Term
___________________ known by sailors as the doldrums, is the area encircling the earth near the equator where the northeast and southeast trade winds come together. |
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Definition
Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) |
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Term
_____________ is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversingwind accompanied by corresponding changes inprecipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea. Usually, the term _____________ is used to refer to the rainy phase of a seasonally-changing pattern, although technically there is also a dry phase. |
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Definition
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Term
| ___________ refers to a part of the large-scale ocean circulation that is driven by global density gradients created by surface heat and freshwater fluxes. |
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Definition
thermohaline circulation (THC) |
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Term
| ______ and ____ are two of the primary characteristics scientists use to identify water masses. Their principle value comes from being conservative properties, which means they are not influenced by biological activity. Both ______ and ____ only change by either interaction with the atmosphere or by mixing with other water masses. |
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Definition
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Term
| The _______ _______, also known as the _____ _______, is a conceptual model of the air flow in the tropics in the lower atmosphere (troposphere). |
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Definition
Walker circulation
AKA
walker cell |
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Term
__________ __________ is a deflection of moving objects when they are viewed in arotating reference frame. In a reference frame with clockwise rotation, the deflection is to the left of the motion of the object; in one with counter-clockwise rotation, the deflection is to the right. |
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Definition
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Term
| ______ in oceanography is any large system of rotating ocean currents, particularly those involved with large wind movements. ____ are caused by the Coriolis Effect; planetary vorticity along with horizontal and vertical friction, which determine the circulation patterns from the wind curl (torque). |
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Definition
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Term
Spring equinox is known as: |
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Definition
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Term
| Fall equinox is known as: |
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Definition
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Term
__________ ___________ occurs when the tilt of a planet's semi-axis, in either the northern or the southern hemisphere, is most inclined toward the star (sun) that it orbits.
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Definition
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Term
| _______ __________ is the time at which the sun appears at noon at its lowest altitude above the horizon. |
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Definition
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Term
Angular distance of Sun from equatorial plane. |
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Definition
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Term
Arctic Circle- ______ ______degrees north latitude. |
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Definition
Arctic Circle- North 66.5 degrees north latitude. |
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Term
Antarctic Circle- _____ _______ ______ latitude. |
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Definition
Antarctic Circle- 66.5 degrees south latitude. |
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Term
| Reflectivity of a surface |
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Definition
Albedo
average for earth is 30% |
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Term
Lowest layer of atmosphere. |
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Definition
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Term
Lowest to Highest
Troposphere
Stratosphere
Ozone
Upper Atmosphere |
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Definition
Lowest to Highest
- Troposphere
- Stratosphere
- Ozone
- Upper Atmosphere
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Term
Rising and sinking air
Warm & Moist air rises
.... What does this describe?
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Definition
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Term
| _____________ _________ is the force per unit area exerted on a surface by the weight of air above that surface in the atmosphere of Earth (or that of another planet). |
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Definition
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Term
______ == Amount of water vapor in the air. |
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Definition
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Term
Saturated air is air that filled with water vapor.... what's that describe? |
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Definition
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Term
Mass of water vapor in a unit of air compared to the remaining mass of dry air describes what? |
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Definition
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Term
Ration of the airs actual water vapor content compared with the amount of water vapor required for saturation at that temperature & pressure describes... |
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Definition
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Term
Air is compressed
Collisions of air molecules increase and air will warm
Air expands
Collision of air molecules decrease and air will cool
describes what? |
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Definition
Adiabatic Heating/Cooling
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Term
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Definition
Movements in the Air
Polar 60-90 Lat
Ferrel 30-60 Lat
Hadley 0-30 Lat
Doldrums, ITCZ0 0
Hadley 0-30 Lat
Ferrel 30-60 Lat
Polar 60-90 Lat
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Term
| _____ deflection in the northern hemp (caused by coriolis effect) |
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Definition
| Right deflection in the northern hemp (caused by coriolis effect) |
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Term
| _______ deflection in the northern hemp (caused by coriolis effect) |
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Definition
| Left deflection in the northern hemp (caused by coriolis effect) |
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Term
High Pressure Zones – _______ Air
Subtropical High – ____ degrees Lat
Polar Highs – ______ degrees Lat
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Definition
High Pressure Zones – Descending Air
