Physical Geography - Chapter 6: Atmospheric Moisture

Front 1

Gas state / Water Vapor State

Back 1

The most significant state of water in the atmosphere

Front 2

Hydrologic Cycle

Back 2

The unending circulation of water from the Earth to the atmosphere and back to the Earth

Front 3

Atmosphere, Oceans, Bodies of Fresh Surface Water, Plants and Animals, Groundwater, and Glaciers

Back 3

The six storage areas of water in the Hydrologic Cycle

Front 4

Closed

Back 4

The Hydrologic Cycle is this type of system

Front 5

False

Back 5

True or False: Water can escape from our Earth-Atmosphere system

Front 6

Evaporation

Back 6

The first phase of water in the Hydrologic Cycle

Front 7

Evaporation

Back 7

When water changes phase from a liquid to a gas (water vapor) state

Front 8

Transpiration

Back 8

The second phase of water in the Hydrologic Cycle

Front 9

Transpiration

Back 9

A process in which plants give out moisture through their leaves

Front 10

Evapotranspiration

Back 10

The third phase of water in the Hydrologic Cycle

Front 11

Evapotranspiration

Back 11

The combined process of evaporation and transpiration

Front 12

Condensation

Back 12

The fourth phase of water in the Hydrologic Cycle

Front 13

Condensation

Back 13

The process where water vapor is converted to a liquid water (gas to a liquid)

Front 14

Cooling

Back 14

This is what must happen to the atmosphere in order for condensation to take place

Front 15

Condensation

Back 15

Clouds, fog, frost, and dew are all examples of this

Front 16

Precipitation

Back 16

Water in a liquid or solid form that falls from the atmosphere to reach Earth’s surface

Front 17

Precipitation

Back 17

The fifth phase of water in the Hydrologic Cycle

Front 18

Precipitation

Back 18

Rain, snow, hail, and sleet are all examples of this

Front 19

True

Back 19

True or False: There are limits to the amount of water vapor the air can hold

Front 20

Saturated

Back 20

Every temperature can only hold so much water vapor before your air is said to be this

Front 21

Saturated

Back 21

When air at a given temperature holds all of the water vapor that it can possible hold, your air is said to be this

Front 22

Condensation and Precipitation

Back 22

The result of air becoming saturated and reaching its capacity

Front 23

Increases

Back 23

As your temperature increases, your air's capacity to hold water vapor does this

Front 24

More

Back 24

The warmer the temperature, the ____ water vapor the air can hold before the air is said to be saturated

Front 25

Dew Point Temperature

Back 25

The temperature at which your air becomes saturated

Front 26

Condensation

Back 26

Once the dew point temperature is reached, this happens

Front 27

Condensation

Back 27

When your dew point temperature equals your air temperature, this happens

Front 28

Cooling

Back 28

This must happen to the atmosphere in order to reach the dew point temperature

Front 29

Humidity

Back 29

The amount of water vapor in the air at any one time and place

Front 30

Specific Humidity

Back 30

Actual amount of moisture in the atmosphere

Front 31

Grams per Kilogram (g/kg)

Back 31

Specific humidity is measured in this

Front 32

Specific Humidity

Back 32

Tells you the amount of water vapor in the air

Front 33

Maximum Specific Humidity

Back 33

The maximum amount of water vapor the air can hold at a given temperature

Front 34

Grams per Kilogram (g/kg)

Back 34

Maximum specific humidity is measured in this

Front 35

Maximum Specific Humidity

Back 35

This increases as your temperature goes up

Front 36

Relative Humidity

Back 36

The ratio (expressed as a percent) between the amount of water vapor in the air at a given temperature (specific humidity) and the maximum amount of water vapor the air can hold at that temperature (maximum specific humidity)

Front 37

Relative Humidity

Back 37

This tells us how close our air is to saturation

Front 38

100%

Back 38

A relative of humidity of this means the air is saturated or has reached its capacity

Front 39

Saturated

Back 39

At a relative humidity of 100%, our air is this

Front 40

Same

Back 40

Air temperature and dew point temperature are this at 100% relative humidity

Front 41

100%

Back 41

Air temperature and dew point temperature are the same at this relative humidity

Front 42

Inverse

Back 42

There is this type of relationship between temperature and relative humidity when the specific humidity stays the same

Front 43

Goes Down

Back 43

As temperature goes up, relative humidity does this (if the specific humidity stays the same)

Front 44

Goes Up

Back 44

As temperature goes down, relative humidity does this (if the specific humidity stays the same)

Front 45

Condensation Nuclei

Back 45

Minute particles in the atmosphere that provide a surface for condensation to take place

