Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
68 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
-Typically moves faster and have a steeper edge, results in unsable, vertically developed clouds and violent, short-lived storms
-Forms vertically -Cold and warm air meet, the warm air rises -cumulonimbus clouds |
Cold fronts
|
|
-generated over water is a wet air mass
-generated over land is a dry air mass -Polars are cold masses -S. continent are dry air masses |
N. American Air masses
|
|
-Gentle slope, most precipitation is over a wide area
-non-violent -develops a series of stratus clouds at different atmospheres |
warm fronts
|
|
-Neither air mass displaces the other
-some precipitation due to limited rising of warm air. |
stationary front
|
|
-a cold front overtakes a warm front
-The cold air undercuts the cooler air mass associated with the warm front, further lifting the already rising warm air. |
Occluded front
|
|
What happens when a cold front passes?
|
1. temperature drops
2. winds shift from S to N 3. Pressure drops then rises 4. Clouds and precipiation at the front |
|
-Low pressure cold front from W to E
-Winds circulate counter clockwise in the Northern hemisphere (low pressure) -Cold front advances faster than the storm center and warm front |
Midlatitude cyclone
|
|
-Large, high pressure systems that diverge as they descend
|
Midlatitude ANTIcyclone
|
|
-a tropical disturbance
-a long, weak, low pressure system between 5-30 degrees -A band of thunderstorms can develop into hurricanes |
easterly waves
|
|
-Intense low pressure tropical disturbance with converging winds in a steep pressure gradient
-Pulls in warm moist air that fuels the storm |
tropical cyclones
|
|
-originated by convective heating or frontal activity, then the storm is fueled by the release of heat from condensation
|
THunderstorms
|
|
-streamflows:
-Always flowing because of direct contact with the ground water -gains water from the ground water -effluent |
perennial streams
|
|
-stream flow
-Only flows when its raining, the rest of the time, they're dry. -lose water to groundwater -influent |
ephemeral streams
|
|
-Moderately to highly permeable rocks where moisture moves through
|
aquifers
|
|
-Production of plant matter by chorophyll containing plants and bacteria.
|
photosynthesis
|
|
photosynthesis equation is:
|
CO2 + H2O -----> Carbohydrates + O2
|
|
-Describes the net photosynthesis of a plant comunity over a period of one year
-measured in fixed carbon per unit area. |
net primary productivity
|
|
-net primary productivity is highest on _______ within the tropics where both high precipitation and high insolation
-productivity is low _______ |
-Land
-Poleward and cold areas |
|
-THe study of plants and animal distribution
|
-Biogeography
|
|
-A large terestrial ecosystem with recognizable plant and animal assemblage
-Named after vegetation assemblages that are dictated by latitude and climates |
Biome
|
|
transitional boundary between biomes
|
ecotone
|
|
major biome
-Heavy shade, high humidity, little wind -sits right under ITCZ -nutrient poor |
tropical biomes
|
|
major biome
-Mix of low-growing shrubs and grasses -ground dwelling mammals |
Tropical scrubs
|
|
major biome
-rainfall contrasts are greatest -dominated by tall grasses -during the wet season, grass grows tall, dry seasons the grass withers, another season is wildfires -large animals, carnivores |
savanna
|
|
major biomes
-Strong correspondence with dry climates -extremely low vegetation density |
desert
|
|
major biome
-Dry summers, wet winters -summer fires common -woody shrubs and open grassy woodland -seed-eating rodents |
Mediterranean woodland shrub
|
|
major biome
-Perennial grasses that lie dormant in winter. -trees are limited by moisture and fire frequency -large numbers of few species of animals |
midlatitude grassland
|
|
major biome
-complete canopy in summer, deciduous trees in the south, conifers in the north -occurs in East US |
midlatitude deciduous forest
|
|
-major biome
-needleleaf evergreens, pines, firs and spruces -short, close growing trees -northern America -fur-bearer animals |
Boreal forest
|
|
major biome
-a cold desert or grassland -moisture is scarce and summers short, trees cannot survive -birds and insects are animals |
tundra
|
|
-tiny storms with pressure gradient and produces fast winds.
-originates slightly above ground and contains cloud and sucked-in dust |
tornadoes
|
|
-formation of __________
-associated with vertical air motion, humidity, instability and produces a towering cumulonimbus cloud and precipitation |
thunderstorms
|
|
-thunderstorm stages
-1. updrafts prevail and the cloud grows. falling particles drag air with them initiating a downdraft. ___________ -2. the downdraft precipitation leaves the bottom of the cloud and updrafts and downdrafts coexist as te cloud enlarges. Most active stage; hail, winds, lightning, thunder __________ -3. Downdrafts dominate and there is light rain and turbulence ceasing _________ |
1. cumulus
2. mature 3. dissipating |
|
-Development of a larg cumulonimbus cloud causes a separation of electrical charges. Updrafts carrying positively charged water droplets or crystals rise while falling ice gathers negative charges.
