Details Title: Atmospheric Forces Description: Unit 7 - Holt Earth Science Total Flash Cards: 144 Created: 12/13/2008 21:00:15		New Users: To study from this flashcard set, or to create your own your own study flash cards, REGISTER HERE. Existing Users: CLICK HERE. Additional Sociology Flashcards
Cards in this set: Term Atmosphere Definition " a mixture of gases that surrounds a planet, such as earth" Term Atmospheric pressure Definition the force per unit area that is exerted on a surface by the weight of the atmosphere Term Troposphere Definition " the lowest layer of the atmosphere, in which temperature drops at a constant rate as altitude increases; the part of the atmosphere where weather conditions exist" Term Stratosphere Definition " the layer of the atmosphere that lies between the troposphere and the mesosphere and in which temperature increases as altitude increases, contains the ozone layer" Term Mesosphere Definition " the coldest layer of the atmosphere between the stratosphere and the thermosphere, in which temperature decreases as altitude increases" Term Thermosphere Definition " the uppermost layer of the atmosphere, in which temperature increases as altitude increases, includes the ionosphere" Term Electromagnetic spectrum- Definition all of the frequencies or wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation Term Albedo Definition the fraction of solar radiation that is reflected off the surface of an object Term Greenhouse effect Definition " the warming of the surface and lower atmosphere of Earth that occurs when carbon dioxide, water vapor, and other gases in the air absorb and reradiate infrared radiation" Term Conduction Definition the transfer of energy as heat through a material Term Convection Definition the movement of matter due to differences in density that are caused by temperature variations; can result in the transfer of energy as heat Term Coriolis effect Definition the curving of the path of a moving object from an otherwise straight path due to Earth’s rotation Term Trade winds Definition prevailing winds that blow from east to west from 30 latitude to the equator in both hemispheres Term Westerlies Definition prevailing winds that blow from west to east between 30 and 60 latitude in both hemispheres Term Polar easterlies Definition prevailing winds that blow from east to west between 60 and 90 latitude in both Term Jet stream Definition a narrow band of strong winds that blow in the upper troposphere Term Nitrogen Cycle Definition nitrogen moves from air to the soil and then to plants and animals and eventually returns to air Term Photosynthesis Definition " plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to produce their food, and they release oxygen as a byproduct" Term Water vapor Definition evaporated water that enters the air as invisible gas Term Ozone Definition a gas molecule that is made up of three oxygen atoms Term Ozone layer Definition absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun Term Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) Definition break down ozone and have caused parts of ozone to be weakened Term Particulates Definition various tiny solid particles Term Standard atmospheric pressure Definition " 1 atmosphere = 760 mm of mercury, or 1000 millibars" Term Mercurial barometer Definition a model of which measures the pressure on liquid mercury Term Aneroid barometer Definition measure pressure by absorbing change of “bulge” on the container Term Tropopause Definition the zone in which the temperature of the troposphere stops decreasing Term Stratopause Definition marks the upper boundary of the stratosphere Term Mesopause Definition coldest temperature in the atmosphere; is the upper boundary of the mesosphere Term Ionosphere Definition lower region of the thermosphere Term Auroras Definition caused by solar radiation that is absorbed by atmospheric gases which cause the atoms of gas molecules to lose electrons and to produce ions and free electrons Term Exosphere Definition zone of indefinite altitude that blends into the almost complete vacuum of space Term Air pollutant Definition " any substance in the atmosphere that is harmful to people, animals, plants, or property" Term Temperature inversion Definition the layer of warm air on top of cool air Term Smog Definition a general term for air pollution that indicates a combination of smoke and fog Term Radiation Definition includes all forms of energy that travel through space as waves Term Electromagnetic waves Definition waves that make up all forms of radiation Term Doldrums Definition warm zone in which most air movement is upward and surface winds are weak and variable Term Horse latitudes Definition subtropical high-pressure zones Term Northeast trade winds Definition " in the northern hemisphere, the trade winds that flow from northeast" Term Southeast trade winds Definition " in the southern hemisphere, the trade winds that flow from southeast" Term Trade winds Definition wind belts Term Subtropical jet streams Definition " forms in the subtropical regions, where very warm equatorial air meets the cooler air of the middle latitudes" Term Breezes Definition gentle winds that extend over distances of less than 100 km Term Sea breeze Definition a cool wind moving from land to water Term Land breeze Definition a land breeze flows from the cool land toward the warmer