Chapter 19 Science
True or false, El Niño episodes occur at irregular intervals of 3-7 years.
true
True or false, in an anticyclone, the value of isobars increase from the center to the outside.
true
True or false, inward and upward airflow at the equatorial zone is associated with clouds and precipitation.
true
True or false, the Coriolis effect occurs because the Earth rotates underneath the path of moving objects.
true
True or false, in the southern hemisphere, winds around the cyclone flow outward
ture
During the day, heated air along mountain slopes rises
valley breeze
Air pressure is the pressure exerted by the _____ of air above certain point
weight
In the United States, the __________ move weather from west to east
westerlies
____ are high-altitude fast-moving rivers of air that travel from west to east.
wind
What is prevailing wind?
When the wind constantly blows more often from one direction than from any other
True or false, areas dominated by subtropical low-pressure cells are often deserts
false
True or false, pressure differences that cause wing are generated by unequal heating of Earth's surface.
false
A) B) ----> <----- <----- -----> | | ^ ^ \/ \/ | | <----- -----> -----> <----- A or B? (this shows air movement) __ surface low __ divergence aloft __ surface high __ surface divergence __ calm, clear weather
A B B A A
What instrument is used to measure air pressure?
Barometer
An episode of ocean warming that affects the eastern tropical Pacific is called...
El Niño
What conditions trigger an El Niño episode?
Researchers have come to recognize that when the surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific are cooler that average, a La Niña event is triggered that has a destructive set of weather patterns
How are rain forests related to wind patterns?
The warm, humid trade winds coverage to yield abundant rainfall throughout the year. The rainfall is there instead of deserts.
Why doesn't the weight of air above table crush it?
The weight of the air pushing down balances the air pushing up. There is also air pressure pushing from all sides.
How are isobars related to pressure gradients?
They indicate a steep pressure gradient and high winds. Widely spaced isobars indicate weak pressure gradient and light winds. They are also closely spaced.
Does the figure show a land or sea breeze? Explain. L <------- <-------- <-------- <------- <------- <-------- <--------- H | /\ \/ | H ---------> -------> ------> --------> --------> ---------> --------> L ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~________________________________ cool water warm land
This is a sea breeze, during the daylight hours, the air above land heats and rises, creating a local zone of lower air pressure
How does friction affect wind?
This is important only within a few kilometers of the Earth's surface. Friction acts as a slow air movement, which changes the wind direction.
List 2 causes of local winds
Topographic effects or variations in surface composition - land and water in the immediate area.
True or false, Earth's rotation causes the two-cell convection system to break down into smaller cells
True
In which zone in the figure does sinking dry air produce deserts in some areas?
equatoral
Which letter of the winds near the equator that blow from easterly directions. a. jet streams b. westerlies c. trade winds d. polar easterlies
a
How does the atmosphere balance the amounts of energy received at different parts of Earth's surface?
activity as a giant heat transfer system. Hot air towards high altitudes and cold air toward the equator.
Wind is caused by horizontal differences in ____________
air pressure
Which letter of the locations where the coldest air pockets usually can be found a. valley floors b. mountain peaks c. mountainsides d. plains
b
at night, air over land cools and moves out toward the water
land breeze
___________ are small-scale winds produced by a locally generated pressure gradient
local winds
Cyclones are centers of ___ pressure associated with clouds and precipitation
low
at night, cooled air along mountain slopes moves downward
mountain breeze
Why do weather reports always emphasize cyclones and anticyclones?
pressure can produce bad weather in any season and helps predict future weather
What 3 factors combine to control wind?
pressure differences, Coriolis effect, friction
List the factors that cause winds in the northern hemisphere to blow inwards and counterclockwise around lows
pressure gradient and Coriolis effect
Due to the Coriolis effect, winds in the Northern Hemisphere re deflected to the _____
right
When air pressure increases, the mercury in the tube of mercury barometer _____
rises
during the day, heated air over land rises, allowing cooler air to move in from over water
sea breeze
The interaction of westerlies and polar easterlies produce the ______________
sub polar low
In north america, seasonal temperature differences over _______________ disrupt the global pressure pattern.
the ocean surface