Term
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Definition
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| Since opposite charges attract, causes water molecules to align, joined by ________________ |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
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Term
| Unique Properties of Water |
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Definition
High boiling point
Low freezing point
Moist air has high latent heat, high energy potential
Water has high specific heat (good coolant)
Ice floats because it is less dense than liquid water
Water is a good solvent (because of electrical charge) |
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Term
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Definition
| generic term referring to the amount of water vapor present in the air |
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Term
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Definition
| air pressure exerted by Water Vapor molecules |
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Term
| Pressure exerted by any gas is directly _____________ to the volume it occupies |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
air holds all the water vapor that is possibly can.
Occurs when evaporation rate = condensation rate |
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Term
| Saturation capacity of the atmosphere depends on the _________________ |
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Definition
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Term
| Higher the temperature, the higher the ________ |
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Definition
| saturation vapor pressure |
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Term
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Definition
| the amount of water vapor in the air relative to its capacity |
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Term
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Definition
| (actual vapor pressure / saturation vapor pressure) * 100 |
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Term
| Relative Humidity is affected by: |
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Definition
Water vapor content of the air (actual v.p.)
Temperature (saturation v.p.) |
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Term
| Two ways to saturate the air |
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Definition
Addition of water vapor
Cool down the air |
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Term
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Definition
| temperature to which the air must be cooled for it to be saturated. It is a measure of how much water vapor is in the air |
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Term
| Higher dew point temperature = |
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Definition
| higher actual vapor pressure |
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Term
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Definition
Air temperature > dew point
Dew point depression is the difference. Air temperature is warmer! |
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Term
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Definition
| Air temperature = dew point. Dew point depression is 0. Air temperature is cooler |
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Term
| Temperature of the air can be changed by 2 processes: |
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Definition
Diabatic Processes
Adiabatic Processes |
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Term
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Definition
| heat energy is added (removed) causing sensible heating (cooling) |
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Term
| First Law of Thermodynamics |
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Definition
ΔQ = ΔT + ΔW
This explains why heated air rises, because density is decreased with heating |
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Term
| If heat is added (ΔQ +) to an air parcel, it can: |
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Definition
• Increase temperature (ΔT +)
• Increase work (expand in size) * ΔW +)
• This is diabatic process! |
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Term
| If heat is removed (ΔQ -) from an air parcel, it can: |
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Definition
• Decrease temperature (ΔT -)
• Decrease work (shrink in size) (ΔW -)
• This is also a diabatic process! |
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Term
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Definition
| a change in the temperature of air parcels that is ONLY the result of pressure changes (expansion and compression) |
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Term
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Definition
No change in heat content, unlike diabatic process.
Clouds formed by: uplift --> cooling --> saturation --> condensation.
It is simply adjusting its density to the surrounding air to compensate for change in size. |
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Term
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Definition
• Rising air → always expands (change W is positive) → always cools adiabatically (change T is negative)
• Sinking air → always shrinks (change W is negative) → warms adiabatically (change T is positive) |
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Term
| Basic Rules pertaining to adiabatic processes |
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Definition
• Rising air → lower density → therefore air particles expands in size
• Sinking air → greater density → always going to be compressed |
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Term
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Definition
• Unsaturated air (can hold more water vapor)
• Relative Humidity < 100%
• Air can hold more water vapor
• Dew point temperature < air temperature
• 1 degree C / 100 m (10 degree C / 1000 m)
• Tells us how much the temperature will change every 100 meters
• Cools 1 C / 100 m – rising air
• Warms 1 C / 100 m – sinking air
• Dry adiabatic rate (DAR) = 1 C / 100 m |
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Term
| Moist Adiabatic Rate (MAR) |
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Definition
• Saturated air (moist air)
• Relative Humidity = 100 %
o Because air is saturated, actual vapor pressure and saturation pressure are identical
• Dew point temperature = air temperature
• MAR = 0.4-~1.0 C / 100 m (4 -~10 C / 1000 m) |
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Term
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Definition
| slower rate of cooling than for dry air. Cools, but doesn’t cool as quickly because of release of latent heat of condensation |
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Term
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Definition
o Rainy – windward side of mountains
o Dry – leeward side of mountains |
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Term
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Definition
| tendency of air parcels to rise or sink. |
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Term
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Definition
less dense than surrounding air --> RISE.
Unstable - forms a lot of clouds and a possibility of rain |
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Term
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Definition
more dense than surrounding air --> SINK
Stable - clear skies and dry conditions |
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Term
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Definition
DAR and MAR
Predicted rates of change with uplift/sinking |
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Term
| Surrounding air: Environmental lapse rate (ELR) |
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Definition
| Measured temperature profile at different vertical levels |
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Term
| Three Options for conditions in the atmosphere |
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Definition
o Unstable (DAR = 10 C /1000m)
• Changes real quickly with height
o Stable (MAR 6 C/1000m)
• Changes very slowly with height
o It could be between the two adiabatic rates |
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Term
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Definition
| Air parcel is warmer and less dense than surrounding atmosphere. It keeps RISING |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
Clear skies, stagnant air conditions
Air parcel is cooler and denser than surrounding atmosphere.
