ATMO 170A1: FINAL STUDY GUIDE
123 Cards in this Set
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
|
Nitrogen gas (N2)
|
clear cold liquid, most abundant gas in air,
|
|
Oxygen gas (O2)
|
pale blue liquid, comes from plants and photosynthesis
|
|
Water (H2O)
|
Occurs naturally in gas and in liquid and solid phases, a main greenhouse gas
|
|
Argon (Ar)
|
a colorless and odorless inert gas
|
|
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
|
a main greenhouse gas, dry ice in solid form, gas is invisible
|
|
Stromatolites
|
column-shaped structures made up of layers of sedimentary rock
|
|
column-shaped structures made up of layers of sedimentary rock
|
Colorless, odorless, toxic gas, most abundant pollutant
|
|
Incomplete combustion
|
The reaction of a hydrocarbon with oxygen at high temperatures in which the products are carbon monoxide, and/or carbon and water, Fuel + oxygen (less amount) + heat source = energy + CO
|
|
Wintertime morning pollutant
|
trapped in morning surface radiation inversion layers
|
|
Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)
|
First recognized air pollutant, combustion of coal or other fuels with high sulfur content
|
|
London-type smog
|
at some times where visibility would drop to less than 5 feet
|
|
Acid rain
|
where SO2 is converted to sulfuric acid in clouds and falls to the ground
|
|
Tropospheric ozone
|
ozone that falls into the troposphere
|
|
Key component of Photochemical smog
|
ozone
|
|
Gravity pulls
|
downward on a mass producing weight
|
|
Pressure is a measure of
|
the weight of the air above
|
|
Mercury barometer
|
used to measure atmospheric pressure and is really just a balance that can be used to weigh the atmosphere
|
|
Average sea level pressure
|
1000 mb
|
|
Air pressure and air density
|
both decrease with increasing altitude
|
|
Troposphere
|
lowest layer in the atmosphere, decreasing temperature with increasing altitude.
|
|
Troposphere contains
|
most of the water vapor and clouds
|
|
Stratosphere
|
an isothermal layer, extends to about 50 km above earth, stable layer.
|
|
Tropopause
|
the boundary between the troposphere and the stratosphere.
|
|
Temperature inversion
|
atmospheric condition in which warm air traps cooler air near the earth's surface
|
|
Ideal gas law
|
law that states the math relationship of pressure (P), volume (V), temperature (T), the gas constant (R), and the number of moles of a gas (n); PV=nRT.
|
|
Temperature and density change
|
in a way that keeps pressure constant
|
|
Cold air is
|
high density air in the atmosphere
|
|
Warm air is
|
low density air in the atmosphere
|
|
Two forces acting on an air parcel
|
the strength of the gravity force, and an upward pointing pressure difference force, the two cancel out and are equal
|
|
Archimedes Law
|
An object immersed in in a fluid experiences an upward buoyant force equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object
|
|
Isobar
|
a line drawn to connect points of equal atmospheric pressure
|
|
Isotherm
|
Line drawn on a weather map that connects points having equal temperature
|
|
Cyclone
|
winds spinning around low pressure
|
|
Anticyclone
|
a high-pressure center of dry air
|
|
Convergence
|
causes air to rise
|
|
Rising air
|
expands and cools, sometimes forms a cloud
|
|
Pressure gradient on a weather map
|
when closely space contours are changing rapidly with distance, produces fast winds
|
|
Winds blow
|
parallel to the contours and from west to east
|
|
Trough
|
a U shaped portion of a pattern in a upper level chart
|
|
Ridge
|
a N shaped portion of a pattern in a upper level chart
|
|
Temperature is a measure of
|
average kinetic energy
|
|
Temperature scales
|
Temperature scales fahrenheit, celsius, kelvin
|
|
Delta T equals
|
Delta E divided by mass times specific heat
|
|
specific heat
|
used to account for the fact different materials react differently when energy is added to them
|
|
Conduction
|
energy is transported from hot to cold by random atomic at a rate that depends on the material, metal is a good conductor, when you touch it, it is always cold
|
|
Convection
|
energy transport by organized motion of atoms or molecules (works in gases and liquids or solids) Free (rising and sinking air), wind chill and ocean currents
|
|
Electric Field Arrow
|
Shows the direction and gives an idea of the strength of the electrical force that would be exerted on a positive charge
|
|
Wavelength is one way of
|
distinguishing between different types of radiation
|
|
Water has a high specific heat and
|
Also moderates the climate
|
|
Boiling and Freezing Point Celsius
|
100, 0
|
|
Boiling and Freezing Point Fahrenheit
|
212, 32
|
|
Kelvin Average Temperature of Earth
|
300K
|
|
EM Radiation
|
Can transport energy through empty space
|
|
Latent Heat
|
heat absorbed or radiated during a change of phase at a constant temperature and pressure
|
|
UV Light
|
Most energetic and the most harmful
|
|
UV Light on the EM spectrum is
|
From 0-0.4
|
|
Visible light on the EM spectrum is
|
From 0.4-0.7
|
|
Infrared light on the EM spectrum is
|
From 0.7 to 1
|
|
Sun emits
|
not so much UV light, lots of Visible light, and lots of Infrared light
|
|
Earth emites
|
Infrared light only
|
|
Amount of light emitted equation
|
E=rT^4
|
|
Greenhouse effect
|
natural situation in which heat is retained in Earth's atmosphere by carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, and other gases
|
|
IR light emitted by the earth is
|
Absorbed by greenhouse gases
|
|
The atmosphere emits IR light
|
Upward and downward
|
|
The earth gets back some of what is would have lost and
|
is as a result warmer
|
|
The atmosphere is transparent to
|
visible light
|
|
The atmosphere absorbs some
|
wavelengths of IR light but transmits other wavelengths
|
|
The atmosphere also emits
|
IR light
|
|
Clouds raise the nighttime low temp because
|
they are good IR absorbers
|
|
Clouds lower the daytime high temp because
|
they are good reflectors of sunlight
|
|
Relative Humidity Equation
|
RH=100% x mixing ratio/saturation mixing ratio
|
|
Mixing ratio and Dew Point
|
tell you how much moisture is actually in the air
|
|
Warm air has a higher
|
mixing ratio than cold air
|
|
Warming the air lowers
|
the Relative Humidity
|
|
Rain Shadow Effect
|
precipitation falls on the windward side of a mountain range, resulting in lush vegetation & a warm, moist climate on one side, but a desert area on the leeward side.
