Term
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Definition
| Movement of air from the interaction of the Coriolis and Pressure Forces |
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Term
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Definition
| a wind that is parallel to the isobars, and of lesser magnitude than geostrophic. |
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Term
| Where are the strongest winds at the surface experienced? |
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Definition
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Term
| Does friction affect the coriolis or pressure force? |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| a parcel of air that moves back down to its original position after being surrounded by warmer air parcels. |
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Term
| what is an unstable parcel of air? |
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Definition
| an air parcel displaced upwards into colder air, but it becomes colder and denser after continuing to rise, and is buoyant. |
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Term
| define the adiabatic process |
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Definition
| a parcel of air that cools or expands, warms/compresses without any exchange of heat with its surroundings. |
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Term
| a decrease in temperature with increasing altitude is referred to as as |
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Definition
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Term
| The Coriolis force reaches a maximum where? |
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Definition
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Term
| when the atm is stable, convetion is |
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Definition
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Term
| Cooling at the bottom of the atm will do what to stability? |
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Definition
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Term
| The strongest upper level pressure gradient force occurs where and when? |
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Definition
| over the subtropical high in the summer |
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Term
| What are the four main ways to uplift air? |
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Definition
| topography, lifting among weather fronts, convergence of air, convection |
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Term
| What is the main source of energy that drives our climate? |
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Definition
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Term
| If the temperature of an object increases, what does the radiation emitted by it do? |
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Definition
| increase and shift towards dominantly shorter wavelengths. |
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Term
| The surface of Venus is much hotter than that of Earth due to higher CO2 levels and sun proximity. What can be said about the energy emitted by the surface compared to that emitted by earth? |
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Definition
| Venus radiates energy at shorter wavelengths than earth does |
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Term
| When is longwave radiation emitted from the surface of the Earth? |
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Definition
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Term
| What are three factors that affect the amount of solar energy a point on Earth receives? |
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Definition
| solar angle, daylight length and atm path length. |
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Term
| What is the greenhouse effect? |
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Definition
| when the atm absorbs and counter-radiates longwave radiation |
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Term
| according to Wein's Law, the wavelength at which an object emits the most radiation is determined by the objects |
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Definition
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Term
| in the average global radiation balance, which factor is the largest contributor to the planet's total albedo? |
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Definition
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Term
| what is the Solar Constant defined as? |
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Definition
| the approximate amount of insolation at the top of the atm with the sun directly overhead |
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Term
| What are the radiation pathways? |
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Definition
| Transmission, Reflection, Scattering, Absorbtion |
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Term
| Does reflection happen with short or long wave radiation? |
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Definition
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Term
| where does the longwave radiation on the earth go? |
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Definition
| atm radiates out to space, some radiates from the surface, and down to the surface from the atm |
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Term
| what happens to shortwave radiation on earth? |
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Definition
absorbed by the ozone layer/stratosphere, troposphere and clouds.
50% makes it to the ground |
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Term
| What is the most direct heat source of radiation? |
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Definition
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Term
| what is the declination formula? |
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Definition
| 90 - (declination - latitude you are at) |
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Term
| at the top of the atm, incoming radiation exceeds outgoing radiation _____ whereas outgoing radiation exceeds incoming radiation _____. |
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Definition
| in the tropics, at high latitudes |
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Term
| Across the Northern Hemisphere, on what day would the latitudinal variation of insolation be the smallest? |
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Definition
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Term
| about how much of the atmosphere is found below 5.5km? |
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Definition
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Term
| Where does sensible heat convection to the atm dominate the surface energy? |
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Definition
| over dry locations where moisture is unavailable to evaporate |
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Term
| where is the latitudinal gradient of albedo higher? |
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Definition
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Term
| How does cloud forcing effect the climate locally? |
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Definition
| clouds dominate as warming or cooling depending on thickness, height, droplet size |
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Term
| How do thicker clouds affect cloud forcing? |
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Definition
| lower, absorb the longwave radiation, reflect shortwave better than thinner |
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Term
| How do thinner clouds affect cloud forcing? |
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Definition
| low clouds are thinner, same temp as the surface, don't warm the surface up. absorb and give off same amt of heat |
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Term
| How does the net surface radiation change with latitude? |
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Definition
| Surface insolation varies from N to S. in the Sahara, the heat is specific not latent. |
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Term
| What are characteristics that form Global Sensible Heat? |
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Definition
| surplus radiation worldwide, sensible heat over continents and Atlantic. |
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Term
| What are important vehicles for transporting heat polewards and cold are equatorwards? |
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Definition
| Mobile weather systems in the mid-lats, such as low pressure cyclones and high pressure anticyclones. |
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