Term
| On the basis of temperature, list the layers of the atmosphere from the lowest layer to the highest. Which layer is the coldest? The warmest? Which layer contains all of our weather? |
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Definition
Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere
Coldest = top of the mesosphere
Warmest = top of thermosphere
Weather = troposphere |
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Term
| What is the average (standard) temperature lapse rate in the troposphere? |
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Definition
| 6.5 degrees Celsius per each 1000 meters |
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Term
| Explain the concept of air pressure in terms of mass of air above some level. |
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Definition
| The pressure at any level in the atmosphere may be measured in terms of the total mass of the air above any point. |
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Term
| Why does air pressure always decrease with increasing height above the surface? |
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Definition
| Near sea level, atmospheric pressure decreases rapidly as air density is greatest, whereas at high levels it decreases more slowly. |
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Term
| What causes the wind to blow? |
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Definition
| if there is a gradient in pressure in the horizontal. |
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Term
| Does a north wind blow from the north toward the south, or from the south toward the north? |
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Definition
| Wind direction is expressed in the direction from which the wind blows. So a north wind blows from the north to the south |
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Term
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Definition
The relative humidity is the ratio of the amount of water vapor actually in the air to the maximum amount of water vapor required for saturation at that particular temperature
(and pressure). |
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Term
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Definition
| The temperature to which air would have to be cooled for saturation to occur ; a measure of the amount of water vapor in the air |
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Term
| If the air temperature is close to the dew point, would the relative humidity be high or low? Explain. |
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Definition
| At the dew point air will be saturated. The closer temperature is to the dew point the closer it is to saturation - thus the relative humidity would be high |
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Term
| The most abundant greenhouse gas in the earth's atmosphere |
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Definition
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Term
| The most abundant gases in the earth's atmosphere by volume are |
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Definition
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Term
| The gas that absorbs most of the harmful ultraviolet radiation in the stratosphere |
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Definition
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Term
| What is the difference between weather and climate? |
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Definition
| The difference between weather and climate is a measure of time. Weather is what conditions of the atmosphere are over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere "behaves" over relatively long periods of time. |
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Term
| A temperature of 27°C would be equal to what temperature on the Kelvin scale? |
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Definition
K = C + 273
K = 27 + 273
K = 300 |
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Term
| A change of one degree on the Celsius scale is _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ a change of one degree on the Fahrenheit scale. |
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Definition
larger than
an increase in temperature of 1˚C equals an increase of 1.8˚F |
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Term
| This provides a measure of the average speed of air molecules |
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Definition
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Term
| A planet whose atmosphere is mainly nitrogen and oxygen |
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Definition
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Term
| In the stratosphere, the air temperature normally |
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Definition
| increases with increasing height |
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Term
| According to the Gas Law, what is the relationship between pressure density? |
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Definition
| Pressure is proportional to density times temperature |
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Term
| The order of the layers of the atmosphere from lowest to highest is |
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Definition
| Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere |
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Term
| If two air parcels at sea level have the same size but different temperatures, the colder parcel of air will have ______ pressure, but _______ density than the warm parcel |
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Definition
| the same pressure but higher density than the warm parcel |
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Term
| The earth's first atmosphere was composed primarily of |
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Definition
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Term
| The temperature of the tropopause |
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Definition
| is much colder than the temperature at the earth's surface |
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Term
| Warming in the stratosphere is mainly caused by |
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Definition
| absorption of ultraviolet radiation by ozone |
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Term
| The outpouring of gases from the earth's hot interior is called |
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Definition
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Term
| The primary source of oxygen for the earth's atmosphere during the past half billion years or so appears to be |
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Definition
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Term
| Much of Tibet lies at altitudes over 18,000 feet where the pressure is about 500 mb. At such altitudes, the Tibetans are above roughly _____ of the air molecules in the atmosphere |
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Definition
| 50% of the air molecules in the atmosphere |
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Term
| The ozone hole is found in this atmospheric layer |
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Definition
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Term
| In the atmosphere, how does advection differ from convection? |
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Definition
| Advection is horizontal transport, while convection is vertical transport |
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Term
| How does the temperature of an object influence the radiation it emits? |
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Definition
| According to the Stefan-Boltzmann Law the amount of radiation an object emits is proportional to its temperature (in Kelvin) raised to the fourth power. |
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Term
| How does the amount of radiation emitted by the earth differ from that emitted by the sun? |
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Definition
| The Sun's surface has a temperature of about 6000°K while the Earth is near 300°K. If we raise each to the fourth power and compare we will find that the Sun emits about 160,000 times more energy that the Earth |
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Term
| How do the wavelengths of most of the radiation emitted by the sun differ from those emitted by the surface of the earth? |
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Definition
