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| The study of atmosphere and processes over short-term periods |
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| Study of weather over a longer period of time than meteorology |
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Definition
Those that form a constant proportion of the atmospheric mass.
Nitrogen - 78.08%
Oxygen - 20.95%
Argon - 0.93%
Neon - 0.002%
Helium - 0.0005%
.... |
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Definition
Gasses whose distribution varies with space and time
Water Vapor - 0.25%
Carbon Dioxide - 0.038%
Ozone - 0.01% |
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| The region of the atmosphere within 80km of the surface known for chemical homogeneity |
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| Above the homosphere where lighter gasses (hydrogen and helium) become increasingly concentrated |
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| Small solid particles and liquid droplets in the air (excluding cloud droplets and precipitation) |
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Layers of the atmosphere based on temperature
(highest)
↑
(lowest) |
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Definition
Thermosphere
Mesosphere
Stratosphere
Troposphere |
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Definition
Lowest layer.
°T decreases with height.
Smallest layer.
80% of density of whole atmosphere. |
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Definition
| Condition where temperature increases with height in the troposphere |
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| Above the Troposphere containing the Ozone layer |
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20-30 km in altitude
absorbs solar energy that warms stratosphere and blocks out many UV rays |
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Definition
| Layer where temperature increases with height up to 1500°C |
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| Layer extending from top of mesosphere into thermosphere. Contains charged particles responsible for auroras |
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Definition
Energy of fusion
Energy stored in water vapor |
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Definition
Stored energy
eg./ Food, gas, firewood,.... |
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Definition
| The movement of heat through a substance without the movement of molecules in the direction of heat transfer |
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| Transfer of heat by the mixing of a fluid. Convection is accomplished by movement of the liquid or gas in which the process occurs. |
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| Energy transfer mechanism that doesn't need a medium. |
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| The distance between two corresponding points on a wave |
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Electromagnetic energy
Shortest
to
longest |
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Definition
Gamma
X-rays
Ultraviolet
Visible
Infared
Radio |
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Definition
I = σT4
The intensity of energy radiated by a blackbody increases according to the fourth power of its absolute temperature |
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| The percentage of energy radiated by a substance relative to that of a blackbody |
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Definition
46.5% is near and thermal infared
46.8% is visible light
6.7% is ultraviolet |
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| 1367 w/m^2 at the top of the atmosphere |
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| The point when the Earth is closest to the Sun. It occurs around January 4th and brings the Earth 147 million Km from the Sun |
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| The point where the Earth is furthest from the Sun. This occurs at July 4th. It brings the Earth 152 million Km from the Sun. |
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| Date when either the NH or SH is tilted closest to the Sun. June 21 and December 21 |
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The point when both NH and SH receive equal amounts of insolation.
September 21 and March 21 |
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| The increase in the surface area over which radiation is distributed in response to a decrease of solar angle. Greater spreading, less intense the radiation is. |
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| A reflection where the beam reflected is of equal, however redirected, power as the original |
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Definition
aka. scattering
When a beam is reflected from an object as a larger number of weaker rays traveling in many different directions. |
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| A type of scattering that affects shorter wavelengths and particularly effective for visible light. The scattering agents are about 1/10th the size of the wavelength |
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| Forward scattering which causes sunsets to be redder and causes hazy polluted days to appear gray |
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| A range of wavelengths, 8 to 12 μm, that can pass through the atmosphere without being absorbed or reflected |
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| The difference between absorbed and emitted radiation |
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| Very thin layer of air directly above the ground that resists mixing |
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| Heat that can be felt or sensed |
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| Energy required to change the phase of a substance |
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| 4 reasons that water bodies are more conservative than landmasses |
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Definition
1. The specific heat of water is 5 times that of land
2. Radiation can penetrated tens of meters and spread out
3. Much radiation is used to evaporate rather than heat
4. Water can easily mix vertically and horizontally |
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Definition
| Force due to difference in barometric pressure that sets the air in motion |
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| The balance between vertical pressure gradient force and the pull of gravity. |
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Definition
| The apparent force due to the Earth's rotation that causes a right deflection in the NH and a left deflection in the SH. It increases or decreases with the speed of an object and affects all objects in motion. |
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| Three factors affecting wind speed |
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Definition
1. Coriolis force
2. Friction
3. Pressure Gradient Force |
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Definition
| The lowest 1.5 km or 1 mi of the atmosphere which is affected by friction |
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| Wind flow at constant speed and direction in the upper atmosphere where PGF equals the Coriolis force. Wind flows parallel to isobars. |
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Definition
| Where the height contours curve and assume varying distances from one another. The air flows parallel to the isobars as they curve. |
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| Wind rotates clockwise in the NH. It flows out in the boundary layer and parallel to the isobars in the upper atmosphere |
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| Air spirals counterclockwise in the NH. It flows into the cyclone in the boundary layer and parallel to the isobars in the upper atmosphere |
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Definition
| Elongated area of low pressure |
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Definition
| Elongated area of high pressure |
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| Where plants evaporate water vapor |
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| Situation where precipitation falls on to something before it hits the ground. Eg./landing and collecting on a leaf as ice or droplets |
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| Situation where precipitation is absorbed into the ground |
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| The density of water vapor, the number of grams of water vapor contained in a cubic meter of air. |
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| It expresses the mass of water vapor in a given mass of air. eg./ a number of grams of water vapor per kilogram of air |
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| The part of the total atmospheric pressure due to water vapor |
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| A measure of the mass of water vapor relative to the mass of the other gases of the atmosphere |
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| The amount of water vapor in the air relative to the maximum possible amount of water vapor at that temperature |
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Definition
| The temperature at which saturation occurs |
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| A fog created by adding water vapor to the air |
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Definition
| Particles in the air that assist in the formation of water droplets |
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Definition
| One in which energy is added to or removed from a system |
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| Second law of thermodynamics |
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Definition
| Dictates that energy moves from regions of higher to lower temperatures |
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Definition
| Process in which temperature changes but no heat is added to or removed from a substance |
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| First law of thermodynamics |
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Definition
| If heat is added, there will be some combination of an expansion of the gas and an increase in its temperature |
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Definition
1.0 °C/100m or 5.5 °F/1000 ft.
The increase or loss of temperature of a parcel of unsaturated air without adding or removing heat from it |
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Term
| Saturated adiabatic lapse rate |
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Definition
0.5 °C/100 ft or 3.3 °F/1000ft
The rate of temperature change of saturated air as it moves up or down without adding or removing heat from the air |
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| Lifting condensation level |
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Definition
| The altitude at which a parcel of air reaches its dew point and water vapor condenses. The point at which cloud formation occurs |
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| The vertical change in temperature through still air |
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Definition
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Definition
Radiation fog
Advection fog
Upslope fog
Precipitation fog |
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