Term
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Definition
-->Mid-Latitude systems (winter, 'low pressure systems') -->Tropical Systems (tropical storm, hurricane) |
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Term
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Definition
Start as collection of T-Storms, grow from positive feedback |
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Term
How do thunderstorms form? |
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Definition
Warm, moist air parcel rises and grows thru positive feedback. (see notes for specifics) |
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Term
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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) |
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Term
Cyclonic Circulation (why c.c. in northern hemisphere?) |
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Definition
Coriolis effect--playing catch on a merry go round example |
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Term
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Definition
Low Pressure (sucked up under low pressure of storm), Wind Drag (water blown ashore) |
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Term
Storm surge from wind drag--circulation cause |
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Definition
wind drag only affects the surface, pressure gradient forms with depth and forces water out to sea in the deeper sections |
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Term
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Definition
waves reaching much further--destruction thru erosion |
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Term
Land and Sea Breezes (cause) |
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Definition
Heat capacity of earth vs. water, warmer air rises en masse and causes pressure gradient on the surface |
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Term
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Definition
Landslides, earthquakes, moon/sun (tide), WIND |
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Term
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Definition
Starts as ripple, grows as it goes through combining with others |
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Term
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Definition
Variations in horiz. velocity lead to stretching and squeezing which causes height changes (see notes...) |
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Term
Water parcel path within wave |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
pressure gradient, velocity, and acceleration reduced with depth |
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Term
Propagation velocity (definition) |
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Definition
velocity of "hill" through water |
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Term
Propagation velocity with relation to wavelength |
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Definition
longer wavelength=faster propagation |
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Term
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Definition
Sinsusoidal shape, circular (and closed) orbits, perfect 'superposition' |
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Term
Actual Waves (rather than linear theory) |
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Definition
Complex shapes; not closed orbits of parcels (wave drift...increases with wave height) |
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Term
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Definition
Sum of many different waves can create any shape. Ocean waves combine to create irregular wave surface. Often leads to surfers 'sets'. |
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Term
Waves entering shallow water... |
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Definition
Wavelength decreases, height increases, speed decreases. |
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Term
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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) |
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Term
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Definition
Waves coming near shore at some angle are bent (or 'refracted') toward the shore. |
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Term
Shoaling/refraction vs. wavelength |
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Definition
Larger effects on longer period waves (larger swing from fast to slow, all waves same speed at low depth) |
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Term
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Definition
Water parcels pushed along in front of wave ('surf' the wave), pile water onshore much like storm surge |
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Term
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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) |
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Term
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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). |
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Term
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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) |
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Term
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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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