Term
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Definition
| Mixing of warm and cold air air warms by contact with the ground (conduction) so it rises/less dense. then it expands, cools, and relative humidity rises until condensation of water occurs above condensation level. just mixing of air. aka convection cloud/birds and so on. |
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Term
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Definition
| the air that is heated most around the equator rises to troposhere, cools, then it sinks and warms up as it reaches the surface. aka as warm air rises the cold air fills that void across the surface. SLIDE #35 |
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Term
| What are the two most abundant gasses in the atmosphere, and what percentage do they represent? |
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Definition
| Nitrogen=78% Oxygen=21% also some other gases like helium, co2, etc. water vapor too can occupy up to 4%/can vary |
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Term
| What are two factors that strongly affect the density of air? |
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Definition
1) temperature: the molecules in cold air move slower, so occupy less space, so cold air is denser than warm. warm air rises, cold sinks (changes in temp)
2)water content/humidity: dry air is denser cuz water vapor takes up room and so pushes the molecules closer together aka same amt of molecules but in a small place-so more water=less dense. |
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Term
| Is more dense air heavier or lighter? |
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Definition
| dense air is heavier. cool air is denser and so sinks aka heavier. |
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Term
| Is warmer air more or less dense? Why? |
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Definition
| warm air is less dense. molecules move faster and take up less space. |
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Term
| Which will rise when they collide, warm or cold air? |
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Definition
| when collide warm air will rise since warm air is less dense. warm air rises. |
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Term
Is humid air more or less dense? Why?
???? |
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Definition
| humid air is less dense than dry air. cuz the water vapor pushes the more dense molecules out of the way. |
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Term
| Does air pressure change at higher altitudes? In what way? |
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Definition
| yes it changes at a higher and lower altitudes. this is cuz the air closer to the earth has more pressure from all the other air pushing down on it. at a higher alt. there is less pressure pushing on the air. think of planes and mtn altitudes |
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Term
| Which can hold more water, warm or cold air? |
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Definition
warm air holds more water.
so water rising in the air may condense and fall. |
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Term
| Explain how rising air can lead to rain. |
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Definition
| when warm air rises, it expands, cools off and can not hold as much water vapor so it rains or snows. |
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Term
What happens to the volume of air when it rises? How is this related to air pressure?
??? |
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Definition
the volume of air increases as air rises since as warm air rises it expands=takes up more space=more volume.
so that is why there is less pressure. |
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Term
| What happens to the temperature of air when it expands? When air is compressed? |
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Definition
| when air expands it cools. when it is compressed it heats up. |
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Term
| What is a rain shadow and how do they form? |
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Definition
| rain shadow is like one green side and one dry side of the mtn. forms cuz of mtns. moisture from the ocean carries to the mtn and so the moist air rises from evaporation and the wind and mountain push it up so the air rises, expands, and cools results in rain on windward side. then the dryer air (heavier air) blows to leeward side, sinks and warms up=dry warm area called a RAIN SHADOW |
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Term
| Why is the windward side of mountains wetter than the leeward side? (same answer as what is the rain shadow and how do they form) |
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Definition
| windward side cuz it pushes the moist air up with the wind and mtn. so as it goes up air rises, expands and cools=rain on the windward side. the leeward side/rain shadow is dry cuz the dryer air blows over the mtn, sinks, and warms up/dry area. |
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Term
| What is the condensation level? |
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Definition
| height at which air becomes saturated cuz of cooling (due to expansion) and condenses into a cloud. basically is the height of the bottom of the cloud. |
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Term
| How can the sun heating the ground lead to clouds? (a way that does not include evaporation from the ground) |
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Definition
by atmopsheric convection
1) air warms by contact with warm ground and becomes less dense and rises
2) rising air expands, cools, relative humidity rises till condensation of water vapor occurs above condensation level.
basically cloud forms cuz of convection/mixing |
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Term
| When cooler air collides with warmer air, clouds may form. How? |
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Definition
1) cooler, denser air sinks and forces lighter/warm air to rise. at the same token, warmer, lighter air is forces to rise by denser cooler air
2)rising air expands, cools and relative humidity rises
3) clouds form as water vapor condenses above convection level
(same process as to why it rains/forms a cloud but diff reason for it. aka 1)) |
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Term
| What are two main reasons the equator is hotter than the poles? |
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Definition
1) unequal heat distribution: same amt of energy in less area. cuz same amt of energy is coming directly from the sun but covers less area. where above equator it isnt direct and is at a slant so has to cover more area.
