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60 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What is the Atmosphere composed of? |
Oxygen, Nitrogen, Argon, Carbon dioxide and Water vapour |
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What are the 4 main components of the atmosphere? |
The snake meets tree
troposphere stratosphere mesosphere thermosphere |
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Explain the Troposphere & Tropopause: |
-closest to the Earth -warmest layer due to conduction, convection and radiation of warm air -where all weather & climate occurs
-12km high -isothermal layer -temperature remains constant as altitude increases -marks upper limit of weather and climate
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Explain the Stratosphere & Stratopause: |
-contains ozone layer -ozone layer absorbs harmful UV rays -steady increase in temperature
-isothermal layer -wind speeds increase with height |
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Explain the Mesosphere & Mesopause: |
-temperature declines rapidly -wind speed increases -no water vapour/dust to absorb radiaiton
-isothermal layer |
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Explain the Thermosphere, Ionosphere & Exosphere: |
-increase in temperature - UV radiation
-lower half -gas particles absorb UV, X-ray radiation -particles become electrically charged ions -radiowaves bounced off ions/reflected to Earth
-80km upper half -air is thin -satellites orbit Earth |
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What is the ELR? |
environmental lapse rate
temperature decreases with altitude by 6.5 degrees every 1000m/1km |
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Why does wind speed increase with altitude? |
frictional drag with Earth surface reduced |
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Define: Insolation |
incoming solar energy that reaches the Earths atmosphere and surface |
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What angle is the Earth tilted at? |
23.5 degrees relative to the sun |
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How does energy released from the sun reach the Earths surface? |
-short wave -reaches thermosphere -absorbed -reflected -scattered -passes directly to Earth |
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What is the amount of energy received from the sun determined by? |
-the solar constant; varies/affects long term climate -the distance from the sun -the altitude of the sun in the sky = equator receives more energy -length of day & night - 23.5 tilt of Earth means some regions near poles = no insolation at certain times of the year |
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Define: Albedo |
the reflectivity of the Earths surfaces |
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Define: Air mass |
a large body of air with relatively similar temperature and humidity characteristics |
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Define: Specific heat capacity |
a measure of how quickly something warms up/cools down
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What are the 4 horizontal heat transfers? |
-jet streams -hurricanes -depressions -ocean currents
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What are the 3 vertical heat transfers? |
-radiation -conduction -convection -latent heat (energy from changing state) -precipitation |
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What are the 6 local factors influencing amounts of insolation & radiation which can change over time? |
1.ITCZ 2.distance from the over head sun - latitudes 3.distance from the sea 4.urbanisation 5.shape of the land - relief 6.direction land is facing - aspect |
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How does the ITCZ influence the amount of insolation & radiation Earth receives? |
-band over the equator 23.5 degrees N/S over tropics -reflects the sun and insulates the area below -protects from UV rays |
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How does the Latitude influence the amount of insolation & radiation Earth receives? |
-higher latitudes receive less energy = long distance -lower latitudes receive more energy = less distance -between the tropics effect is limited by ITCZ |
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How does the distance from the sea influence the amount of insolation & radiation Earth receives? |
-water warms & cools slowly -high albedo, reflects heat -temperatures in coastal areas are moderated y the sea -yearly temperature variation is less
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How does Urbanisation influence the amount of insolation & radiation Earth receives? |
-low albedo = higher temperatures -anthropogenic heat = adds to temperatures -high concentration of pollutants, grey particles, absorb radiation = urban heat island |
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How does the Relief of the land influence the amount of insolation & radiation Earth receives? |
-heated by reemitted radiation from earth -increasing altitude = colder due to ELR 6.5 per 1000m |
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How does the aspect of the land influence the amount of insolation & radiation Earth receives? |
-northen hemisphere north side of a slope/hill will be colder = less insolation -southern hemisphere south side of a slope/hill will be colder = less insolation |
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What is the reason for the Earths seasons? |
-23.5 degree tilt of Earth -orbiting sun -some areas get more insolation than others as Earth tilts towards/away from the sun -creates a global fluctuation the 'seasons' |
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What and when is the Summer Solstice? |
-21/22nd June in northern hemisphere -every point north of Arctic circle faces the sun for 24hours -longest day in northern hemisphere |