| According to Wein's Law the wavelength of maxiumum emission is inversely proportional to the temperature (in Kelvin). The Sun, being about 6,000°K, emits its maximum energy at 0.5 µm while the Earth, being around 300°K, emits its maximum around 10 µm |
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Term
| What are the most abundant selectively absorbing greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere? |
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Definition
| The most abundant is water vapor, though it is variable. The second most abundant is carbon dioxide. |
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Term
| Explain how the earth and its atmosphere balance incoming energy with outgoing energy. |
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Definition
| Incoming solar radiation is absorbed, warming the ground. The warm ground emits longwave (infrared) radiation, much of which is absorbed inn the atmosphere, warming the atmosphere. The warm atmosphere radiates both out to space to balance the incoming solar radiation and back to the ground. |
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Term
| What are the main factors that determine seasonal temperature variations? |
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Definition
| Seasonal temperatures are regulated by the amount of solar energy received at the earth’s surface, which is determined primarily by two things: the angle at which the sunlight strikes the earth's surface, and how long the sun shines on any latitude (daylight hours) |
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Term
| In the Northern Hemisphere, why are summers warmer than winters even though the earth is actually closer to the sun in January? |
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Definition
| Because the difference in orbit is relatively minor compared to the greater variation over the year in solar elevation angle. |
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Term
| If it is winter and January in New York City, what is the season and month in Sydney, Australia? |
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Definition
| It's still January, but it's summertime. |
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Term
| In the middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, explain why even though the earth’s surface receives maximum sunlight on June 21 (summer solstice) the warmest time of year typically occurs in July. |
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Definition
| At the time of the summer solstice the amount of solar energy available is greater than the loss of longwave radiation. Only after the ground heats more and hence increases longwave radiation and the solar radiation is diminished by a diminishing elevation angle in late July is the incoming equal to outgoing and temperatures stop rising. |
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Term
| A heat transfer process in the atmosphere that depends upon the movement of air is: |
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Definition
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Term
| What helps to explain why even though northern latitudes experience 24 hours of sunlight on June 22, they are not warmer than latitudes further south? |
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Definition
| solar energy is spread over a larger area in northern latitudes, some of the sun's energy is reflected by snow and ice in the northern latitudes, increased cloud cover reflects solar energy in the northern latitudes, and solar energy is used to melt frozen soil in the northern latitudes |
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Term
| This is released as sensible heat during the formation of clouds |
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Definition
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Term
| Where are the days and nights of equal length all year long? |
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Definition
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Term
| The earth's radiation is often referred to as ____ radiation, while the sun's radiation is often referred to as ____ radiation. |
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Definition
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Term
| Which latitude would experience the fewest hours of daylight on Dec. 22? 60S, 20S, 0, 20N, 60N |
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Definition
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Term
| The combined albedo of the earth and the atmosphere is approximately: |
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Definition
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Term
Which of the following is an incorrect association?
albedo - percent of radiation reflected from a surface
kinetic energy - energy of motion
black body - selective absorber
long-wave radiation - earth radiation |
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Definition
| black body - selective absorber |
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Term
Which of the following has the highest albedo?
snow, sand, water, grass |
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Definition
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Term
| The albedo of the earth's surface is only about 4%, yet the combined albedo of the earth and the atmosphere is about 30%. Which set of conditions below best explains why this is so? |
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Definition
| high albedo of clouds, low albedo of water |
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Term
| The horizontal transport of any atmospheric property by the wind is called: |
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Definition
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Term
| Clouds ____ infrared radiation and ____ visible radiation. |
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Definition
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Term
| On the average, about what percentage of the solar energy that strikes the outer atmosphere eventually reaches the earth's surface? |
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Definition
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Term
| Most of the radiation emitted by a human body is in the form of |
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Definition
| infrared radiation and is invisible |
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Term
| The sun emits a maximum amount of radiation at wavelengths near ____, while the earth emits maximum radiation near wavelengths of ____. |
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Definition
| 0.5 micrometers, 10 micrometers |
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Term
| One micrometer is a unit of length equal to: |
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Definition
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Term
| The proper order from shortest to longest wavelength is |
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Definition
| ultraviolet, visible, infrared |
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Term
| If the absolute temperature of an object doubles, the maximum energy emitted goes up by a factor of |
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Definition
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Term
| The latitude at which there is a yearly balance between incoming and outgoing radiation is about |
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Definition
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Term
| If the earth's average surface temperature were to increase, the amount of radiation emitted from the earth's surface would ____ and the wavelength of peak emission would shift toward ____ wavelengths. |
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Definition
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Term
| The sun emits its greatest intensity of radiation in: |
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Definition
| the visible portion of the spectrum |
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Term
| Which greenhouse gas absorbs both in the infrared and ultraviolet region? |
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Definition
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Term
| The sun is directly overhead at Mexico City (latitude 19°N): |
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Definition
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Term
| On a calm, sunny day, why is the air next to the ground normally much warmer than the air just above? |
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Definition
