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111 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Air is a...
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Fluid (liquids and gases)
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3 most abundant permanent gases
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Nitrogen, Oxygen, and Argon
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3 most abundant variable gases
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Water, carbon dioxide, and ozone
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Phase changes of water require what type of energy?
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Latent Heat (water, ice, and vapor)
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Most important greenhouse gases
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Water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone
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Ozone
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At the surface it is a noxious pollutant; in the stratosphere it is essential for life; absorbs shortwave/ solar radiation
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Aerosol
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in average air, there are 1000 particles in 1 cm^3
Natural: sea salt, pollen, soil, volcanic dust Human: smog, soot, industrial dust Many are water absorbent Scattering radiation causes sunrises/sunsets |
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2 Vertical layers of composition
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Homosphere: 0-80 km
Heterosphere: > 80 km |
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Troposphere
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- 1st level of atmosphere
- greek: overturning - 0-10 km - called "weather layer" - top: tropopause (1st cold trap) |
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Stratosphere
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- 2nd level of atmosphere
- greek: lying flat - 10-50 km - top: stratopause (first temperature inversion) |
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Mesosphere
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- 3rd layer of atmosphere
- greek: middle layer - 50-90 km - top: mesopause (2nd cold trap) |
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Thermosphere
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- last layer of atmoshere
- greek: thermal layer - above 90 km |
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Rotation
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Earth spinning on axis; from North pole it is counter clockwise; gives us day and night
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Revolution
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Elliptical orbit; 365 and 1/4 days;
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Aphelion
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Earth's maximum distance from sun; July 4
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Solar Altitude
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Caused by Earth's tilt of 23.5 degrees; variations in solar position; angle of sun above horizon
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Variation in day length caused by...?
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Tilt of Earth on ecliptic
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Zenith Angle
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Added with solar altitude = 90 degrees
Smaller in summertime because solar altitude is highest |
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Influences of solar altitude
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- Energy concentration/ Intensity (smaller area = more intensity)
- Atmospheric Path Length (smaller = more solar altitude) |
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If path length is longer, radiation intensity...
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Decreases; less solar altitude
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Subsolar Point
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23.5 degrees N. - 23.5 degrees S.
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If away from solar declination, the sun's rays will...?
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Strike at every decreasing angle
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Day Length
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Accumulation of solar energy at the surface
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In the summer at high latitudes, solar altitude...?
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Is lower compared to mid-latitudes because intensity is reduced
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Causes of Variation in solar angle and day length
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Earth's orientation to sun
Earth's tilted axis Axis always pointing at same direction, but axis relative to sun's rays always changing |
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Ultraviolet Rays Wavelength
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10^-2 - .4
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Visible Radiation Wavelength
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.4 - .7
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Infrared Radiation Wavelength
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.7 - 100
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Ultraviolet and Visible Radiation
Shortwave or Longwave? |
Shortwave
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Infrared Radiation
Shortwave or Longwave |
Longwave
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Black Body
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Absorbs all radiation put on it; ideal emitter; ideal emissivity
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Stefan Boltzmann Law
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All objects/ substances emit radiation at a rate proportional to the 4th power of its absolute temperature
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Wien's Displacement Law
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A rise in temperature increases total radiation and shifts energy output to shorter wavelengths, inversely proportional to its absolute temperature
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% of solar radiation reflected by clouds, atmosphere, and surface
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30%
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% of solar radiation absorbed by clouds, atmosphere, and surface
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25%
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Black Body
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Absorbs all radiation put on it; ideal emitter; ideal emissivity
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Stefan Boltzmann Law
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All objects/ substances emit radiation at a rate proportional to the 4th power of its absolute temperature
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Wien's Displacement Law
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A rise in temperature increases total radiation and shifts energy output to shorter wavelengths, inversely proportional to its absolute temperature
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% of solar radiation reflected by clouds, atmosphere, and surface
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30%
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% of solar radiation absorbed by atmosphere
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25%
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% of solar radiation absorbed by the surface (transmitted)
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45%
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% of solar radiation absorbed by surface on a clear day
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70%
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% of solar radiation reflected on a clear day
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13%
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% of solar radiation absorbed by surface on a cloudy day
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25%
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% of solar radiation reflected on a cloudy day
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51%
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Radiation Balance
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Net radiation = net shortwave radiation + net longwave radiation
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Incoming longwave radiation depends on...?
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Apparent sky temperature and sky emissivity
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Outgoing shortwave radiation depends on...?
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Incoming shortwave radiation and albedo
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Outgoing longwave radiation depends on...?
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Surface temperature and surface emissivity
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What happens when outgoing longwave radiation reaches surface?
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Greenhouse effect
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Global Distribution: Incoming Shortwave Radiation
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Spatially variable because of Earth-Sun geometry
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Global Distribution: net radiation
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Spatially variable
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How are surplus and deficits of radiation fixed?