water Term Valley breeze Definition forms when warm air from the valleys moves upslope Term Mountain breeze Definition created when cool air descends from the mountain peaks Term Latent heat Definition the heat energy that is absorbed or released by a substance during a phase change Term Sublimation Definition the process in which a solid changes directly into a gas (the term is sometimes also used for the reverse process) Term Humidity Definition water vapor in the atmosphere Term Dew point Definition " at constant pressure and water vapor content, the temperature at which the rate of condensation equals the rate of evaporation" Term Absolute humidity Definition " the mass of water vapor per unit volume of air that contains the water vapor, usually expressed as grams of water vapor per cubic meter of air" Term Mixing ratio Definition the mass of water vapor in unit of air relative to the mass of the dry air Term Relative humidity Definition the ratio of the amount of water vapor in the air to the amount of water vapor needed to reach saturation at a given temperature Term Psychrometer Definition instrument that is used to measure relative humidity Term Dew cell Definition consists of a ceramic cylinder with electrodes attached to it and treated with lithium chloride Term Hair hygrometer Definition determines relative humidity based on the principle that hair becomes longer as relative humidity increases Term Clouds Definition " a collection of small water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air, which forms when the air is cooled and condensation occurs" Term Condensation nucleus Definition a solid particle in the atmosphere that provides the surface on which water vapor condenses Term Adiabatic cooling Definition the process by which the temperature decreases as the air mass rises and expands Term Adiabatic lapse rate Definition the rate at which the temperature of a parcel of air changes as the air rises or sinks Term Condensation level Definition the altitude at which the net condensation begins Term Advective cooling Definition the process by which the temperature of an air mass decreases as the air mass moves over a cold surface Term Stratus clouds Definition " clouds that have a flat, uniform base and that begin to from at very low altitudes" Term Stratus Definition means “sheet-like” or “layered” Term Nimbostratus Definition dark clouds that can cause heavy precipitation Term Altostratus Definition form at middle altitudes and are generally thinner than the low stratus clouds and usually produce very little precipitation Term Cumulus cloud Definition " a low-level, billowy cloud that commonly has a top that resembles cotton balls and a dark bottom" Term Cumulus Definition means “piled” or “heaped” Term Cumulonimbus clouds Definition " thunderheads; often accompanied by rain, lighting and thunder" Term Altocumulus clouds Definition base begins at middle altitudes Term Stratocumulus clouds Definition low clouds that are a combination of stratus and cumulous clouds Term Cirrus cloud Definition a feathery cloud that is composed of ice crystals and that has the highest altitude of any cloud Term Cirrocumulus clouds Definition " rare, high-altitude, billowy clouds composed entirely of ice crystals" Term Cirrostratus clouds Definition " form high, transparent veil across the sky" Term Fog Definition water vapor that has condensed very near the surface of Earth because air close to the ground has cooled Term Radiation fog Definition results from the loss of heat by radiation Term Advection fog Definition " forms when warm, moist air moves across a cold surface" Term Upslope fog Definition forms by the lifting and cooling of air as air rises along land slopes Term Steam fog Definition shallow layer of fog that forms when cool air moves over an inland warm body of water Term Precipitation Definition " any form of water that falls to Earth's surface from the clouds; includes rain, snow, sleet, hail" Term Drizzle Definition rain in which raindrops that are smaller than 0.5 mm in diameter Term Sleet Definition the result of rain falling through a layer of freezing air near the ground Term Glaze ice Definition a thick layer of ice Term Ice storm Definition the condition in which glaze ice is produced Term Hail Definition solid precipitation in the form of lumps of ice Term Coalescence Definition the formation of a large droplet by the combination of smaller droplets Term Supercooling Definition " a condition in which a substance is cooled below its freezing point, condensation point, or sublimation point without going through a change of state" Term Freezing nuclei Definition solid particles that are suspended in the air and that have structures similar to the crystal structure of ice Term Rain gauge Definition used to measure rainfall Term Cloud seeding Definition the process of introducing freezing nuclei or condensation nuclei into a cloud in order to cause rain to fall Term Air mass Definition a large body of air throughout which temperature and moisture content are similar Term Maritime air masses (m) Definition air masses that form over the ocean or large bodies of water; higher humidity and moist Term Maritime polar (mP) Definition air masses that are moist and cold Term Maritime tropical (mT) Definition air masses that are moist and warm Term Continental air masses (c) Definition air masses that form