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What and when is the Winter Solstice? |
-21/22 December in northern hemisphere -every point north of the Arctic circle faces AWAY from the sun for 24hours -short day in northern hemisphere |
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What and when is Equinox? |
-occurs between the two solstices -day/night roughly the same length -autumn & spring -spring 21/22 March Earth tilting towards sun -autumn 21/22 September Earth tilting away from sun |
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What is the ITCZ? |
-intertropical convergence zone -over the equator in between the tropics -cumulonimbus clouds -shifts with the seasons & relative position of the over head sun -winds are very light 'doldrums'
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How is the ITCZ formed? |
-intense heating by the overhead sun -water at ground level evaporates -rises by convection currents -cools with altitude -condenses forming clouds -heavy rainfall -low pressure at ground level |
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What is the suns radiation absorbed by? |
-clouds -ground -people
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What is the suns radiation reflected by? |
-ice caps -ocean -glass |
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What type of wave is incoming radiation? |
short wave -high frequency -high energy
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What type of wave is outgoing radiation? |
long wave -low frequency -low energy |
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What is Terrestrial radiation? |
-radiation sent back into atmosphere by Earth -longwave -heat us -97% sent back to Earth by counter-radiation |
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How are winds formed and what pressure do winds blow from and to? |
-result in differences in air pressure -high to low pressure |
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Why does pressure vary globally and locally? |
-temperature -altitude |
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Does pressure increase or decrease with altitude from the Earths surface? |
-air pressure decreases |
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What is low pressure? |
-air temperature increases -less dense -air is rising
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What is high pressure? |
-air temperature decreases -air is dense -air cools -air sinks |
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Isobar lines join places of... |
equal pressure |
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When pressure changes rapidly across an area this is known as...
How is this shown with isobars? |
-having a strong pressure gradient
-bars shown close together |
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In the northen hemisphere winds blow...
due to... |
-anticlockwise into a low pressure zone
-clockwise out of a high pressure zone
-coriolis effect -friction |
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What is the temperature of wind affected by? |
-its origin -the surface it travelled over
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Winds from the sea on land in winter are.. |
-warm -raise air temperatures -high specific heat capacity
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Winds from the sea on land in summer are.. |
-cooling -depress air temperatures -ocean surface cooler than land surface |
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What is the reason for the Coriolis effect? |
-caused by Earths rotation -spins on axis -anything flying over long distance is deflected -something moves freely over surface Earth moves east at a faster speed |
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The whole surface of the Earth rotates... over... hours |
-360 degrees -24hrs |
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Points at the equator spin... than at the poles because... |
-faster -wider at the centre -flatter at the top -centrifugal forces |
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As latitude increases, the speed of the Earths rotation... this means that... |
-decreases -coriolis effect is stronger -amount of deflection increases towards poles |
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What direction are winds deflected in the: -Northern hemisphere -Southern hemisphere |
-north = right -south = left |
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Why does the Coriolis force have no effect at the equator? |
-pressure gradient and Coriolis force are balanced -winds do not blow from high to low pressure dramatically -friction of winds with Earths surface also reduces the effect |
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When is friction less effective in reducing the Coriolis effect? |
-over the smoother ocean surfaces |
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Define: Lapse rate |
rate at which temperature changes with altitude |
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Define: Atmospheric pressure |
pressure exerted by the weight of the atmosphere |
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What is the unit of atmospheric pressure & what is this measured with? |
-millibar (mb) -barometer |
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Where is atmospheric pressure the greatest & why? |
-layers closest to the Earths surface -greatest weight acting upon them |
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Does air pressure increase or decrease with altitude? |
-decrease |
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Why does air pressure vary horizontally? |
-due to temperature |
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When does:
High pressure occur
Low pressure occur |
-air falling -dry weather
-air rising -wet weather/windy |
