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earth's shape

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Oblait Ellipsoid

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Great circles

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largest circle that can be produced by bisecting a sphere (the equator)

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Small Circles

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A circle on the globe's surface that does not bisect the center of the Earth. Parallels of latitude are examples of small circles.

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meridians

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great circles. lines of longitude that trend North/South and coincide with the poles. Spaced farthest apart at the equator

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parallels

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entire small circles that represent east/west lines and are always parallel to each other; intersect meridians at right angles

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latitude

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the arc of a meridian (north/south) between some point and the equator

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longitude

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the arc measured of a parallel between some point and the prime meridian

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1 degree

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60' min

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non-variable gases (amount doesn't vary in time and space)

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Nitrogen (78%) Oxygen (21%) Argon (.93%) pure, dry air

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variable gases

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water vapor (0-4%) carbon dioxide (.039%)

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density

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D=M/V

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atmospheric pressure

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Force/Area Increases rapidly with height measured in bars (barometer)

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Troposphere

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the lowest layer of the atmosphere, in which temperature drops at a constant rate as altitude increases; the part of the atmosphere where weather conditions exist; 7 miles thick; environmental lapse rate of 6.5degrees/1000m

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Stratosphere

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the layer of the atmosphere that lies between the troposphere and the mesosphere and in which temperature increases as altitude increases; contains the ozone layer; 10-30 miles above ground

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Mesosphere

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the coldest layer of the atmosphere, between the stratosphere and the thermosphere, in which temperature decreases as altitude increases; 50km

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Thermosphere

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the uppermost layer of the atmosphere, in which temperature increases as altitude increases

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Ionosphere

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the lower part of the thermosphere; layer of electrically charged particles in the thermosphere that absorbs AM radio waves during the day and reflects them back at night

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Earth's Ocean (importance)

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1. climactic - oceans retain a great deal of energy and moderate temperatures across the world 2. supplies water vapor to atmosphere 3. sustains vast assemblage of life 4. source of minerals

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properties/dimensions of Ocean

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1. covers 71% of earth; 3,800km deep 2. most physical/biological activity found at top where theres abundance of CO2 & O2

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Solar Radiation

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Transmission of energy from the sun in the form of electromagnetic waves.

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factors limiting solar radiation

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Revolution 1. ellipticity 2. perihelion 3. aphelion

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perihelion

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orbital point nearest the sun

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aphelion

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when earth is furthest from the sun

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arctic/antarctic circle

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66.5 degrees N/S earth sits at same degree tilt

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tropic of cancer

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A line of latitude located at 23°30' NORTH of the equator. The Sun is directly overhead the Tropic of Cancer on the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere (June 20 or 21). It marks the northernmost point of the tropics, which falls between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.

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tropic of capricorn

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A line of latitude located at 23°30' SOUTH. The Sun is directly overhead the Tropic of Capricorn on the summer solstice in the Southern Hemisphere (Dec. 20 or 21). It marks the southernmost point of the tropics.

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June (summer) solstice

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the time when the sun's declination is at the Tropic of Cancer at 23.5 degrees north latitude, June 20-21 each year (first day of summer) 24hrs of daylight at NP and 24hrs of darkness at SP

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Winter solstice

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On December 21-December 22, the shortest day and longest night of the Northern hemisphere due to the fact that the Sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer

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vernal equinox

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March 21-22; Occurs when the Sun is directly overhead at the equator and results in day and night of equal length for both northern and southern hemispheres. 12hrs of daylight for all latitudes

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autumnal equinox

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Occurs in September, in the northern hemisphere, and marks the beginning of fall in the Northern Hemisphere; 12hrs of daylight for all latitudes

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Solar Declination

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the latitude where the sun's noon rays are directly overhead; occurs between the tropics, earth-sun relationship. the latitude where the sun is directly overhead at solar noon. controlled by the tilt of the earth. ranges from 23.5 degrees north to 23.5 degrees south. changes daily as the earth moves around the sun. changes with revolution. (amount of energy received at any given location changes throughout the year, temperature changes with change of energy).

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angle of solar incidence

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The angle at which the sunlight hits Earth's surface. This affects the intensity of the light. Because the smaller the angle the lower the intensity.

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atmospheric thickness

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amount of atmosphere penetrated by solar radiation; varies with angle of incidence; a thicker atmosphere increases the loss of solar radiation due to 1.absorbtion 2.scattering 3.reflection

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potential energy

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energy stored due to an object's position or arrangement

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kinetic energy

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the energy an object has due to its motion(gases,water vapor, wind, rain)

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heat energy

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energy released in the form of heat caused by the motion of moving molecules and the breaking of chemical bonds

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radiant energy

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energy propagated through space in the form of electromagnetic waves

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conduction

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heat transferred through material by molecular action

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convection

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heat transfer by fluid movement (gases & liquids)

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radiation

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the process of propagating energy through space in a wavelike or harmonic manner

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the electromagnetic spectrum

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gamma (short radiation)-->X-Rays-->UV-->visible light-->near-infared

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physical radiation laws

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anything warmer than absolute zero (0 kelvin) that radiates energy

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the Stefan-Boltzman Law

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the total amount of energy emitted by a blackbody is proportional to the 4th power of its absolute temperature E=xT^4 (if T=2, T^4=16)

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Wien's Law

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The higher the temperature of a body the shorter the wavelength of it's maximum radiation. (hotter = shorter wavelength) 2897/Temperature of object

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solar energy

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energy from the sun that is converted into thermal or electrical energy

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energy production of the sun

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sun = shortwave radiation; 0-.4micrometers

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the solar constant

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the amount of solar radiation at the outer boundary of earth's atmosphere; perpendicular to earth's surface

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global insolation

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Uneven throughout the earth because of ground cover, clouds, angle, and water

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world latitude zones

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divisions that we use to describe climatic and other geographic zones; includes equatorial, tropical, subtropical, midlatitude, subarctic/subantarctic, arctic/antarctic, and polar zones

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Insolation losses in atmosphere (WHY?)