over large landmasses; low humidity and dry Term Continental polar (cP) Definition air masses that are dry and cold Term Continental tropical (cT) Definition air masses that are dry and warm Term Cold front Definition the front edge of a moving mass of cold air that pushes beneath warmer air mass like a wedge Term Front Definition a boundary between air masses Term Squall line Definition a long line of heavy thunderstorms Term Warm front Definition the front edge of advancing warm air mass that replaces colder air with warmer air Term Stationary front Definition a front of air masses that moves either very slowly or not at all Term Occluded front Definition a front that forms when a cold air mass overtakes a warm air mass and lifts the warm air mass of the ground and over another air mass Term Midlatitude cyclone Definition an area of low pressure that is characterized by rotating wind that moves toward the rising air of the central low-pressure region Term Polar front Definition boundary where cold polar air meets the topical air mass of the middle latitudes Term Wave Definition a bend that forms in a cold front or stationary front Term Wave cyclones Definition beginnings of low-pressure storm centers Term Anticyclone Definition sinks and flows outward from a center of high pressure Term Thunderstorm Definition " a usually brief, heavy storm that consists of rain, strong winds, lighting, and thunder" Term Lighting Definition electricity discharged from clouds during a thunderstorm Term Thunder Definition the loud noise produced during the releasing of energy from clouds (lighting) Term Hurricane Definition a severe storm that develops over tropical oceans and whose strong winds of more than 120 km/h spiral in toward the intensely low-pressure storm center Term Thermometer Definition an instrument that measures and indicates temperature Term Barometer Definition an instrument that measures atmospheric pressure Term Anemometer Definition an instrument that is used to measure wind speed Term Wind Vane Definition an instrument used to determine direction of the wind Term Radiosonde Definition " a packaged of instruments that’s I carried aloft by balloons to measure upper atmospheric conditions including temperature, dew point, and wind velocity" Term Radar Definition " Radio Detection And Raging, a system that uses reflected radio waves to determine the velocity and location of objects" Term Station model Definition a pattern of metrological symbols that represents the weather at a particular observing station and that is recorded on a weather map Term Isotherms Definition lines that connect points of equal temperature Term Isobars Definition lines that connect points of equal atmospheric pressure Term Nowcasts Definition mainly use radar and enable forecasters to focus on timing precipitation and tracking severe weather Term Daily forecasts Definition predict weather conditions for a 48-hour period Term Watch Definition issued when conditions are ideal for severe weather Term Warning Definition given when sever weather has been spotted or is expected within 24 hours Term Climate Definition the average weather conditions in an area over a long period of time Term Yearly temperature range Definition the difference between the highest and lowest monthly averages Term Subtropical highs Definition the regions between about 20? and 30? latitude in both hemispheres Term Specific heat Definition the quantity of heat required to raise a unit mass of a specified way given constant pressure and volume Term El Nino Definition the warm-water phase of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation; a periodic occurrence in the eastern Pacific Ocean in which the surface-water temperature becomes unusually warm Term Monsoon Definition " a seasonal wind that blows toward the land in the summer, bring heavy rains, and that blows away from the land in the winter, bring dry weather" Term Tropical Climates Definition a climate characterized by high temperatures and heavy precipitation during at least part of the year; typical of equatorial regions Term Tropical rain-forest climates Definition humid and warm and support a diverse variety of life Term Tropical desert climates Definition receive less than 25 cm of precipitation every year and have little or no vegetation Term Savanna climates Definition support pen grasslands that have drought-resist trees and shrubs; have very wet summers and very dry winters Term Middle-latitude climate Definition a climate that has an average maximum temperature of 8?C in the coldest month and an average minimum temperature of 10?C in the warmest month Term Polar climate Definition a climate that is characterized by average temperatures that are near or below freezing; typical of polar regions Term Microclimate Definition the climate of a small area Term Highland climate Definition characterized by large variation in temperatures Term Climatologist Definition a scientist who gathers data to study and compare past and present climates and to predict future climate change Term Global warming Definition a gradual increase in the average global temperature that is due to a higher concentrations of gasses such as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere Term Types of Air Masses [Remember Table] Definition {image:http://www.themarshallbros.com/school/science/images/airmassestable.bmp|center}