Details Title: test 1 Description: chapters 1-4 Total Flash Cards: 140 Created: 02/18/2009 18:50:47		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 Meteorology Flashcards
Cards in this set: Term what are the constituents of the dry atmosphere? Definition 1. nitrogen (78%) 2. oxygen (21%) 3. Argon (1%) 4. carbon dioxide (.037%) 5. methane (.00017%) 6. ozone (.000004%) 7. CFCs (.00000002%0  Term what percent of the earth's surface is water? Definition 70% Term where does the ozone occur Definition stratosphere Term which gas is most abundant in the stratosphere Definition nitrogen Term what level in the atmosphere is warm enough to cook you but cold enough to freeze you? Definition exosphere Term what is sublimation Definition when ice changes directly to water vapor Term convection Definition atmospheric motions that are predominatly vertical Term conduction Definition the transfer of heat by molecular activity from one substance to another, or through a substance.  always from warmer region to colder region.  Term advection Definition horizontal transfer of any atmospheric property by the wind Term when is the first day of winter for meteorolgy Definition December 21st Term what is not a heat transfer mechanism Definition evaporation Term what factors control the amount of energy absorbed at the earths surface Definition 1. length of day 2. day of year  Term what factor does not contribute to radiation inversion Definition surface pressure Term why should thermometers be read in the shade? Definition because we do not want shortwave radiation to hit the bulb Term what is weather Definition the condition of the atmosphere at a particular location and moment Term climate Definition the condition of the atmosphere over many years Term meteorology Definition the study of weather variables, the process that causes the weather Term climatology Definition the study of climate Term source Definition mechanism that supplies a gas to the atmosphere Term sink Definition mechanism that removes a gas from the atmosphere Term cycle Definition the routes by which a gas enters and leaves the atmosphere Term when is carbon dioxide the lowest and highest Definition lowest in the fall and highest in the spring because of the life cycles of plants in the northern hemisphere Term sources of water vapor Definition evaporation from oceans, lakes and glaciers transpiration (release of water vapor by plants)  Term sinks of water vapor Definition condensation (gas to liquid) precipitation  Term what are the sources of methane Definition decay of organic substances, burning of forests, coal mining, cattle Term what do cfc's destroy Definition the stratospheric ozone Term how long will cfcs stay in the atmosphere Definition about 100 years Term what are aerosols Definition tiny liquid and solid particles in the air ex. smokes, salt, ash, smog, dust  Term what are anthropogenic aerosols Definition particles generated by human activity Term what is pressure Definition force exerted on a given area.   P=Force/Area measured with a barometer  Term when does air pressure occur Definition when air molecules move and collide with objects Term what is density Definition the concentration of molecules, or mass per unit volume Term what is average sea level pressure Definition 29.92 inches of mercury or 1013.25 millibars Term what happens to atmospheric pressure when altitude increases Definition it always decreases Term what are the atmospheric layers from least altitude to greatest Definition 1. troposphere 2. stratosphere 3. mesophere 4. thermosphere 5. exosphere  Term what does temp do in the troposhpere Definition decreases with height Term what does the temp do in the stratosphere Definition increases with height Term what does the temp do in the mesosphere Definition decreases with height Term what does temp do in the thermosphere Definition increases with height Term where does almost all weather occur Definition in the troposphere Term how much of the atmospheres mass does the troposphere hold Definition 80% Term where does the ozone occur Definition stratosphere Term why does temp increase with height in the stratosphere Definition because the ozone layer absorbs ultraviolet light and warms up Term where is ionosphere(charged gas atoms) found Definition thermosphere Term front Definition a boundary between two regions of air that have different meteorological properties, such as temp and humidity Term cold front Definition a region where cold air is replacing warmer air Term warm front Definition a region where warm air is replacing colder air Term stationary front Definition a front that is not moving Term occluded front Definition a front