figure 2.12 |
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greenhouse effect
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gases in the atmosphere allow shortwave radiation to penetrate but absorb or trap the longwave radiation. Greenhouse gases have been increasing in the atmosphere`
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global warming
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figure 2.14
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Seasons
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regulated by the amount of solar radiation recieved by the surface of the earth
dictated by: 1. The angle at which the radiation strikes the surface 2. # of daylight hours |
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NH in relation to the sun
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tilted towards the sun in the summer
tilted away from the sun in the winter |
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summer solstice
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astronomical start of the summer
Sun is at its highest position in the sky Radiation shines down on the surface more directly than at any other time of the year. |
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winter solstice
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astronomical start of winter
Sun is at its lowest position in the sky Radiation sunlight shines down on the surface less directly than at any other time of the year. |
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Equinoxes
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Autumnal-astronomical start of fall
Vernal-astronomical start of spring |
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Temperature Lag
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maximum temperatures occur later
Incoming solar radiation still exceeds Outgoing terrestrial radiation for several weeks after the solstice. reaches max when Outgoing terrestrial radiation = Incoming solar radiation |
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Day Heating
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As the sun rises in the morning, solar radiation heats the earth’s surface - which in turn, warms the first few inches of the air through conduction
Because the air is a poor conductor (as we saw earlier) a very strong temperature gradient develops near the surface resulting in an decrease of T wrt height: |
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Radiational Cooling
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After the sun sets, both the surface and the atmosphere lose heat (they cool) by emitting long wavelength radiation thru a process called:
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maximum radiational cooling
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Calm winds (no vertical mixing of air)
Long nights (winter) No clouds (blanket) Low water vapor content (Greenhouse gas) |