| Under calm conditions there is less mixing so the heating that happens at the surface is transferred to the atmophere via conduction, which is an inefficient process compared to physical mixing by wind |
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Term
| Explain why the warmest time of the day is usually in the afternoon, even though the sun’s rays are most direct at noon. |
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Definition
| At noon the energy being received from the Sun is still greater than what the ground is emitting as longwave radiation. Hence there is an energy surplus and temperatures will rise until later in the day when incoming and outgoing radiation are equal. |
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Term
| Explain how radiational cooling at night produces a radiation temperature inversion. |
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Definition
| The ground will cool fastest due to longwave radiation. Conduction is an inefficient process so the cold is first transmitted to the air nearest the surface and which cools the layer above it. Hence the coldest air will be that in contact with the ground. |
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Term
| Explain why the daily range of temperature is normally greater in dry regions than in humid regions and on clear days than on cloudy days. |
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Definition
Humidity, haze, and clouds prevent sun’s energy from reaching surface; thus, lower daytime temperatures; and at night, moist air absorbs infrared radiation, emits it back to surface, thereby keeping nighttime temps higher. so there is little fluctuation in the temperature, therefore a lower daily temp range
clouds will lower daytime temps by reflecting incoming solar radiation, while they will also keep nighttime temps higher by absorbing earth's outgoing infrared radiation, then emitting it back to the surface - thereby retarding the cooling process |
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Term
| Why is the hottest region of the world in the subtropical deserts of the Northern Hemisphere and not at the equator? |
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Definition
| At the equator the air tends to be more humid so more energy goes into evaporation. Also, at the equator there tend to be more clouds that will reflect sunlight from the surface. |
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Term
| What does relative humidity represent? |
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Definition
| The ratio of the amount of moisture in the air to the amount the air COULD hold at that temperature. |
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Term
| When the relative humidity is given, why is it also important to know the air temperature? |
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Definition
| To know how much moisture is available for precipitation we need to know the temperature to know how much the air could hold. |
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Term
| Explain two ways the relative humidity may be changed. |
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Definition
| change air temperature (which in turn changes water vapor capacity) OR change the amount of water vapor in the air |
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Term
| When outside air is brought indoors on an extremely cold winter day, the relative humidity of the heated air inside oft en drops below 10 percent. Explain why this situation occurs. |
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Definition
| At low temperatures the air can hold little moisture. When that air enters the house in the winter it is warmed to the house temperature but no extra moisture is added so the relative humidity will be much lower than outside. |
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Term
| In summer, humid regions typically have ____ daily temperature ranges and ____ maximum temperatures than drier regions. |
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Definition
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Term
| An important reason for the large daily temperature range over deserts is |
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Definition
| there is little water vapor in the air to absorb and re-radiate infrared radiation |
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Term
| If the temperature is 25°C and the relative humidity is 50% approximately what is the actual vapor pressure? |
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Definition
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Term
| Over the earth as a whole, one would expect to observe the smallest variation in temperature from day to day and from month to month at ____ |
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Definition
| on a small island near the equator |
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Term
| If the temperature is 20°C and the actual vapor pressure, e, is 10 mb what is the relative humidity? |
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Definition
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Term
| If the temperature is 35°C what is the saturation vapor pressure? |
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Definition
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Term
| The lowest temperature that can be attained by evaporating water into the air is known as the |
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Definition
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Term
| At 40°F, the atmosphere is saturated with water vapor. If the air temperature increases to 60°F, with no addition or removal of water vapor, one may conclude that the dew point is about: |
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Definition
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Term
| As the air temperature increases, with no addition of water vapor to the air, the dew point will: |
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Definition
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Term
| The temperature to which air must be cooled in order to become saturated is the |
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Definition
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Term
| Suppose saturated polar air has an air temperature and dew point of -10°C, and unsaturated desert air has an air temperature of 35°C and a dew point of 10°C. The desert air contains ____ water vapor and has a ____ relative humidity than the polar air |
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Definition
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Term
| If the air temperature increased, with no addition or removal of water vapor, the actual vapor pressure would |
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Definition
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Term
| What are the reasons why water warms and cools much more slowly than land? |
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Definition
solar energy penetrates more deeply into water
heat energy is mixed in a deeper layer of water
water has a higher heat capacity`
a portion of the solar energy that strikes water is used to evaporate it |
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Term
| If very cold air is brought indoors and warmed with no change in its moisture content, the saturation vapor pressure of this air will ____ and the relative humidity of this air will ____. |
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Definition
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Term
| The percentage of water vapor present in the air compared to that required for saturation is the: |
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Definition
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Term
| At what time of day is the relative humidity normally at a minimum? |
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Definition
| when the air temperature is highest |
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Term
| If the air temperature remains constant, evaporating water into the air will ____ the dew point and ____ the relative humidity. |
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Definition
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Term
| If the air temperature in a room is 70°F, the saturation vapor pressure is 25 mb, the dew point temperature is 45°F, and the actual vapor pressure is 10 mb, then the relative humidity must be near ____ percent. |
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Definition
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