|
|
Cloud condensation nuclei are
|
abundant in air and make it easier for clouds to form
|
|
cirro or cirrus
|
high
|
|
alto
|
middle
|
|
strato or stratus
|
layer
|
|
cumulo or cumulus
|
puffy
|
|
nimbo or nimbus
|
precipitation
|
|
Cumulonimbus (CB) is a
|
Thunderstorm Cloud
|
|
Altocumulus Clouds
|
Choppy looking separate cloud elements about the size of your thumbnail when held at arms length
|
|
Altostratus Clouds
|
Hazy, gray cloud thick layer, sun may be visible but will appear blurred or fuzzy
|
|
Nimbostratus Clouds
|
gray cloud layer producing precipitation. Precipitation usually fairly light, continuous, and cover large areas
|
|
Stratocumulus Clouds
|
Separate patches of cloud or waves of cloud with widths about the size of your fist, lumpy
|
|
Cumulus Clouds
|
Blue sky lumpy clouds, resemble cotton balls, low enough to have a 3-D appearance
|
|
Virga
|
rain that evaporates before hitting the ground
|
|
IR (infrared) Satellite Photograph
|
Satellite photographs the Infrared emitted by clouds, the ground and the ocean
|
|
VIS (visible) Satellite Photograph
|
Satellite photographs sunlight that is reflected by clouds
|
|
Freezing rain
|
Ice storms occur
|
|
Graupel
|
soft hail, snow pellets
|
|
Sleet
|
clear ice, single pellet of ice (snowcone)
|
|
Grey on a satellite photo means
|
low altitude layer clouds with a warm top, and strong emission of IR
|
|
White on a satellite photo means
|
White on a satellite photo means
a cumulonimbus cloud with cold top and weak emission
|
|
Hail is produced
|
in strong thunderstorms with tilted updrafts
|
|
A high heat index would be cause by
|
heat and humidity
|
|
Ice Crystal Process
|
works in cold clouds where water droplets and ice crystals are found mixed together
|
|
Collision-Coalescence (CC) Process
|
that works in warm clouds that contain water droplets. Only found in tropics
|
|
Newton's 1st Law of Motion
|
an object at rest/motion will remain at rest/motion until acted upon by an outside force
|
|
PGF is parallel to the
|
contours and points
|
|
CF is parallel to the
|
wind and to the right in the northern hemisphere
|
|
Low pressure blows
|
clockwise in the southern hemisphere
|
|
At the equator (0 degrees)
|
doldrums, ITCZ, low pressure, calm surface winds, rising air
|
|
At 15 degrees
|
trade winds
|
|
At 30 degrees
|
high pressure, calm surface winds, horse latitudes, sinking air
|
|
At 45 degrees
|
sw winds
|
|
Frictional Force
|
Direction: always opposite wind
Strength: Depends on wind speed, Depends on surface
|
|
Hurricanes form over
|
warm ocean water in the subtropics between the equator and 30 latitude
|
|
I. Cumulus Stage
|
Updrafts throughout
|
|
II. Mature phase
|
precipitation forms, starts to fall, carries air downward that forms a downdraft
|
|
III. Dissipating Stage
|
Downdraft spreads throughout the clouds and cuts off updraft, downdraft may spawn new cell
|
|
Gust Front
|
Cold downdraft spilling out of a thunderstorm cloud and begins to move outward
|
|
Mesocyclone
|
Medium sized, winds spinning around low pressure. Low pressure in the core creates inward pointing pressure gradient force
|
|
Wall Cloud
|
largest and strongest tornadoes come from a wall cloud
|
|
Wind Sheer
|
Changing wind direction or wind speed with distance
|
|
Tornadoes are most frequent
|
in the spring
|
|
Fujita Scale
|
Scale used to rate tornado strength and intensity
|
|
Intracloud Lightning
|
Most common, 2/3 of all lightning
|
|
Cloud to Ground lightning
|
2nd most common, 1/3 of all lightning
|
|
Upward (ground to Cloud) lightning
|
rarest type
|
|
Cloud to ground discharge steps
|
1. "Stepped Leader" 2. Upward positive charge 3. Return stroke
|
|
The strong ring of thunderstorm surrounding the eye of a hurricane is called the
|
eye wall
|
ATMO 170A1: FINAL STUDY GUIDE