In sinks back down to where it came from |
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Term
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Definition
Little vertical motion
Clear Skies |
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Term
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Definition
o Parcel resists upward movement
• Unstaurated air parcel begins lifting (DAR)
o If air is unsaturated, atmosphere is stable
o Saturated air
• Parcel is unstable if saturated
• Saturated air parcel begins lifting (MAR)
o If air is saturated, atmosphere is unstable
• It has more energy (latent heat)
o Humid air is easily saturated with lifting. Thunderstorms are common. |
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Term
| Atmospheric Stability is increased by: |
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Definition
o Cooling the surface air (radiational cooling of ground)
o Warming the air aloft (subsiding air aloft)
o Either occurrence will reduce the environmental lapse rate
o Often produces a temperature inversion! |
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Term
| Atmospheric Stability is decreased by: |
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Definition
o Warming the surface air (thermal convection)
o Cooling the air aloft (radiation from cloud tops)
o Either occurrence will steepen the environmental lapse rate |
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Term
| 4 kinds of Lifting Mechanisms |
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Definition
1. Thermal convection
2. Dynamic Convergence
3. Frontal Wedging
4. Orographic lifting |
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Term
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Definition
• The diabatic heating process (adding energy to air at Earth’s surface)
• Air becomes less dense and rises
• First Law of Thermodynamics:
• ΔQ = ΔT + ΔW
• If heat is added to an air parcel, it can:
o Increase temperature
o Expand in size (decrease density)
• Thermal convection is casued by sensible heating.
• Surface heating: warm air → expands → rises |
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Term
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Definition
• Process of air converging from two different sides
• Florida is a great example
• Sea breezes from the Gulf of Mexico on the West and Atlantic Ocean on the East
o It collides and rises vertically |
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Term
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Definition
• Very common
• Associated with differences in temperature
• Cold air is denser than warm air, so it sinks
• Warm air is less dense, so it rises over cold air |
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Term
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Definition
| boundary between air that is hot/warm vs. air that is cool/cold |
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Term
| Lifting Mechanisms in Georgia |
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Definition
Summer: Thermal Convection
Winter: Frontal Wedging |
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Term
| Most common lifting mechanism in Florida: |
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Definition
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Term
| Most common lifting mechanism in Appalachian Mountains: |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| visible collection of tiny water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air |
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Term
| Clouds are classified according to: |
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Definition
Their degree of vertical development
Height of base cloud
If they are producing precipitation or not |
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Term
| Degree of Vertical Development |
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Definition
| Indication of the degree of instability |
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Term
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Definition
| clouds that are vertically developed, greater instability |
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Term
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Definition
| indicate somewhat less stable atmosphere; horizontal development |
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Term
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Definition
o ------ low level clouds (base below 2000 m)
o alto- mid level clouds (base 2000-6000 m)
o cirro- high level clouds (base above 6000m)
o Indication of Relative Humidity at the earth’s surface |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| clouds are horizontally extensive, producing light to moderate rain |
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Term
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Definition
| clouds of great vertical development, producing heavy rain and thunderstorms. This is what we call a thunderstorm. Usually lasts an hour or so... |
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Term
| What is the net radiative effect of clouds? |
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Definition
| Some degree of global warming going on. If we increase temperature, we are going to increase cloud cover. The net result is that unfortunately for us, clouds look like they will ATTRACT heat rather than REFLECT sunlight |
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Term
| High clouds are colder and emit little _____ |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| brighter cloud and higher albedo |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
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Definition
| cloud at ground level, RH = 100% at ground level. Occurs when air is chilled to dew point temperature |
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Definition
| cooling on a clear, calm night |
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Term
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Definition
| warm, moist air moving over a cold surface. Common in Georgia in winter season |
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Term
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Definition
| clouds in the mountains. Formed by orographic lifting |
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Term
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Definition
| cold air moves over a warmer body of water |
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Term
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Definition
o Cloud droplets are very small
• Weak updrafts suspend
o Fall very slowly
• May take days
• Evaporate before reaching surface |
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Term
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Definition
o Cloud droplets are small
• Fall speeds 0.02 -0.5 mph
o Rain droplets are bigger
• Fall speeds ~15 mph
o Must get droplet to grow!
o Need condensation nuclei
• Average condensation nucleus size – 0.0002 mm |
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Term
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Definition
• A physical process of droplet growth around some kind of condensation nuclei. Once it gets big enough it starts to fall and coalesce with other water droplets.
• Happens in the tropics!
• Larger drops collect smaller drops and grow
• Must collide and coalesce to grow! |
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Term
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Definition
| Moist mid-latitude clouds have temperature BELOW freezing |
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Term
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Definition
o Cold Clouds (temp = -10 to -40 C)
o Made of
• Ice crystals
• Supercooled droplets
• Liquid water that is supercooled
• Or a combination…
o Need both ice and supercooled water
o Supercooled water droplets happen because the droplets are very small with hydrogen bonds holding them together. Although temperature is well below freezing, it is still liquid water because they don’t want to give up hydrogen bonds
o Supercooled water droplets: water below the melting point but still in liquid form
o Need freezing nuclei for water to freeze
o Air is slightly less than saturated but is super saturated with respect to ice |
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Term
| Forms of Precipitation: In the Tropics: |
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Definition
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Term
| Forms of precipitation: In the mid-latitudes |
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Definition
Bergeron Process.