where warm air is forced aloft Term isotherms Definition connect points of constant temp Term isobars Definition connect constant pressure Term isotachs Definition connect points of equal wind speed Term homosphere Definition lower, well mixed region Term heterosphere Definition region from the base of the thermosphere to the top of the atmosphere Term lapse rate Definition the rate at which an atmosphere variable (usually temp) decreases with height. Term how to find sea level from pressure given on a station model Definition ex. 138 written for pressure add a 9 and 10 to get 9138 and 10138 add decimal point between last 2 digits 913.8 and 1013.8 whichever one is closest to 1000 millibars, so 1013.8  Term meteorological time Definition convert to military central daylight: add 5 hours to get Z central standart time: add 6 hours to get Z Term watch Definition a particular weather hazard may develop in a particular area later on Term warning Definition a particular weather hazard is occuring in a particular area Term advisory Definition a less urgent statement issured to bring to the publics attention a situation that may impact them Term lead time Definition the amount of time between the issuance of the watch, warning or advisory and the time of occurance Term temperature Definition the average kinetic energy of a substance Term temperature scales Definition c=(5/9)(F-32) K=C+273  Term heat Definition the total kinetic energy of a substance Term specific heat Definition amount of heat required to increase the temperature of one gram of that substance one degree celsius Term latent heat Definition the heat that is either released or absorbed by a unit mass of a substance when it undergoes a change of state, such as during evaporation, condensation, or sublimation.   hidden heat.  not felt  Term sensible heat Definition the heat we can feel and measure with a thermometer Term wavelength Definition the distance between two wave crests Term amplitude Definition half the height from the peak of the wave crest to the lowest point of the wave trough Term shortwave radiation Definition emitted by the sun (UV, visible, near-IR) Term ultraviolet (UV) light Definition responsible for tanning our skin and can lead to skin cancer Term longwave radiation/terrestrial radiation Definition emitted by the earth (mostly IR) Term wien's law Definition λmax=constant/T   T=Temp Constant= 2897 μmK Term stefan-boltzmann law Definition E=σT4   E= maximum rate of radiation σ= 5.67x10-8w/m2 xK4(SI) T=Temp in Kelvin  Term Ideal gas law/Equation of State Definition P=ρRT   p=air pressure ρ=air density R= 287 J/kg•K(SI) Term albedo Definition percentage of light that is reflected off an object.  The higher the albedo the whiter the object.  The average albedo for earth is 30% Term aphelion Definition Earth is farthest from the sun (about July 3) Term perihelion Definition earth is closest to the sun (about January 3) Term what is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect Definition the selective nature of radiation absorption by atmospheric gases Term what kind of wave passes through the atmosphere Definition shortwave Term what kind of wave is absorbed by the atmosphere Definition longwave Term what are the greenhouse gases Definition water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, and CFCs Term what do seasonal variations on the earth result from Definition 1. different amount of solar energy received at a given location 2. different length of day 3. different response of the earth surface to incoming solar energy  Term what is an energy balance Definition the earth-atmosphere system averaged over a year Term diurnal Definition daily.  warmest in the afternoon and coolest near dawn Term what influences temperature Definition latitude, surface type, elevation and aspect, effects of large bodies of water, cloud cover Term what is the wavelength of AM radio waves Definition 100 meters Term what is the wavelength of television waves Definition 1 meter Term wavelenght of microwaves Definition 10-3 meters Term wavelength of infrared waves Definition 10-6 meters Term wavelength of visibl light Definition 5 x 10-7 meters .4-.7 μm Term wavelength of ultraviolet waves Definition 10-7 meters   shorter than .4 um  Term wavelength of x rays Definition 10-9 meters Term anomalies Definition departures from the normal value (30 yr average).  Caused by volcanic eruptions Term what causes diurnal temp changes Definition difference in insolation vs. ougoing energy losses Term why does air temperature increase Definition because insolation offsets outgoing emmision, when enegry loss exceeds gain then temp decreases Term stability   Definition the temp difference between the environment and an air parcel Term absolutely unstable Definition the environment as a lapse rate greater than dry adiabatic.  