Geography Lab2

Location and Temp Agulhas current

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Location and Temp Oyashio current

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Location and West Wind Drift current

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When a front passes through a region, abrupt weather changes normally occur. With the passing of a cold front, we note the following:

1. The temperature decreases sharply. 2. Winds shift from southerly, ahead of the front, to northwesterly, following it (in the Northern Hemisphere). 3. The front is in a pressure trough, so pressure falls as the front approaches and rises after it passes. 4. Generally clear skies ahead of the front are replaced by cloudiness and precipitation at the front - to be replaced again by clear skies after the front passes.

Check out the globe on the bottom of page

125

What is the wet adiabatic rate

3.3 F/1000

What is the normal lapse rate

3.5 F/1000 feet

Calculate temperature at various elevations using the normal lapse rate (for still air)

3.5 degrees F/ 1000 ft

What is the normal lapse rate

3.5 degrees F/1000 ft.

What is the dry adiabatic rate

5.5 F/1000 feet

What is a pressure gradient

Air flows from high to low

What happens at lifting condensation level

As a parcel of unsaturated air rises, it cools at the dry adiabatic rate. If the air mass rises high enough, it cools to the dew point temp, the air saturates, condensation begins, clouds form. This is the flat base we see on clouds

Before a warm front

Decreasing pressure Winds south to southeast Cool Temps Cirrus, cirrostratus, altostratus, nimbostratus Light to moderate, increasing rain

Time formula

Distance/Rate

Find the lapse rate if the temp is 68 degrees at 0 ft (sea level) at 10,064 ft

Find the elevation difference = 10,064 ft Set up ratio for cross multiplication: (Temp) 3.5 = x (Elev) 1000 = 10,064 Solve (10,064) 3.5 / 1000 = 35.22 F Remember: if calculating from a higher elevation, subtract degrees from starting temp and if calculating from a lower elevation, add degrees to starting temp So for this problem we are calculating from a higher elevation of 10,06 ft from 0 ft. 68 - 35.22 = 32.78 or 33 degrees at 10,064 ft (higher altitudes it will be cooler, lower altitudes, warmer)

Find the lapse rate if the temp is 68 degrees at 0 ft (sea level) at 1280 ft

Find the elevation difference = 1280 ft Set up ratio for cross multiplication: (Temp) 3.5 = x (Elev) 1000 = 1280 Solve (1280) 3.5 / 1000 = 4.48 F Remember: if calculating from a higher elevation, subtract degrees from starting temp and if calculating from a lower elevation, add degrees to starting temp So for this problem we are calculating from a higher elevation of 1280 ft from 0 ft. 68 - 4.48 = 63.52 at 1280 ft (higher altitudes it will be cooler, lower altitudes, warmer)

Find the lapse rate if the temp is 68 degrees at 0 ft (sea level) at 14,494 ft

Find the elevation difference = 14,494 ft Set up ratio for cross multiplication: (Temp) 3.5 = x (Elev) 1000 = 14,494 Solve (14,494) 3.5 / 1000 = 50.73 F Remember: if calculating from a higher elevation, subtract degrees from starting temp and if calculating from a lower elevation, add degrees to starting temp So for this problem we are calculating from a higher elevation of 14,494 ft from 0 ft. 68 - 50.73 = 17.27 or 17 degrees at 14,494 ft (higher altitudes it will be cooler, lower altitudes, warmer)

Find the lapse rate if the temp is 68 degrees at 0 ft (sea level) at Death Valley - -282 ft below sea level

Find the elevation difference = 282 ft Set up ratio for cross multiplication: (Temp) 3.5 = x (Elev) 1000 = 282 Solve (282) 3.5 / 1000 = .987 F Remember: if calculating from a higher elevation, subtract degrees from starting temp and if calculating from a lower elevation, add degrees to starting temp So for this problem we are calculating from a lower elevation of -282 ft from 0 ft. 68 + .987 = 68.987 or 69 degrees F at -282 ft below sea level (higher altitudes it will be cooler, lower altitudes, warmer)

How to find the lapse rate if temp is 65 degrees at 3000 ft, what will the temp be at 7000 ft

Find the elevation difference = 4000 ft Set up ratio for cross multiplication: (Temp) 3.5 = x (Elev) 1000 = 4000 Solve (4000) 3.5 / 1000 = 14 F Remember: if calculating from a higher elevation, subtract degrees from starting temp and if calculating from a lower elevation, add degrees to starting temp So for this problem we are calculating from a higher elevation of 7000 ft from 4000 ft. 65 - 14 = 51 at 7000 ft (higher altitudes it will be cooler, lower altitudes, warmer)

Cold fronts

Heavy rainfall, decreasing temperatures, decreasing humidity, and changing wind directions are associated with passage of a cold front.

Continental Tropical

Hot and Dry

How can relative humidity change if temp stays the same

If temperature stays the same, relative humidity changes as water vapor enters or leaves the air.

