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Weather and Climate
NATS final
84
Meteorology
Undergraduate 1
05/12/2009

Additional Meteorology Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Global Warming
Definition
the increase of the earth's mean temperature that would result because of the increase of green house gases due to to human activities
Term
climate change
Definition
long term change in global, regional or local climate resulting from both enhanced greenhouse gasses and or other human activities
Term
albedo
Definition
reflectivity
1=all radiation reflected
0=all radiation absorbed
Term
Net albedo of earth
Definition
0.3 or 30%
Term
Advection fog
Definition
occurs when warm moist air moves over a cool surface and the air cools to below its dew point
Term
upslope fog
Definition
formed when moist stable air flows upward over a topographic barrier
Term
radiation fog
Definition
produced over land when radiational cooling reduces the air temperature to or below its dew point
also called ground fog/valley fog
Term
steam fog
Definition
evaporation fog -> cold air moves over warm water
Term
frontal fog
Definition
warm rain evaporates into cold air mass
Term
temperature
Definition
measure of average speed of molecular motion
Term
dew point
Definition
only thing related to amount of water vapor present in the atmosphere
Term
typical wavelength of visible light
Definition
0.5um
Term
most abundant gasses in atmosphere
Definition
nitrogen
oxygen
Term
green house gasses are effective emitters of
Definition
infared radiation
Term
which layer in atmosphere does temp increase with height?
Definition
stratosphere
Term
the _____the temperature, the less water the air can hold
Definition
higher
Term
wiens displacement law
Definition
wavelength of maximum radiation emission from an object is inversely proportional, hotter you make something, the shorter the wavelengths.
constant divided by temperature of object
Term
If the temperature is 50 degrees Fahrenheit, what is the temperature Celsius?
Definition
2 degrees Celsius
Celsius=Fahrenheit-48
Term
which part of the electromagnetic spectrum does the sun emit the most intense radiation?
Definition
visible
Term
warming in the thermosphere is caused by
Definition
ionization of gasses
Term
at 700mb how much of the atmosphere is below you?
Definition
about 30%
Term
condensation
Definition
phase change of water from vapor to liquid form
Term
condensation _____ energy
Definition
releases
Term
if an object is heated to 3 times its original temperature, its total radiant energy will increase by how much
Definition
3 to the 4th power...or 81
Term
weather
Definition
observed conditions of the atmosphere at a particular time and place
Term
obliquity
Definition
tilt of earths axis with respect to its orbital plane
Term
because it causes amount of solar radiation at a given point on the earth to vary through an annual cycle obliquity causes _________
Definition
seasons
Term
obliquity causes seasons because
Definition
it affects the solar zenith angle
Term
longer days=______ and shorter days=______
Definition
more solar radiation; less solar radiation
Term
cloud condensation nuclei
Definition
hydroscopic aerosol particles in the atmosphere on the order of 0.1mm in diameter.
Term
how are cloud condensation nuclei formed
Definition
sea spray
gas to particle conversion (chemical reactions)
dust from land surface
anthropogenic polution
Term
mass
Definition
intrinsic property based on the molecular composition of matter
Term
weight
Definition
the force of an object to gravitational acceleration
Term
pressure
Definition
force per unit area
Term
Air pressure at the surface of earth at sea level is defined as
Definition
1 atm
Term
density and pressure _______ exponentially with height
Definition
decrease
Term
for every ____ km in altitude, pressure decreases by a factor of _____
Definition
16; 10
Term
troposphere
Definition
(surface-11km) nearly all of what we think of as weather happens here
Term
what is the lapse rate in the troposphere?
Definition
6.5degrees celsius per km
Term
stratosphere
Definition
(11=50km) where the ozone layer is located and sun's uv rays are absorbed by photodissociation
Term
mesosphere
Definition
(50-90km)
Term
thermosphere
Definition
(90-500km) ionization of atmospheric gasses
Term
exosphere
Definition
outer space
Term
cirrus cloud
Definition
high thin clouds composed of ice crystals, usually indicate fair weather
Term
cirrocumulus cloud
Definition
small rounded white puffs that may occur individually or in long rows (mackerel sky)
Term
cirrostratus cloud
Definition
thin sheet-like clouds that cover up entire sky, ice crystals in cloud can refract sunlight and produce a halo. This type of cloud can indicate a large amount of moisture in the air
Term
what prefix do "middle clouds" (6500-23000 ft) have?
