Atmosphere

Front 1

What is a psychrometer?

Back 1

instrument used to find the dewpoint.

Front 2

What is evaporation?

Back 2

the process of changing liquid water from oceans, lakes, streams, and solids on earth's surface into water vapor in the atmosphere

Front 3

What is Transpiration

Back 3

the process by which plants release water vapor through their leaves into the atmosphere.

Front 4

What are vertical movements of air?

Back 4

currents

Front 5

When the air is saturated, the vapor pressure is called______ ______ _______

Back 5

saturation vapor pressure

Front 6

What are the lines used to connect places of equal temperature, equal pressure?

Back 6

Isothermes, isobars

Front 7

What are the high- pressure, dry belts known as?

Back 7

zones of divergence

Front 8

What are aerosols?

Back 8

dust and water vapor that scatter and reflect some radiation

Front 9

_______ _________ is responsable for changes in all atmospheric variables

Back 9

Heat energy

Front 10

what does it mean to be saturated?

Back 10

when the air contains all the moisture it can hold at a particular temperature

Front 11

What is air pressure?

Back 11

the force or weight of the air pushing down on a unit area of surface.

Front 12

What is the dew point temperature?

Back 12

the temperature at which condensation occurs. at the dewpoint air is holding all the moisture it can hold.

Front 13

What is Relative Humidity?

Back 13

The comparison between the amount of moisture in the air with the amount the air can actually hold at that temperature

Front 14

When there is a smaller difference between the wet- bulb and dry- bulb temps, the more ________ the air.

Back 14

humid

Front 15

Orographic lifting occurs when...

Back 15

mountains act as barriers to the flow of airforcin it to rise to the other side

Front 16

The psycrometer consists of 2 thermometers- what are they?

Back 16

dry- bulb and wet- bulb

Front 17

As the air temperature approaches the dewpoint, ___________ becomes more likely.

Back 17

precipitation

Front 18

The amount water vapor actually present in the air is known as _______ _______

Back 18

absolute humidity

Front 19

What is condensation?

Back 19

the process by which gaseous water vapor changes to liquid water

Front 20

The ability of air to hold water vapor is directly related to the ____________ of the air.

Back 20

temperature

Front 21

What is insolation?

Back 21

incoming solar radiation.

Front 22

To determine dewpoint tempertureand relative humidity, use chart on pg.312 or in ESRT.

Back 22

Hey nurse, whtz up?

Front 23

What is a convection cell?

Back 23

the cyclical movement of a fluid due to differences in density and the effect of the gravity field

Front 24

the midlatitude jet stream is called the________ _____ ______

Back 24

polar jet stream

Front 25

As the dewpoint temp. and air temp. come close together,the relative humidity ______, and the probability of precipitation _______.

Back 25

increases, increases

Front 26

A falling barometer indicates what?

Back 26

the probability that rainy weather is on it's way.

Front 27

which is heavier- moist air or dry air?

Back 27

dry air is heavier due to the fact that air pressure is inversely proportional to teh amount of moisture in the air

Front 28

What is capacity?

Back 28

the amount of water vapor can hold

Front 29

The greater the absolute humidity, the __________ the dewpoint temperature.

Back 29

higher

Front 30

What is frictional drag?

Back 30

the energy of friction produced at teh interface of earths surface and the atmosphere

Front 31

When the air is saturated, no ___________ takes palce.

Back 31

evaporation

Front 32

What are clouds?
give 2 examples

Back 32

collection of tiny water droplets or ice crystals
- cirrus, and cumulonimbus

Front 33

What is the instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure?

Back 33

barometer

Front 34

what is vapor pressure?

Back 34

when the pressure exerted by only the water vapor in the air is measured.

Front 35

How does the atmosphere recieve most of it's heat energy?

Back 35

conduction, absorbtion of insolation as it passes through atmosphere, and reradiation from earth

Front 36

When water vapor changes directly into solid water, ice or snow through process known as...

Back 36

sublimation

Front 37

What are jet streams?

Back 37

high- speed winds which travel in a wave- like eastern direction

Front 38

air always moves from areas of ____ pressure to areas of ___ pressure

Back 38

high, low

Front 39

What is evapotranspiration?

Back 39

refers to all the water vapor released by both evaporation and transpiration.

Front 40

What are the low- pressure belts where air regions come together?

Back 40

zones of convergence

Front 41

What is convection?

Back 41

transfer of heat energy by movement of fluids

Front 42

the rate of change in pressure between two locations is called...

Back 42

pressure gradient

Front 43

What are large horizontal movements of air near the earths surface, What are local horizontal movements of air near earths surface?

Back 43

winds, breezes

Front 44

What is condution?

Back 44

the transfer of heat energy from molecule to molecule

Front 45

when water vapor condenses directly onto a cold surface_____ is formed. When water vapor comes into contact with a freezing surface, _____ is formed

Back 45

dew, frost

Front 46

If the density of a matter increases than the _________ also increates.

Back 46

pressure (they are directly related)

Front 47

what three factors affect daily temperature?

Back 47

latitude, altitude, and closeness to large bodies of water