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Energy is transported from surplus to deficit regions
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What is a radiation surplus?
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Runaway heating
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What is a radiation deficit?
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Runaway cooling
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Convection
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Heat is transported because of the flow or circulation of fluid (liquids and gases); occurs when there is a vertical circulation/ mixture in the atmosphere
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Conduction
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Heat is transported molecule by molecule (solids)
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Surface Energy Balance Equation
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Net wave radiation = soil heat flux + latent heat flux + sensible heat flux
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What type of flux is a soil heat flux?
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Conductive Flux
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What type of flux is a sensible heat flux?
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Convective Flux
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What type of flux is a latent heat flux?
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Convective Flux
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When is exchange of latent heat the greatest?
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when air near the surface is being continuously replaced by drier air above the surface
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Latent Heat of vaporization
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amount of energy required to change an object from liquid to gas
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Energy from vaporization and sublimation is stored as...?
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Latent Heat
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Evaporation to Condensation requires...?
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Latent Heat
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Temperature distribution and changes are results of...?
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processes involved in energy balance
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What does change in temperature depend on?
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Mass and specific heat of the object
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What is the primary influence of change in temperature?
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Incoming shortwave radiation, because it controls net radiation
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What are other influences of change in temperature?
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absorption/ emission of longwave radiation
condensation advection (wind) change in altitude |
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Geographic position controls on temperature
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Differential Heating
Ocean Currents Altitude Relative Geographic Position |
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Which has a higher specific heat? Water or Surface?
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Water
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Warm currents come from...?
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Equator to the poles
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Cold currents come from...?
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Poles to the equator
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When do warm ocean currents have the strongest impact?
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In the winter
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When do cold ocean currents have the strongest impact?
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In the summer
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North Atlantic Drift
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Warm current - keeps Great Britain and Western Europe warmer than expected at its high latitude
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How does temperature change with altitude?
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Cooler temperatures are expected at higher altitudes; there is a greater range of temperature at higher elevations
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How is incoming shortwave radiation affected by elevation?
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Higher elevation = increased incoming shortwave radiation
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Which has a greater range of temperature:
Equator or Mid-Latitudes? |
Mid-latitudes
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What has the greatest range of temperature?
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Poles
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What makes atmosphere and surface cool at nighttime?
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Emitting outgoing longwave radiation
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Why is a clear day warmer than a cloudy day?
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More incoming shortwave radiation and higher surface temperature on a clear day
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Why does temperature remain warmer on a cloudy night rather than a clear night?
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outgoing longwave radiation is absorbed by the clouds and there is more incoming longwave radiation on a cloudy night
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Vapor causes...?
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Humidity
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Droplets cause...?
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Clouds, fog, rain
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Ice causes...?
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Clouds, fog, hail, snow, pellets
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Total Air Pressure
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dry air pressure + vapor air pressure
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Which layer is the ozone in?
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Stratosphere
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Where are most molecules in the atmosphere found?
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Below 5.5 km level (more than half)
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Earth's output is what kind of radiation?
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Longwave
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What kind of radiation is most of sun's output?
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Visible
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Sun peaks in visible spectrum at...?
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.5
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Earth peaks in infrared spectrum at...?
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10
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Shortwave window
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.5 (visible)
sun radiation |
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Longwave window
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10 (infrared)
earth radiation |
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Albedo
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Reflection
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How does increase in temperature affect radiation and wavelength?
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more emitted radiation and shortens wavelength
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What kind of radiation do all natural bodies emit?
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Infrared (far)
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Wien's law
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a (2898) / temperature
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Reflection influence on radiation in atmosphere
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scattering (multiple scattering)
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Which has more radiation at the surface? Cloudy or clear conditions?
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Clear
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Global Energy Balance
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Balance between surface and atmosphere (latent heat)
- surplus of 29 at surface - deficit of 29 in atmosphere |
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Which moves faster? Latent heat or sensible heat?
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Latent Heat (3x faster)
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Global Heat Pump
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Connection between energy and water balance (latent heat flux appears as energy and mass)
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Clausius-Clapeyron Curve
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- indicates that warmer air can hold more vapor
- gives maximum amount of pressure at a certain temperature (saturation amount) |
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Vapor Pressure
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Partial pressure exerted by vapor molecules in the atmosphere
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Absolute Humidity
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Mass of water vapor / volume of air
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Specific Humidity
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Mass of water vapor / total mass of air
- conservative measure of humidity |
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Relative Humidity
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Actual amount of vapor / maximum possible amount of vapor x 100%
- varies inversely with temperature |
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Dew Point Temperature
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Point where actual amount of vapor = maximum possible amount of vapor at a given temperature
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