Shared Flashcard Set

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Semester 2
N/A
75
Environmental Studies
12th Grade
06/01/2014

Additional Environmental Studies Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term

Weather

Amount of water vapor in atmosphere

Definition
0-4%
Term

Weather

Latent Heat

 

Definition

heat added or subracted to a substance without a change in temperature

  • absorbed or released during change in state
Term

Weather

Humidity

 

Definition
amount of water vapor in the air
Term

Weather

Saturation

 

Definition

air can only hold so much moisture at certain temperatures

  • can hold more water at higher temps
Term

Weather

Specific Humidity

 

Definition
mass of water vapor/mass
Term

Weather

Relative Humidity

Definition
ratio of the air's actual water content to it's potential water vapor capacity at a given temp
Term

Weather

Temp to saturation

Definition
Tempurature goes up, so does saturation
Term

Weather

2 things that can change relative humidity

Definition
Amount of H2O in the air or tempurature
Term

Weather

Dew Point

Definition
temp to which air would have to be cooled to reach saturation
Term

Weather

How to form a cloud

Definition
air must be saturated with H2O
Term

Weather

Adiabatic Cooling

Definition

as air pressure decreases, temp decreases

  • air pressure decreases with altitude
Term

Weather

4 Ways to lift air to higher altitude

Definition
  1. Orographic lifting-elevated terrain pushes air upward
  2. Frontal Wedging- warm air rises over cold air
  3. Convection- warm air rises
  4. Convergence- 2 air masses come togeter and rise
Term

Weather

Ingredients for a cloud

 

Definition
Water, change in pressure, dust smoke or salt
Term

Weather

Types of Clouds

Definition
  1. Stratus- sheets or layers, cover sky, no individuals
  2. Cirrus- high altitude, white thin whispy
  3. Cumulus- globular, rising, puffy, large or small
Term

Weather

Preciptiation

Definition
small particles eventually condense further and heavy enough to fall
Term

Weather

Wind

Definition
result of horozontal differences in air pressure
Term

Weather

Air pressure

Definition
mass of the air includes a pressure, measured in milibars
Term

Weather

3 affecting factors of winds

Definition
  1. Pressure gradient-bigger difference between high and low, stronger wind
  2. Coriolis effect-change in wind direction due to spin of earth (most storms counter clockwise)
  3. Friction-upper flow much faster than surface, wind travels faster over lakes
Term

Weather

Cyclones

Definition
surface wind flow counter clockwise into low pressure center
Term

Weather

Anticyclones

Definition
surface wind flows out of high pressure system
Term

Weather

Local Winds

Definition
winds created on small scale by mountains or large water bodies
Term

Weather

Doppler Radar predicts:

Definition
  1. reflectivity (density)
  2. velocity
  3. precipitation
Term

Weather

Lakes in summer and winter

Definition
absorb heat during summer which keeps areas cooler in summer and warmer in winter
Term

Weather

Lake Effect Snow

Definition
cold, dry air passes over warm, open lake and absorbs moisture.
Term

Weather

Warm front

Definition
warm air rises over cold air. stratus and cirrus clouds. moderate precipitaion. affects large area
Term

Weather

Cold Front

 

Definition
cold air runs into warm. forms cumulus clouds. heavy precipitation. small area
Term

Weather

Westerly Winter Storm

Definition
blasts of cold air from Canada and Dakotas. moves fast. 1-3 in of snow
Term

Weather

Mid Latitude Cyclone System

Definition
severe storm lasting days. 20 in of snow. low pressure forms in central US. air spins up. upper air supports low pressure
Term

Weather

Severity of storm depends on:

 

Definition
Upper air support, moisture content, temp difference
Term

Weather

Thunderstorms

Definition
warm humid air is lifted up by convection or a cold front
Term

Weather

Tornadoes

Definition
occur in spring in central US. northern wind and souther wind collide. late afternoon
Term

Weather

Hurricanes

Definition
biggest storm in world. energy derived from very late summer water. June-Oct.
Term

Weather

More energy to boil or melt?

Definition
Boil
Term

Climate

Sources of greenhouse gases

Definition
  1. CO2- burning fossil fuels
  2. CH4- cows and landfills, decomposition
  3. N20 and CFC- human generated pollution
  4. H2O- non human evaporation, human industry
Term

Climate

How does CO2 leave the atmosphere?

