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EOS115 midterm 1
Midterm 1--EOS115
28
Environmental Studies
Undergraduate 1
09/27/2010

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Cards

Term
Storms--2 Types
Definition
-->Mid-Latitude systems (winter, 'low pressure systems')
-->Tropical Systems (tropical storm, hurricane)
Term
Tropical Storms
Definition
Start as collection of T-Storms, grow from positive feedback
Term
How do thunderstorms form?
Definition
Warm, moist air parcel rises and grows thru positive feedback. (see notes for specifics)
Term
vortex formation
Definition
centrifigul "force" pushes air out, low pressure gradient is pushing in, eventually equilibrium forms and the vortex is formed (eg. whirlpool, tornado, hurrican eye)
Term
Cyclonic Circulation (why c.c. in northern hemisphere?)
Definition
Coriolis effect--playing catch on a merry go round example
Term
Storm Surge (2 causes)
Definition
Low Pressure (sucked up under low pressure of storm), Wind Drag (water blown ashore)
Term
Storm surge from wind drag--circulation cause
Definition
wind drag only affects the surface, pressure gradient forms with depth and forces water out to sea in the deeper sections
Term
Storm Surge Effects
Definition
waves reaching much further--destruction thru erosion
Term
Land and Sea Breezes (cause)
Definition
Heat capacity of earth vs. water, warmer air rises en masse and causes pressure gradient on the surface
Term
Ocean Waves (causes)
Definition
Landslides, earthquakes, moon/sun (tide), WIND
Term
Wind Wave Formation
Definition
Starts as ripple, grows as it goes through combining with others
Term
Waves (how they work)
Definition
Variations in horiz. velocity lead to stretching and squeezing which causes height changes (see notes...)
Term
Water parcel path within wave
Definition
orbital/circular
Term
Wave effects with depth
Definition
pressure gradient, velocity, and acceleration reduced with depth
Term
Propagation velocity (definition)
Definition
velocity of "hill" through water
Term
Propagation velocity with relation to wavelength
Definition
longer wavelength=faster propagation
Term
Linear Theory (waves)
Definition
Sinsusoidal shape, circular (and closed) orbits, perfect 'superposition'
Term
Actual Waves (rather than linear theory)
Definition
Complex shapes; not closed orbits of parcels (wave drift...increases with wave height)
Term
Superposition
Definition
Sum of many different waves can create any shape. Ocean waves combine to create irregular wave surface. Often leads to surfers 'sets'.
Term
Waves entering shallow water...
Definition
Wavelength decreases, height increases, speed decreases.
Term
Waves Breaking (2 types)
Definition
Spilling (front wave edge is 'too steep', water falls down) and Plunging (wave crest is 'too fast' and falls off the front, creating pipes)
Term
Wave Refraction
Definition
Waves coming near shore at some angle are bent (or 'refracted') toward the shore.
Term
Shoaling/refraction vs. wavelength
Definition
Larger effects on longer period waves (larger swing from fast to slow, all waves same speed at low depth)
Term
Wave-Driven Currents
Definition
Water parcels pushed along in front of wave ('surf' the wave), pile water onshore much like storm surge
Term
Storm Erosion
Definition
Storm surge circulation goes out at depth, where more sediment is concentrated. This caries out sediment to the edge of the surf zone (sand bar formation, positive feedback)
Term
Post-Storm recovery
Definition
Waves alone (with no currents) tend to sweep sand onshore. The water moves fastest at the crests (onshore direction) and sand motion is sensitive to velocity (higher velocity has proportionally higher effects).
Term
Storm Erosion Cycle
Definition
During surge, sand is carried out due to pressure gradient. After storm, waves alone are acting on the sand and the beach is rebuilt (finds equilibrium with gravity).....(see notes)
Term
Rip Currents
Definition
One area along beach loses wave power, water rushes out. This often forms rip channel in the sand, perpetuating the effects
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