Tamu Atmo 201 Final 2013

Front 1

Draw a picture of the vertical temperature profile of the atmosphere. Name the main layers in the figure.

Back 1

Front 2

A radiosonde takes measurements of what atmospheric parameters?

Back 2

Temperature, Relative Humidity, and Pressure

Front 3

State the first law of thermodynamics by both an equation and words.

Back 3

∆U=Q + pdv

The change in internal energy equals heat added to the system minus the work done by the environment.

Front 4

Name the two layers of the atmosphere in terms of it's chemical composition? What are the two main components of air in the lower layer?

Back 4

Homosphere and Heterosphere.

Nitrogen and Oxygen.

Front 5

What is the freezing point and the boiling point of water at surface pressure? Provide the answer using K as the unit.

Back 5

Freezing Point: 273.15 K
Boiling Point: 373.15 K

Front 6

What is latent heat?

Back 6

The heat absorbed or released by a surface during a change of state (Ex. water during evaporation, sublimation, and condensation)

Front 7

Explain in no more than two sentences the reason why the specific heat for constant pressure is higher than the specific heat for constant volume.

Back 7

Because the equation for specific heat included P∆V, a constant volume would not change the heat at all because a zero would be inserted into the value (p*0) and if the constant pressure is used (even if it's not changing), it will still be a higher number (#*∆V)

Front 8

What requires more heat: increasing the temperature of 1 kg of granite by 2 K or increasing the temperature of 1 kg of water by 1 K? Why?

Back 8

Water

Specific heat of water=4196 x1=4196 > 2010
Specific heat of granite=1005 x2=2010

Front 9

Why does the temperature of an air parcel decrease during an ascent forced by a mountain?

Back 9

As the parcel moves up in elevation, surrounding air pressure decreases allowing the parcel to expand to fill the space. In order to expand, some of the initial energy defining temperature is used, therefore, the temperature decreases.

Front 10

What are three forms of energy an air parcel can have?

Back 10

Kinetic energy, potential energy, and internal energy

Front 11

What is the name of the processes in which (a) water vapor changes into liquid water and (b) ice changes into water vapor?

Back 11

(a) Condensation
(b) Sublimation

Front 12

Explain in no more than two sentences the greenhouse effect.

Back 12

Short wave radiation from the sun is absorbed by the earth's surface, but the long wave radiation is trapped by greenhouse gasses like water vapor and carbon dioxide. This allows the Earth to keep it's warmth.

Front 13

What were the two main components of the Earth's first atmosphere (4.6 billion years ago)?

Back 13

Hydrogen and Helium

Front 14

What is radiation?

Back 14

Radiation is rays from either the sun or the earth that emit energy. It comes in many different frequencies based on what kind of radiation it is.

Front 15

Explain Wien's law in one sentence.

Back 15

The wavelength of maximum radiation is equal to the Wien's constant divided by the temperature.

Front 16

What do we call short and long wave radiation?

Back 16

Shortwave radiation is the radiant energy by the sun.

Longwave radiation is the infrared energy from the earth's surface

Front 17

What is the relationship between the wave lengths of visible, ultraviolet (UV), and infrared (IR) radiation?

Back 17

UV < Visible < Infrared

Front 18

What is the definition of a black body?

Back 18

A black body is any substance that is a perfect absorber or reflector of radiation. If a substance has 0% albedo, then it is a perfect and if it's albedo is 100%, it's a perfect reflector.

Front 19

What is the definition of albedo and what is the typical value of albedo for the entire Earth?

Back 19

Albedo is the reflectivity of a surface. Albedo for earth is generally 30%.

Front 20

Why does the temperature typically drop more on a clear night than a cloudy night?

Back 20

On a cloudy night, more water vapor is present. Water vapor is a greenhouse gas which keeps long wave radiation from leaving Earth's atmosphere.

Front 21

Is the annual temperature range larger or smaller in Richmond, VA than in San Francisco, CA.?

Back 21

Larger

Because San Francisco is on the coast by the water so the temperature change is always slightly less extreme than a city that is more inland because of humidity.

Front 22

What is transpiration?

Back 22

Transpiration is the evaporation of water from plants.

Front 23

What is the definition of (a) absolute humidity (b) specific humidity (c) mixing ration and (d) relative humidity?

Back 23

(a) mass of water divided by volume of air
(b) mass of vapor divided by mass of air
(c) mass of vapor divided by mass of dry air
(d) water vapor content divided by water vapor capacity x 100%

Front 24

How does the saturation vapor pressure change with temperature?

Back 24

Saturation vapor pressure increases with temperature.

Front 25

What is the difference between radiation fog and advection fog? Can a fog be both radiation and advection fog?

Back 25

Radiation fog is used when radiation cooling of the ground is mixed with a layer of warm air until a fog is formed. Advection fog is when warm, moist air moves over cool (ocean air moving over land air) and causes the air to reach its dew point. Yes, a fog can be both radiation and advection fog, there is a type of fog called radiation-advection fog (caused by radiation cooling)

Front 26

What are the four major cloud groups and the ten major cloud types?

Back 26

High clouds (Cirrus, Cirrocumulus, Cirrostratus)

Medium Clouds (Altostratus, Altocumulus)

Low Clouds (Stratocumulus, Cumulus, and Stratus)

Clouds with vertical development (Cumulonimbus, Nimbostratus)

Front 27

What types of clouds are responsible for (a) the heavy rain of the severe storms and (b) the light sustained rain associate with frontal systems?

Back 27

(a) Cumulonimbus
(b) Nimbostratus

Front 28

Draw a picture of the atmospheric general circulation. Indicate the typical wind directions in the different latitude belts and show the major cells of vertical-zonal mean circulation.

Back 28

Front 29

What is higher: the moist or the dry adiabatic rate of change of the temperature? Why?

Back 29

Dry adiabatic rate

Because the moist rate has saturated air which gives off latent heat and the temperature decreases less with height.

Front 30

What are the definitions of absolute and conditional instability?

Back 30

Absolute Instability: Lapse rate is greater than the dry adiabatic rate

Conditional Instability: Lapse rate is less than the dry adiabatic rate but greater than the moist adiabatic

Front 31

Explain the ice-crystal (Bergeron) process for raindrop formation in no more than six bullet points.

Back 31

Cold clouds that have both ice crystals and super cool droplets.

Greater saturation vapor pressure over the droplets than over the crystals.

There is a diffusion of the water vapor from the droplets to the ice crystals because there is more water vapor over the droplets than the ice crystals

The vapor freezes on the ice crytsals.

As the crystals grow larger than begin to fall

If the air below is warm, the crystals melt and form raindrops

Front 32

Assume that the height of the 500 mb pressure surface is higher at location A than at location B. What does this tell us about the average temperature of the atmospheric layer below the 500 mb pressure level at the two locations?

Back 32

Location A has warmer temperature on average than location B.

Front 33

What is the direction of the rotation of air in a cyclone?

Back 33

Northern Hemisphere: counterclockwise

Southern Hemisphere: clockwise

Front 34

Draw a schematic picture of the process that causes sea breeze and land breeze.

Back 34

Front 35

Draw a schematic picture of the process that causes Chinook winds.

Back 35