2) unequal deflection and absortion of sun rays by atmosphere: aka it comes straight thro the atmosphere directly (straight line) rather than comes at it at an angle like in other hemispheres. |
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Term
| Why is it hotter in the summer than in the winter? |
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Definition
| because of the tilt of the earth. in the summer it tilts more toward the sun so its hotter. tilts away in the winter so its colder. |
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Term
| WHAT IS THE UNDERLYING CAUSE OF WIND? |
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Definition
1) uneven solar heating-causes the wind
2) earths rotation and coriolis effect-alters the wind
3) continents and topography-alters the wind
bascially warm air rises at equator goes over the poles condenses and sinks. but at earths surface something needs to fill to void of the air that is rising so the cold air moves over surface to fill it (circular motion) |
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Term
| What alters the wind direction? |
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Definition
1) the earths rotation/coriolis effect
know the earth rotates to the East and one rotation per day
2) continents and topography aka mtns etc |
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Term
| What is the Coriolis effect? |
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Definition
object is deflected cuz of rotation and relative position. air movement changes cuz of the earths rotation which causes the coriolis effect
causes 3 main wind belts: easterly TRADE WINDS in the tropic. prevailing WESTERLIES in the mid latitudes. and the polar EASTERLIES at the poles.
to remember pic #46 just remember trade winds always point toward the equator and tile to the west but come from the east. every other 30 degrees its opposite. |
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Term
| How would the wind move over earth if there was NOT a Coriolis effect? |
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Definition
| it would just go in a circular motion aka cold air sinks warm air rises. (model on the slide) |
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Term
Coriolis Effect question:
In the northern hemisphere, would something moving north to south fall behind or move ahead, the straight southward direction? is this movement east or west? Right or left? |
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Definition
| fall behind. go to the left aka the west |
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Term
Coriolis effect question:
In the northern hemisphere, would something moving south to north fall behind or move ahead, the straight northward direction? Is this movement east or west? Right or left? |
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Definition
| move ahead. go to the right aka the east |
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Term
Coriolis effect question:
Would answers to the other coriolis effect questions (north or south right or left) differ in the southern hemisphere? If yes, how? |
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Definition
in southern hemisphere.
from south to north to equator it would fall behind aka west
from equator south it would move ahead aka east |
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Term
| Where are the trade winds, westerlies, polar easterlies? Which of these describe the area Michigan is in? |
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Definition
trade winds are bt 30 degrees n and s and the equator. westerlies are winds coming from the west aka one notch above or below trade winds (bt 30 degrees and 60 n and s)
polar easterlies are winds moving from the east one notch above or below the westerlie winds (60 degrees n and s and to the poles)
MI area=westerlies |
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Term
| Where (what latitudes) are the Doldrums? Horse Latitudes? |
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Definition
doldrums at the equator 0 degrees or are the region near the equator where the trade winds from each hemisphere meet aka where you find the ITCZ intertropical convergence zone so its hot humid, with light winds.
horse latitudes at 30 degrees n and s or are the region between trade winds and the prevailing westerlies. winds here are light and calm |
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Term
| where (what latitudes) are the "trade winds" and "westerlies"? |
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Definition
trade winds bt 0 degrees and 30 degrees n and s
westerlies bt 30 degrees and 60 degrees n and s |
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Term
| Which latitudes have relatively high and low wind? |
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Definition
between the solid lines aka bt for example 30 degrees and 60 degrees are more winder
at the solid winds there is little air movement. for example at 30 degrees |
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Term
| What latitudes have high pressure? Low pressure? |
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Definition
air moving UP=LOW pressure
air moving DOWN=HIGH pressure
STUDY THE SLIDE #46 PICTURE ALSO #47 |
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Term
| At which latitude is air rising? Air falling? |
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Definition
air rising at 60N, equator, and 60S (aka the wind is moving up to those lines/latitudes
Air falling at N pole, 30N, 30S, and S pole. aka the winds are falling down/away from those lines
STUDY THE SLIDE #46 PICTURE AND LABELS. |
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Term
| How do wind patterns affect climate? What happens (in regards to how wind patterns affect climate) at the equator and 60 degrees N and 60 degrees S? |
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Definition
Equator and 60N and 60S:
rising air cools and the moisture in it wrings out as clouds and rain aka belt of wet climate occurs here and the pressure is low
At 30N and S and at each pole:
falling air warms and sucks moisture into it like a sponge aka a belt of dry climate, deserts occur here and the pressure is high |
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Term
| At what latitudes (in general) are deserts found and why? |
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Definition
around 30N and 30S latitudes=desert.