Parcel will always be warmer.  Only exist very near the ground (form mirages) Term absolutely stable Definition the environment has a lapse rate less than moist adiabatic.  Parcel will always be colder Term inversion Definition temperature increases with height.  extreme case of stable atmosphere Term which layers have in inversions Definition 1. stratosphere 2. thermosphere 3. troposphere whenever warm air is above cold air  Term radiation inversion Definition the increase of temperature with altitude which results from the fast cooling of the ground through IR radiation.  occurs of calm, clear nights Term wind chill Definition increased loss of heat by the movement of air.  Term when do the coldest temperatures occur Definition calm, clearn (starry) nights over land with little vegetation during the winter just before sunrise Term deposition Definition vapor to ice Term when does water evaporate Definition water is warm, pressure is low, wind speed is high, low atmospheric humidity Term humidity Definition the amount of water in the air Term absolute humidity Definition the mass of water vapopr in a unit volume of air Term specific humidity Definition the mass of the water vapor compared to the TOTAL MASS of the air parcel   q=SH=mass of water vapor/total mass of air  Term partial pressure Definition the pressure of each gaeous component on a mixture of gases Term Daltons Law of Partial pressure Definition the total pressure of a mixture of gases is the sum of the partial pressures of each gas component   Term saturation vapor pressure Definition partial pressure of water when the air is saturated.  Maximum water partial pressure before the water molecules condense out Term supersaturation Definition unstable condition, occurs in the absence of condensation nuclei Term the saturation vapor pressure depends on what? Definition the temperature.  it increases with temperature Term relative humidity Definition how close the air is to being saturated.    RH=water vapor content/ water vapor capacity RH=100% the air is saturated (clouds, fog, rain) RH<100% the air is not saturated RH>100% the air is supersaturated.  Clean air with no condensation nuclei (rare)  Term dew point Definition the temp to which the air has to be cooled with no change in the air pressure or water content for saturation to occur Term frost Definition when the temperature is below freezing, saturation of the air results in deposition rather than condensation Term frost point Definition when the dew point is below freezing Term clouds Definition composed of tiny cloud droplets and ice crystals Term nucleation Definition the initial formation of a cloud droplet around any type of particle Term condensation nuclei Definition tiny aerosols that assist in the formation in liquid droplets Term ice nuclei Definition particles that make the deposition process easier Term solute effect Definition dissolved aerosols suppress evaporation in a drop.  salt molecules attract water molecules better than other water molecules.  Term curvature effect Definition the smaller the drop, the larger the curvature.  Prevents small droplet from forming unless the RH is much greater than 100% Term haze Definition a layer of small nuclei.  if a droplet does not grow it leaves haze Term deposition nucleation Definition vapor deposits onto ice nucleus when air is supersaturated Term freezing nucleation Definition suercooled water droplet freezea at about -11 c Term immersion nucleation Definition ice nucleus is immersed in liquid, drop can freeze later Term contact nucleation Definition drop freezes immediatly upon contact with ice Term fog Definition a cloud at the ground Term radiation fog Definition on clear, calm nights the gound cools rapidly by radiation and as the air cools, the relative humidity increases Term advection fog Definition warm air is advected (blown horizontally) over a cold surface, as the air cools the RH increases Term evaporation fog Definition occur near warm fronts and are also called frontal fogs.  water evaporates from rain that falls from warmer air above the ground into cold air near the surface Term upslope fog Definition air that reaches a mountain is forced to rise, as air cools RH increases Term what mechanisms lift the air Definition orographic lifting (topography), frontal lifting, convection, convergence Term stratus Definition flat, layered, featurless Term cumulus Definition heaped up, convective Term alto Definition middle clouds Term cirro Definition high clouds Term Definition