Front 46

Condensation Nuclei

Back 46

Dust, sea salt, pollen, and smoke are examples of this

Front 47

Cooling by Radiation

Back 47

This type of cooling occurs at night when long waves are lose, cooling the surface

Front 48

Cooling by Radiation

Back 48

Clear and calm conditions are necessary for this cooling to take place

Front 49

Cooling by Radiation

Back 49

This type of cooling creates fog, frost, and dew

Front 50

Cooling by Contact

Back 50

Occurs when warm air comes in contact with a cold surface

Front 51

Cooling by Contact

Back 51

With this cooling, warm air is chilled to the dew point temperature

Front 52

Cooling by Contact

Back 52

This cooling creates a type of fog

Front 53

Cooling by Air Ascending

Back 53

With this cooling, air is cooled when it is lifted or forced up

Front 54

Orographic Lifting

Back 54

This type of lifting is most common in mountain regions

Front 55

Orographic Lifting

Back 55

With this type of lifting, topographic barriers block the horizontal air movement, causing air masses to travel upslope

Front 56

Winward

Back 56

Orographic Lifting produces precipitation on this side of a topographic barrier

Front 57

Frontal / Cyclonic Lifting

Back 57

This type of lifting is most common in the midlatitudes

Front 58

Frontal / Cyclonic Lifting

Back 58

With this type of lifting, warm and cold air collide, forcing the warm air to lift and cool producing clouds and precipitation

Front 59

Frontal / Cyclonic Lifting

Back 59

This type of lifting produces frontal recipitation

Front 60

Gulf of Mexico

Back 60

The warm, humid air in frontal / cyclonic lifting comes from here

Front 61

Canada

Back 61

The cold, dry air in frontal / cyclonic lifting comes from here

Front 62

Convective Lifting

Back 62

This type of lifting is most common in the tropics

Front 63

Convective Lifting

Back 63

What type of lifting is described here? "Due to unequal heating of different surface areas, air near the ground may be forced to rise, cool and produce clouds and precipitation"

Front 64

Convective Lifting

Back 64

This type of lifting produces convective precipitation

Front 65

Cools

Back 65

A parcel of air does this as it is lifted off of the ground

Front 66

5.5 degrees

Back 66

With the Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate, a parcel of air loses this much in temperature every 1000 feet

Front 67

Lifting Condensation Level

Back 67

This is the altitude at which clouds form

Front 68

Bottom

Back 68

The lifting condensation level begins at this part of a cloud

Front 69

5.5; 1000; descends

Back 69

With Adiabatic Warming, a parcel gains _____°F every ______ feet it ______

Front 70

5.5; 1000; ascends

Back 70

With the Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate, a parcel gains _____°F every ______ feet it ______

Front 71

False

Back 71

True or False: the dry adiabatic lapse rate can change

Front 72

Environmental Lapse Rate

Back 72

Vertical decrease in temperature of the atmosphere

Front 73

False

Back 73

True or False: the environmental lapse rate is a constant

Front 74

Unstable Atmosphere

Back 74

With this type of atmosphere, air is rising

Front 75

Unstable Atmosphere

Back 75

This type of atmosphere occurs when a parcel of air is warmer than the surrounding air

Front 76

Unstable Atmosphere

Back 76

This conditions are typical on a warm summer afternoon

Front 77

Unstable Atmosphere

Back 77

With these conditions, precipitation is possible

Front 78

Unstable Atmosphere

Back 78

With this atmosphere, the temperature of the parcel of air at a certain elevation (cooled by the DALR -5.5°F/1000 feet) is warmer than the temperature of the surrounding air at the same elevation (cooled by the environmental lapse rate)

Front 79

Unstable Atmosphere

Back 79

Occurs if the environmental lapse rate (ELR) is greater than the dry adiabatic lapse rate (DALR) of 5.5°F

Front 80

Unstable Atmosphere

Back 80

An environmental lapse rate of 8.0°F would be an example of this atmosphere

Front 81

Stable Atmosphere

Back 81

This atmosphere exists if a parcel resists vertical movement

Front 82

Stable Atmosphere

Back 82

This occurs when a parcel of air is cooler than the surrounding air

Front 83

Stable Atmosphere

Back 83

A cold, winter night is an example of this type of atmosphere

Front 84

Stable Atmosphere

Back 84

With this type of atmosphere, we can expect clear skies

Front 85

Stable Atmosphere

Back 85

With this type of atmosphere, the temperature of the parcel of air at a certain elevation is cooler than the temperature of the surrounding air at the same elevation

Front 86

Stable Atmosphere

Back 86

This type of atmosphere occurs when the environmental lapse rate (ELR) is less than the dry adiabatic lapse rate (DALR) of 5.5°F

Front 87

Stable Atmosphere

Back 87

An environmental lapse rate of 3°F would be an example of this type of atmosphere