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Has similar characteristics to a ChinookThese winds form when an anticyclone is present over the Rockies-most common in the fallThe high pressure system forces already dry air from the mountains, down to the western coastThe Santa Ana winds create a serious fire hazard, due to the warm temperatures and low humidityDerechosA derecho is an hours-long windstorm that can have winds up to 150 mphOccurs in the mid-westIt comes about when a strong summertime jet stream is above a line of severe thunderstorms formed by a stationary cold frontThe strong, cold downdrafts of the thunderstorms can drag down the high speech air from above1. What was the composition of the early atmosphere? Of the at-mosphere today?-78% nitrogen-21% oxygen-1% argonA primary difference between the concepts of weather and climate is the time period involvedScientists believe that a growing amount of this gas in the atmosphere will probably bring about a warming of the lower atmosphere: carbon dioxide 2. What are the sources and sinks of atmospheric carbon dioxide?-Carbon Cycle:1. Photosynthesis2. Decomposition3. Combustion4. Respiration5. Diffusion-Sources: volcanoes, deforestation, plant decay, plant/animal respira-tion, burning fossil fuels-Sinks: plant photosynthesis, oceans, carbonates-Hydrologic Cycle:1. Evaporation: water from ocean surface/ bodies of water2. Condensation: water vapor condenses to form clouds3. Precipitation: moisture gets transported everywhere4. Transpiration: water is released back into atmosphere-Sources: oceans, lakes, rivers, glaciers, soil, atmosphereThe hydrologic cycle is powered by: Solar energy3. Know the layers of the atmosphere. In which layers does the temperature increase with height? Decrease with height?-Troposphere: temperature decreases – literally means re-gion where air “turns over” temperature usually decreases (on average 6.5C/km) with altitude-Tropopause: lid to weather patterns-Stratosphere: temperature increases and absorbs solar energy – layer above the troposphere little mixing occurs unlike troposphere where turbulent mixing is common-Stratopause- average temp is 0’ Celsius-Mesosphere-temp decreases with height- Thermosphere – region with very little of the atmosphere’s mass. High-energy radiation received by the thermosphere (hightemperature experienced) a small density of molecules (not much “heat” would be felt)On the average, for every 1km increase in altitude in the troposphere the air temperature: drops about 6.5 degrees Celsius 4. What are the 5 main processes of energy transfer? How does each work?a. Conduction - heat transfer through matter (heat flow along rod)b. Convection -process of transferring energy vertically (thunder-storms) heat flow: candle – transfer of energy by movement of massc. Advection - horizontal transport of energy (fronts: cold air advec-tion cold  warmd. Radioactive heat - energy through electromagnetic waves: en-ergy us transferred to the Earth from the sun by electromagneticwaves (characterized by a wavelength and frequency) e. Latent Heat- heat absorbed or released by unit mass of water when it changes phase – vaporization of water_________ is a mechanism of heat transfer – conduction, convection, and radiation5. Be able to define latent heat. Know that latent heat is releasedduring cloud formation (condensation)Latent heat: heat absorbed or released by a unit mass of water when it changes phase -Latent Heat: drives severe weather-Energy absorbed (ice to water) =melting-Energy released (water freezes)=fusion-Energy released (water vapor-liquid) =condensation-Heat required to evaporate water=vaporizationLatent heat of melting/fusionLatent heat of vaporization/condensationLatent heat of sublimation/deposition6. How does the intensity of incoming radiation change with lati-tude? Remember this involves the area over which the radia-tion is spread.7. Know that seasons occur due to the tilt of the Earth, which is tilted at 23.5 degrees.-Winter: heat depends on amount of solar radiation per unit area.-Spring: same distribution of radiation-Summer: earth’s tilt brings more radiation towards the equatorDuring the earth’s orbit around the sun, the inclination (tilt) of the earth’s axis remains constant at 23.5 degrees8. Why do the tropics receive an energy surplus and the poles an energy deficit? How is heat distributed from the tropics to the poles?Latitudinal Heat Balance:- For the globe as a whole, the amount of incoming solar radiation is equal to the outing terrestrial radiation - But at the equator, the net is positive and at the poles net is negative- There is a balance achieved by the heat transport: ocean currents (ex. The Gulf Stream currents) and the atmospheric transfer of heat-Tropics: absorb more energy than they emit-Polar regions: emit more energy than they absorb- Heat is distributed by ocean currents and atmosphere poleward that keep poles from cooling and tropics from warming9. At what time of day is the temperature the greatest? -This occurs right before sunset, where the sun has been out for the longest period of time.10. Know the 5 controls of temperature. Why do coastal ar-eas have more moderate temperatures? (Specific heat of land vs. water)1. Latitude: angle affects solar radiation and causes sea-sons: colder, more variable at poles than equator2. Surface Type: absorption vs. Reflection of heat energy: desert vs. soil3. Elevation: higher altitude brings cooler temperatures4. Differential heating of Land/Water: oceans cool, surfacesabsorb: water heats up much more slowly than land5. Cloud Cover and albedo: reduce solar radiation at surface to cool and warming effect at night because it gives radiation to the surface.-Clouds keep the surface warm at night and cold during the day-Specific heat: amount of heat needed to heat 1 gram of a substance to 1‘ Celsius – Almost 3 times greater for water than land- Heat does not penetrate deep into soil or rock – heat can only be transferred by conduction11. What is a dry adiabatic lapse rate, and how is the moist adiabatic lapse rate different? These define the rate of cooling for a rising bubble of air. When compared to the surrounding atmosphere’s rate of cooling, when is the atmosphere abso-lutely stable and absolutely unstable? What is a temperature inversion?Adiabatic process – no heat energy is gained or lost by the parcelA rising parcel of air always expandsAs the parcel expands it will cool-The rate of


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UMD AOSC 200 - Study Guide

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