Definition
taken out by plants, algae, and ocean
Term

Climate

Evidence of Global Warming (Direct)

Definition
polar ice has thinned. winter is 2 weeks shorter in Alaska. shifted migratory habits. hottest years since 1980.
Term

Climate

Effect Global Climate

Definition
  1. distance from the sun, tilt, and spin not consistant
  2. ocean currents can radically effect climate
  3. salinity of ocean
  4. mass on earth is not equally distrubuted
  5. ice caps reflect energy into space
Term

Climate

Possible Effects of Global Warming

Definition
  1. Global temp increase (Ice age in +/-5 shift)
  2. increased precipitation in winter
  3. longer severe droughts
  4. Higher sea levels
  5. Biome shift
  6. increase diseases, malaria, typhoidect
  7. heat waves
Term

Climate

Possible Good Things

Definition
  1. CO2 is a plant growth hormone
  2. higher temp= higher crop production
  3. heat waves are deadly but so is cold
  4. sulfates are released, reflect sunlight which cools the earth
Term

Climate

Kyoto 1997

Definition
159 countries meet to discuss global warming. was agreed to cut CO2 emissions by 8%. never enforced
Term

Climate

Carbon Sinks

Definition
credit for having lots of forrests
Term

Climate

Cap and Trade

Definition
Limit CO2 emissions. Give each person credits they can use to pollute. allow credits to be bought and traded. credit given for investing in clean energy in developing nations
Term

Climate

El Nino

Definition
warm west wind that hits Peru around Christmas. 3-7 years. poor fishing. flooding
Term

Climate

US effects of El Niño

Definition
Very wet and cool in southern states, warmer in northern states
Term

Climate

wisconsin effect of El Niño

Definition
Warmer winter, possible more intense blizzards and more snow
Term

Climate

major effect of 1982-1983 El Nino

Definition
8 billion in damages with no warning. Massive monitoring system put in place
Term

Climate

La Nina

Definition
Return to normal pattern. Exaggerated normal conditions
Term

Evolution

evidence of evolution

Definition
All life runs on same genetic system. All life shares basic cell structrure.
Term

evolution

ontogeny vs phylogeny

Definition
Development of organism from contraception to birth vs organisms evolutionary history
Term

Evolutions 

two things needed to evolve

Definition
Way to evolve and a reason to evolve
Term

Evolution

Jean Baptiste Lamarack

Definition
Organisms changed based on use. Passed to next generation
Term

Evolution

aquired inheritance

Definition
Characteristics are acquired by parents and then passed to children
Term

Evolution

 charles lyell

Definition
Contribution-earth must be old
Term

evolution

parapatric

Definition
Not quite fully seperate. Horses and donkeys
Term

Evolution

sympatric

Definition
Share an area but separated by functions. Polar and grizzly bears, fireflies and birds
Term

Evolution

allopatric

Definition
Geographic separation. madagascar and australia
Term

Evolution

fitness

 

Definition
Relative reproductive success of a characteristic
Term

Evolution

2 theories on African migration

Definition
Left Africa and spread north or left at different times
Term

Water

functions of the water cycle

Definition
Transport and clean water
Term

Water

most of usable water

Definition
Underground
Term

Water

permiability

Definition
Water flows through different aquifers at different rates
Term

evolution

aquiclude

Definition
Impermeable to water. Clay or shale
Term

Evolution

aquitard

Definition
Semi permeable to water
Term

Water

unconfined aquifers

Definition
Open to recharge from above
Term

Water

confined aquifer

Definition
Aquifer underneath an aquiclude
Term

Water

recharge area

Definition
Are where water is allowed to infiltrate the water table
Term

Water

function of the water table

Definition
Clean and store water
Term

Water

absorbtion factors

Definition
Slope of surface, vegitation, surface material, rainfall intensity
Term

Water

effluent vs influent

Definition
water table flows into stream vs stream flows into water table
Term

Water

hardwater

Definition
Minerals dissolved into water
Term

Water

salt water intrusion 

Definition
Freach water is removed and salt water flows into aquifer
Term

Water

organic waste

Definition
Contamination from poorly managed septic tanks or land fills
Term

Water

coloform bacteria

Definition
Present in human digestive system.
Term

Geology

how old is earth

Definition
4.5 billion years
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