around 60N and 60S latitudes=rain/snow/wet
why deserts? because air there is high pressure so it moves down so falling air warms, sucks up the moisture (like the windward side of the mtn at the equator. |
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Term
| How does light change as a function of lake depth? (aka what happens to light going deeper in a lake) |
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Definition
| it gets darker the deeper you go |
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Term
| what is meant by exponential decline? Linear decline? Which best describes the decline of light in the water? |
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Definition
exponential: variables going down by a certain percent each time, a constant fraction.
linear: goes down or up by the same amount each time. constant, absolute
light and water=exponential decline |
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Term
| Typically which is the dependent variable on the x or y axis? Why do limnologists do it different when plotting light level as a function of lake depth? |
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Definition
typically: x axis=independent, y = dependent.
do it different so that it looks like the depths of the lake. deeper it is the lower it is on the graph. |
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Term
In these variable pairs, which is the dependent variable:
Cholesterol consumption by group of people: Percent of heart attacks
Forest fires: number of dry days
Heat added to water: temp of water (see lecture 1)
amt of preparation for test: grade on test
interest rate: account growth rate
bank account balance: time
distance of flight: flight cost |
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Definition
percent of heart attacks
forest fires
temp of water
grade on test
account growth rate
bank account balance
flight cost |
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Term
| What does a figure of light level as a function of lake depth look like on a linear graph? On a log graph? |
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Definition
log graph=make values decrese by a constant fraction, rather than constant amt line a linear graph.
just kno that the difference between linear and log is if the numbers change by a percent each time (log) or by the same amt each time (linear) |
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Term
| Is the attenuation coefficient larger or smaller for clearer lakes? |
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Definition
| smaller k since it doesnt get as dark as quickly |
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Term
| in the slide with light curves with Lake A, Lake B, and Lake C, Which line is for clearer water? Which line has lower k? Which case supports more plant growth on lake bottom? (that is, need to understand the figure) |
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Definition
clearer=Lake C
lower k=lake c
lake c more plant growth at bottom cuz clearer |
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Term
| What attenuates light in water? What absorbs light? What scatters light? |
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Definition
water itself--some of the light reflects back in water anyway so it would automatically get darker if there were nothing else to affect it
absorbs: dissolved substances (chemicals) like color absorbs light. anything in that water that is mixed in
scatters: phytoplankton (microscopic algae suspended in the water column), suspended sediment. |
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Term
| How does photosynthesis change deeper in a lake? Starting on the bottom of the lake, why does photosynthesis first increase as move higher in the lake, and then why does it decrease closer to the surface? |
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Definition
| less o2 in the bottom of the lake cuz less light, but if plants there they still do photosynthesis. as you start going higher there is more light so there is more photosynthesis. weird tho cuz at the surface photosynthesis goes down. why? cuz there is too much light, burns off the plants basically. too much uv light |
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Term
| What happens to the relative magnitude of photosynthesis and respiration at lower depths in a lake? What is the compensation depth? What part of the lake is more O2 produced by phytoplankton than used? |
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Definition
less respiration at bottom of lake cuz less 02 cuz less photosynethesis so it goes down deeper in the lake.
compensation depth: where photosynthesis=respiration. so there isnt any o2 here.
above compensation level=more photosyn so more 02. |
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Term
| How do zebra mussels lead to an increase in "muck" on the shores of the Great Lakes? (hint: zebra mussels filter and remove phytoplankton. the muck is "benthic algae" washed up from off the bottom of the lake after storms) |
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Definition
| zebra mussels clear out the phytoplankton or all the junk on the surface that blocks the light. so they make the lake clearer. therefore benthic algae is able to grow on the bottom more. this algae is very fragile/filmy/will fall apart if you touch it so when a storm comes it breaks up the benthic algae and then washes up on the shore. |
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Term
| Questions like: the light level at the surface of a lake is 2000umoles photons/m2/sec, and at 10 ft deep it is 1000 umooles photons/m2/sec. What will the light level be 10 ft deeper (and at 20 feet deep) |
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Definition
since it is exponential it goes down by a constant fraction soooo
10 ft deeper or just 20 ft deep=500 (cut in half since the fraction is 1/2) |
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