Subtropical High – 30 degrees Lat
Polar Highs – 90 degrees Lat
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Term
Low Pressure Zones – _________ Air
Equatorial Low – __________
Subpolar Lows – ________ degrees Lat
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Definition
Low Pressure Zones – Rising Air
Equatorial Low – Equator
Subpolar Lows – 60 degrees Lat
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Term
Wind Belts
Trade Winds – From ______ degrees lat
NE Trades in N. Hemp
SE Trades in S. Hemp
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Definition
Wind Belts
Trade Winds – From 0-30 degrees lat
NE Trades in N. Hemp
SE Trades in S. Hemp
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Term
AREAS WITH NO WIND (FALLING AND RISING AIR/WIND) |
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Definition
Doldrums or ITCZ – At Equator
Horse Latitudes – 30 degrees
Polar Fronts – 60 degrees Lat
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Term
Wet, Stormy winter in S CA
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
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Term
Deep Ocean circulation drive by temperature and density differences in water |
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Definition
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Term
Identifies deep water masses based on temp, salinity, and resulting density |
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Definition
Temperature-Salinity Diagram (T-S Diagram) |
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Term
Evaporation causes the water to become saltier, and when it spills out into the sea, it sneaks and sinks below the less dense water above. |
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Definition
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Term
Starts off in the cold areas
- Cold dense water stays at the bottom and flows on the bottom
- Surface waters stay at the surface and flows around
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Definition
Conveyor Belt Circulation
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Term
Water masses formed in these ways keep their characteristics for a long time
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Definition
Antarctic Bottom Water – 1600 Years = 1 circuit.- Other Deep water – 200 to 300 years
- Time to complete a circuit of the North Atlantic Gyre = 1 year (surface current)
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Term
Time to complete a circuit of the North Atlantic Gyre |
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Definition
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Term
Boundary that separates air masses of different densities. |
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Definition
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Term
Warm air replaces cool air- Small Slope (1:200)
- Clouds become lower as front nears
- Slow rate of advance.
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Definition
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Term
Cold air replaces warm air- More Steep (1:100)
- Faster advance than warm front
- Associated weather is more violent than a warm front.
- Intense and shorter
- Cold air mass, subsiding air, clearing conditions after the front.
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Definition
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Term
- Heavy rainfall, lighting, occasional hail.
- Requirements
- LIFTED QUICKLY
- Warm & Moist Air
- High surface temps
- Common afternoon and early evening.
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Definition
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Term
- Require continuous supply of warm and moist air
- Precipitation
- Most active, Gusty winds, lightingm hail, lots of rain.
- Cooling effect of precipitation marks the end
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Definition
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Term
First signs of their approach are in the western sky- Requires 2 or 4 days to pass over a region
- Weather associated with fronts
- Warm front
- Clouds become low and thick
- Light precipitation
- After warm front, winds become more southerly and temp warms
- Cold Front
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- Wall of dark clouds
- Heavy rain
- Winds become more northerly, skies clear, and temp drops
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Definition
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Term
Usually develop in winter when temp differences across the polar front are especially large.
Northeasters: Extratropical Cyclones in atlantic ocean, most violent in North America.
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Definition
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Term
Generated by upper level air flow- Maintained by upper level air flow
- Typically found adjacent to one another.
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Definition
Cyclones and Anticyclones
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Term
Low pressure system- Surface convergence
- Outflow (Divergence) aloft sustains the low pressure
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Definition
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Term
High pressure system- Associated with cyclones
- Surface divergence
- Convergence Aloft
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Definition
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Term
Qualification
- Wind Speeds <74 MPH
- Rotary Cyclonic Circulation
- Forms between latitudes of 5 degrees and 20 degrees
- Typhoons in western pacific
- Cyclones in Indian Ocean
- North Pacific has the greatest # per year.
- Moving over water warner than 26 degrees C, warm and humid air begins to rise.
- This upward movement sucks in surface air, which is warmed by water as it moves toward the center.
- Vapor condensing to rainfall releases (latent heat) energy, which is replenished by the ocean warming new, incoming surface air.
Deflection of winds approaching a center of low P
- Air inside the cyclone gets rotated in the opposite of coriolis.
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Definition
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Term
Air inside the cyclone gets rotated in the opposite of __________. |
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Definition
Air inside the cyclone gets rotated in the opposite of coriolis. |
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Term
- Large dome of water sweeps across the coast where eye makes landfall.
- Wind damage
- Inland flooding from torrential rains.
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Definition
Category of Hurricane Damage
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Term
Why was Hurricane Sandy so odd? |
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Definition
Merged with an extra-tropical cyclone weather system arriving from the west.- Took a hard left and got sucked in by the low pressure system.
- Storm Surge was lower, BUT DIAMETER WAS LARGER 300<1000m
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Term
Hurricanes diminish in intensity whenever:
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Definition
Move onto cooler ocean water- Move onto land
- Large-scale flow aloft is unfavorable.
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