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1. scattering 2. absorption (the atmosphere greenhouse effect) 3. reflection

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scattering (*why the sky is blue*)

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the process by which small particles in the atmosphere deflect radiation from its path into different directions; lose radiation by back scatter

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absorption

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various gases absorb selectively at different wavelengths; O-Zone absorbs UV rays; h2o &co2 selectively absorb longwave (infrared) radiation at various wavelength peaks

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the greenhouse effect

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natural situation in which atmospheric gases trap heat energy and maintain the earth's temperature range; , The chemical bonds in carbon dioxide molecules absorbing solar energy and trapping it within the atmosphere. The trapping and returning of infrared radiation by water, carbon dioxide, etc.

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reflection

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the bouncing back of a ray of light, sound, or heat when the ray hits a surface that it does not go through (clouds, ground, dust/molecules,) 49% is absorbed at earth's surface

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Net Radiation

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the difference between all incoming energy and outgoing energy carried by both shortwave & longwave radiation ***amount of energy entering atmosphere must = amount leaving

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Latitude and radiation balance

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-generally there is a net surplus of radiation at lower latitudes; amounts decline rapidly in middle latitudes reaching 0 at 40N/S latitudes

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Poleward heat transfer

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1. 75% accounted for by atmospheric (horizontal movement) advection in the form of sensible heat (warm air masses) and latent heat (water vapor) 2. 25% accounted for by warm ocean currents

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temperature

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a measure if the mean kinetic energy per molecule (speed) in an object

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heat

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an energy form; a measure of the total kinetic energy of all molecules

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Tropical and Subtropical deserts

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have the greatest diurnal temperature difference because of the amount of water vapor in the air

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Annual Range

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generally at a high maximum at middle and high latitudes over land with extreme values at about 65degrees related to the affects of continentality in asia and North America

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Principle of Continentality

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tendency of large land mass in middle & high latitudes to impose a large annual temperature range on the air temperature cycle

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temperature near ground level

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at dawn the air temperature is the coolest and at 3:00 its is the warmest

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general points

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1. both day and night temperature extremes are most likely to be found at ground level because ground surface is the most active heat exchanger in the soil-atmoshpere system 2. for a given height difference, greater differences in temperature are found near the surface rather then farther from it 3. occurs on dry, cloud-free, windless winter nights; longwave radiation escaped the atmosphere

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differential heating & cooling

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it takes 3x as much heat energy to raise the temperature of h2o as it does soil; therefore land surfaces heat up more rapidly and greater than h2o surfaces

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temperature patterns

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1. the least annual temperature ranges occur in equatorial ranges 2. largest annual ranges in air temperature occur over land masses in mid/high heats

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isobaric surfaces

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surfaces of equal barometric pressure; pressure differences on earth's surface result from temperature differences

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pressure gradient force

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diff.Pressure/diff.Distance the initial force that causes wind to blow

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sea land breezes

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daytime - land heats up rapidly causing a pressure gradient from sea to land - sea breeze

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the coriolus effect

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a deflective force resulting from earth's rotation- deflects objects to the right in the N. hemisphere & left in the SH strengthens as a result of latitude and wind speed

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anticyclone

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a large-scale circulation of winds around a central region of high atmospheric pressure clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. Air sinks within this type of system.

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cyclone

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a low-pressure center characterized by a counterclockwise flow of air in the Northern hemisphere

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Monsoonal winds of SE Asia

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formation of anticyclone (high pressure) winds; cold dense air flow from land to sea; low precipitation and clear skies

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Summer winds

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cyclones form over Pakistan; air flow takes moist unstable air over land-heavy precipitation;monsoon

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santa ana winds

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anicyclones over N. Great Basin (UT); blow from NE out to sea (hot dry winds); prevalent in fall months

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Upper Level Winds

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1. geostrophic winds-upper level winds that flow parallel to isobars 2. westerly winds & rossby winds 3. polar front jet stream-narrow zones of high wind speeds: 200mph

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Ocean currents

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pushed poleward by surface winds associated with high pressure cells; east side of continents there are warm currents; cool ocean currents on west side-sends it equatorward

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phase changes

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1.evaporation 2.condensation 3.sublimation *the 3 states of water changes of states involve absorption or release of heat

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specific humidity

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the mass of water vapor contained in a kg of air = (g/kg)

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dewpoint

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the critical point at which air becomes saturated during cooling; below this point, condensation occurs usually producing water droplets

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relative humidity

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the ratio of water vapor present compared to the maximum quantity that could be , the ratio of the amount of water in the air at a give temperature to the maximum amount it could hold at that temperature (usually inverse related)

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the dry adiabatic lapse rate

answer

The rising and subsequent cooling of air at the rate of 10°C per 1,000 meters is called ________.

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the wet adiabatic lapse rate

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100% saturation 6°/1000m

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Cloud forms

answer

-cumilonimbus (vertical development) -cirrus -nimbostratus -stratus

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Cumulonimbus

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a dark cloud of great vertical extent charged with electricity

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cirrus

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a wispy white cloud (usually of fine ice crystals) at a high altitude (4 to 8 miles)

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nimbostratus

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clouds that are low-level, uniform layer, usually very dark, that bring strong precipitation

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stratus

answer

Clouds that form in low, horizontal layers, cover all or most of sky

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