Definition
"alto"
Term
altocumulus
Definition
thin clouds composed of mostly water droplets and have rounded masses or rolls.
these appear in parallel bounds
Term
altocumulus castellanus
Definition
look like little castles and indicate the presence of atmospheric instability.
these clouds in the morning mean thunderstorms at night
Term
altostratus
Definition
often gray and cover entire sky
sun may be visible
often precede storms w/ wide spread precipitation
Term
low clouds are almost always composed of what?
Definition
water droplets
Term
nimbostratus
Definition
dark grey clouds asociated with continuous rain or snow
Term
stratocumulus
Definition
low lumpy clouds that appear in patches or as rounded masses
not really associated with precipitation
Term
stratus
Definition
uniform greyish cloud that resembles fog
Term
clouds with vertical development indicate
Definition
unstable warm air mass
Term
cumulis humilis
Definition
fair weather clouds that look like cotton balls and have a flat base
Term
sublimation
Definition
gas -> solid
Term
earth gets ____% more sun in january than july
Definition
7
Term
zenith angle
Definition
intensity of solar energy depends on angle it strikes the earth
Term
if the solar beam is perpendicular
Definition
zenith angle is zero and sun is more intense
Term
if the solar beam is tilted there is a
Definition
large zenith angle, and solar energy is weaker
Term
hadley cell
Definition
converging air rises at the equator causing area of thunderstorms.
at upper levels the air is then trapnsported away from the equator, then air sinks and warms compressionally in the subtropics about thirty degrees poleward of where AZ is
Term
the further one is from the tropics the ______ the sun will be
Definition
lower in the sky
Term
atmosphere is ____% Nitrogen
Definition
78
Term
Rain
Definition
temperature is above freezing through the entire depth of lower troposphere so precipitation is liquid
Term
sleet
Definition
temperature is above freezing relatively high above ground allowing falling frozen precipitation to melt and refreeze
Term
freezing rain
Definition
temp is above freezing just above ground so precipitation falls as rain before refreezing just above surface
Term
snow
Definition
temperature of precipitation is below freezing entire depth of lower troposphere
Term
chinook wind
Definition
air crosses continental divide in the rocky mountains and descends into great plains. it then warms by adiabatic compression
Term
stephen-boltzman law
Definition
increase temp, the radiation energy released is how many times temp was increased to the fourth power
Term
chinook wind
Definition
air crosses the continental divide in rocky mountains and decends into the great plains
Term
in the mid latitudes where would the formation of clouds and precipitation be most likely with respect to the position of an upper-level trough
Definition
to the east of the upper-level trough
Term
ice crystals in the presence of supercooled water drops in a cloud will grow because the saturation vapor pressure of water is ______ than that of the ice
Definition
higher
Term
in a coastal area like florida typically during the day air rises over the land and the winds blow________
Definition
onshore
Term
newtons second law of motion statess that
Definition
acceleration that an object experiences is proportional to the net force applied to it.
Term
in what direction does energy flow in a single cell model of the general circulation
Definition
from equator to the poles
Term
thunderhead with anvil
Definition
cumulonimbus
Term
lens shaped
Definition
lenticular
Term
streaky "mares tales"
Definition
cirrus
Term
have flat bases, lumpy cotton ball tops
Definition
cummulus
Term
low lying cloud just above the ground
Definition
stratus
Term
small rounded puffy clouds that cause mackerel sky
Definition
cirruocumulus
Term
nimbostratus
Definition
associated with large areas of steady light to moderate precipitation
Term
dry adiabatic lapse rate is approximately _____ degrees celsius per km
Definition
10 (9.5)
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