-The contrast builds to tens of millions of volts and causes a ground-to-cloud discharge. |
Lightning
|
|
-THe abrupt heating by lightning produces instantaneous expansion of the air creating a shock wave.
-occurs simultaneously with lightning but travels slower |
thunder
|
|
-tiny storms with pressure gradient and produces fast winds.
-originates slightly above ground and contains cloud and sucked-in dust |
tornadoes
|
|
-formation of __________
-associated with vertical air motion, humidity, instability and produces a towering cumulonimbus cloud and precipitation |
thunderstorms
|
|
-thunderstorm stages
-1. updrafts prevail and the cloud grows. falling particles drag air with them initiating a downdraft. ___________ -2. the downdraft precipitation leaves the bottom of the cloud and updrafts and downdrafts coexist as te cloud enlarges. Most active stage; hail, winds, lightning, thunder __________ -3. Downdrafts dominate and there is light rain and turbulence ceasing _________ |
1. cumulus
2. mature 3. dissipating |
|
-Development of a larg cumulonimbus cloud causes a separation of electrical charges. Updrafts carrying positively charged water droplets or crystals rise while falling ice gathers negative charges.
-The contrast builds to tens of millions of volts and causes a ground-to-cloud discharge. |
Lightning
|
|
-THe abrupt heating by lightning produces instantaneous expansion of the air creating a shock wave.
-occurs simultaneously with lightning but travels slower |
thunder
|
|
-formation of __________
-generated by severe thunderstorms -must have a significant change in wind speed or direction from the bottom to the top. |
formation of tornadoes
|
|
major climate group
-low latitudes, warm and wet -lack of coldness |
Tropical climate
|
|
major climate group
-dry conditions prevail all year -potential evapotranspiration greater than precipitation |
dry climate
|
|
major climate group
-long hot summer, mild winter -characterized as "summer and winter" instead of "hot and cold" |
mild midlatitutde
|
|
major climate group
-cold winter, relatively short summer -large temperature range |
severe midlatitude
|
|
-formation of __________
-generated by severe thunderstorms -must have a significant change in wind speed or direction from the bottom to the top. |
formation of tornadoes
|
|
major climate group
-low latitudes, warm and wet -lack of coldness |
Tropical climate
|
|
major climate group
-dry conditions prevail all year -potential evapotranspiration greater than precipitation |
dry climate
|
|
major climate group
-long hot summer, mild winter -characterized as "summer and winter" instead of "hot and cold" |
mild midlatitutde
|
|
major climate group
-cold winter, relatively short summer -large temperature range |
severe midlatitude
|
|
major climate group
-coldest summers -extraordinarily dry -large temperature range -low precipitation, mostly snow |
polar climates
|
|
levels of salinity
-the equator has _____ salinity -the subtropics have ______ salinity -near land is ______ salinity |
-low
-high -low |
|
-Bulges in the sea surface in some places that are compensated by lower areas or "sinks" in the surface at other places.
-Primarily vertical motions of the water. |
Tides
|
|
THe percentage of the total volume of the material that consists of voids (pore spaces or cracks) that can fill with water.
-The more porous a material is, the greater the amount of open space it contains. |
porosity
|
|
-The ability to transmit underground water
-Determined by the size of pores and their degree of interconnectedness |
permeability
|
|
-Underground water is stored in and moves slowly through highly permeable rocks
-Can be a very slow rate or rapid rate |
aquifers
|
|
-The top of the saturated zone.
-Conforms roughtly to the slope of land surface above |
water table
|
|
-When water is taken from the well faster than it can flow in rom the saturated rock, the water table drops, forming a _____________
|
cone of depression
|
|
-Salinity depends on how much evaporation takes place.
-When evaporation is high, salinity is ______ -Where inflow of freshwater is high, salinity is ______ -Lowest salinities are found where rainfall is heavy and near major rivers. -Salinity is highest in landlocked seas |
-high
-low |
|
-Salinity is ____ in equatorial regions because of rainfall, cloudiness and humidity
-Salinity is _____ in the subtropics where precipitation is low and evaporation extensive -Salinity is _____in polar regions |
-low
-high -low |
|
-outter-most material of Earth, includes the crust and part of the upper-most mantle
-a cold slab |
Lithosphere
|
|
-Partially molten/liquid rock, further down in the Earth
-A heat source -very dense |
asthenosphere
|
|
-A movement of rock that occurs along a fault
-moves i two different directions -releases energy from the focus |
Earthquakes
|
|
-The first wave of an earthquake
-fastest, motion is by compression |
P wave
|
|
-Second wave to arrive for an earthquake
-Motion is up/down and side to side -more destructive |
S wave
|
|
rock
-Formed by solidification of motion magma -composed of interlocking crystals ex: magma, lava, pluton, volcano |
Igneous
|
|
rock
-Formed by compaction and cementation of sediments |
Sedimentary
|
|
rock
-have been drastically changed by heat and/or pressure. -"cooking" process that heats the rock, causing its mineral components to be recrystallized and rearranged |
metamorphic rocks
|