Ice-crystal process important |
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Term
| The type of precipitation is determined by the temperature between the _________ |
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Definition
| cloud base and the surface |
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Term
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Definition
| Rain is falling because the snow flake fall towards the earth’s surface and melts and turns into rain drops |
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Term
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Definition
| In the case of snow, the vertical temperature profile is one where no matter where you are, the temperatures are remaining freezing |
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Term
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Definition
a. Small pellets of ice.
b. Occurs when you start with snow, turns into rain drop, hits temperature inversion at the ground layer, and freezes again.
c. Warm and cold air collide; frontal wedging! |
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Term
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Definition
| a. Forms very similar to sleet. There isn’t enough distance at the ground layer for the droplet to freeze again, but it does freeze once it hits the ground |
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Term
| Components of hydrologic system |
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Definition
o Surface freshwater (lakes, streams, and rivers)
o Soil water (held by capillary action, resists gravity)
o Ground water reserves (water table, wells)
o Water vapor and clouds in the atmosphere
o Water in plant/animal biomass
o Glacial ice (largest freshwater reserve)
o Ocean basins (~97% of water on earth) |
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Term
| Flows in the hydrologic system |
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Definition
Precipitation
Evaporation/ Transpiration
Runoff |
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Term
| Energy and the Hydrologic Cycle is powered by: |
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Definition
Solar radiation (evaporation/condensation cycle)
Gravity |
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Term
| Potential evapotranspiration (PE) |
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Definition
• Reflects the total demand for water
• Strongly influenced by temperature
• Deserts experience very high PE
• Polar regions exhibit very low PE |
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Term
| Actual Evapotranspiration (AE) |
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Definition
• Amount of water evapotranspired
• Depends on availability of water
• Deserts experience very high PE, but low AE (water deficit is common)
• Tropical rainforests experiences high PE and AE (water surplus is common)
• Polar regions exhibit very low PE and AE (water surplus is common) |
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Term
| Actual Evapotranspiration can NEVER exceed |
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Definition
| Potential evapotranspiration |
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Term
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Definition
| horizontal movement of air |
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Term
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Definition
| horizontal movement of air |
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Term
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Definition
| Average surface pressure = 1013 mb |
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Term
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Definition
| change in air pressure across horizontal distance |
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Term
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Definition
| lines of constant pressure |
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Term
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Definition
Pressure gradient force
The pressure gradient exists because of differential heating |
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Term
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Definition
| wind blows from sea to land during day |
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Term
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Definition
| wind blows from land to sea at night. Because of nighttime reversal of the thermal field. |
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Term
| Latitudinal differential heating |
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Definition
o Radiation imbalance → temperature differences → pressure differences → wind
o Stronger winds in the winter time than the summer time in North America |
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Term
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Definition
o Apparent deflection in the path of a moving object due to the earth’s rotation
o Happens because the earth is a rotating sphere
o Cannot initiate motion, only deflect the pathway
o Rotational velocity varies with latitude
o Northern Hemisphere:
• Deflects to the right
o Southern Hemisphere:
• Deflects to the left
o Equator:
• Coriolis is non-existent!
o Strength varies with latitude
• Maximum at poles, zero at 0 degrees
o Strength varies with wind velocity
• Higher wind speeds → more greater deflection |
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Term
| Pressure Gradients in the upper atmosphere |
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Definition
o In the upper atmosphere, we use heights instead of isobars to look at pressure gradients
o Constant pressure gradient force blowing the air from higher pressure in tropical latitudes to lower pressure in Polar Regions.
o In upper atmosphere, Pressure gradient = Coriolis force
o Geostrophic condition
o Winds blow parallel to isobars |
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Term
| Global Scale effects of differential heating |
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Definition
o Tropical atmosphere is heated and expanded
• Tropopause is higher above surface
• Air pressure in upper atmosphere is high
o Polar atmosphere is cooled and vertically compressed
• Tropopause is closer to surface
• Air pressure in upper atmosphere is low |
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Term
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Definition
| occur in UPPER atmosphere because pressure gradient is wanting to move air from tropic to polar region |
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Term
| Upper level winds are called _________ |
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Definition
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Term
| Surface winds are affected by: |
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Definition
PGF
Coriolis Effect
Friction --> slows wind down |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
| Surface winds – cyclonic circulation |
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Definition
o Cyclone means low pressure cell
o Uplift
o Unstable
o Cloudy, rainy, wet weather, stormy conditions
o Counterclockwise inward (N hemisphere)
o Clockwise inward (S hemisphere) |
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Term
| Surface winds - anticyclonic circulation |
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Definition
o Subsidence
o Stable
o Clear Skies
o Clockwise outward (N hemisphere)
o Counterclockwise outward (S hemisphere) |
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