After cold front

Increasing pressure North Northwest cold temps Cumulus, altostratus Moderate-light, decreasing precipitation

Warm fronts

Light to moderate rain, warmer temperatures, increasing humidity, and changing wind directions follow passage of a warm front

Location and Temp of California Current

Location: The California current flows along the West Coast of the United States Temp: cool

Know the location and T° of Humbolt

Location: north along the west coast of South America from the southern tip of Chile to northern Peru. Known as the Peru current Temp: warm

Location and Temp of Gulf Stream

Location: originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Temp: warm

Location and Temp of North Atlantic Drift

Location: warm ocean current in the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean. A continuation of the Gulf Stream Temp: Warm

Identify marine or continental location based on monthly temperatures/annual temp ranges

Marine West Coast - Moderate temps - avg summer temp 60 to 70 degrees and winter temps 35 to 45 degrees - moderate annual temp range Humid Continental - Dramatic swings in temp, huge variability day to day, cold waves, heat waves, blizzards, thunderstorms, tornadoes, etc. Summer temps average mid 70's mild and brief. But winter temps is between 10 to 25 degrees with 1 to 5 months below freezing, long, dark, very cold. Huge annual temp ranges

Distance formula

Rate (Time)

Location and Temp Benguela current

Temp:

Location and Temp of Brazil current

Temp: warm

On page 96, you can see the warm currents in the red and cool currents in blue. What do you notice

Warm currents seem to go between 30 degrees north and south plus the north Atlantic drift. Cold currents are beyond that

Dry bulb - Wet bulb =

Wet bulb depression

What is albedo

ability of a surface to reflect radiation

Relative humidity percentage

absolute humidity/capacity x 100

How to calculate "mean" temp

add temps and divide by total number of temps

Dry bulb

air temp

The prefix is the

altitude

Clouds are classified by two characteristics

altitude and shape

What is specific heat?

amount of energy needed to raise the temp of 1 gram of any material 1 degree C

Wet bulb

amount of evaporation - how much room is in the air for water vapor to evaporate

What is insolation

amount of radiation energy received from the sun to drive Earth's processes

What is capacity?

amount of water vapor in grams an air parcel can hold at a given temp

What is absolute humidity

amount of water vapor in grams present in a given parcel of air

Trade Winds

arrows from the sub tropical high converging at the equator

Westerlies

arrows from the subtropical high between 40 to 60 degrees latitude N and S

Air is heated from the ground up how

by long wave radiation emitted from the earth not by short wave insolation

How are ocean currents set in motion

by the trade winds blowing across the equator from the east towards the west

Be able to locate the location of a warm and cold front on an isobar map

can you do this?

Know where to find the cold front, warm front, cold air mass, warm air mass, and the direction of movement on a map and cross-section of a mature midlatitude cyclone

can you do this?

Polar air mass

cold

The air mass with the lowest humidity would be

cold

What is high pressure

cold air sinking to an area of higher external pressure; diverges

Continental Polar

cold and dry

Adiabatic heating and cooling is one of the processes that creates

condensation and precipitation

Air masses

continental, marine, tropical, polar

Marine Polar

cool and wet

This causes the air mass to

cool by expansion

Increasing temps causes the relative humidity to _____ and what happens to condensation?

decrease; it ends

Continental air mass

dry

Sub tropical highs

hatch marks along the 30 degree latitude line N and S

What is sensible heat

heat (energy) you feel

ITCZ

heavy line along the equator

How about a cement sidewalk

high

What about a greek village with white painted houses

high

Would antarctica be a high or low albedo?

high

Cirrus, what's the altitude, shape, and weather

high, no shape, wispy high clouds of ice crystals stable conditions

Cirrocumulus

high, rounded and puffy, approaching strorm

How to calculate the temp "range"

highest temp minus lowest temp

Marine air mass

humid

The air mass may reach dew point temp depending on

humidity and degree of cooling

What is the coriolis effect

in the Northern Hemisphere high pressure = diverging, clockwise low pressure = converging, counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere high pressure = diverging, counter clockwise low pressure - converging, clockwise

What happens to the air mass as it rises

it expands as it increases altitude and external pressure decreases

The results of specific heat for land and water

land (continental interiors) experiences extreme temp ranges during day or over a year water (coastal) experiences lower temp ranges during day or over a year

Land heats and cools faster than water. Why?

land has lower specific heat water has higher specific heat

Why is the rate of cooling slowed above lifting condensation level?

latent heat is released when water vapor condenses

With a warm air front, what is different

lesser magnitude

Can you identify the source regions for air masses for North America on a map?

let me know

The elevation where this occurs is called

lifting condensation level

A freshly plowed field with dark brown soil

lo

Would lava flow in Hawaii be hi or lo

low

Would the amazon river be hi or lo

low

cumulus

low, round and puffy, fair weather

stratocumulus

low, round and puffy, stretchy, drizzle

Cirrostratus

low, sheet like, indicate approaching storms

Nimbostratus

low, sheetlike, gentle steady rain

Stratus

low, sheetlike, overcast

What are some low albedo surfaces

mature forests, dark soil, dark fields, dark rocks, rough surfaces

Altocumulus

mid, puffy and round, settled weather, stable

Altostratus

mid, sheetlike, changing weather - unstable

What are the 4 factors of water

mobile transparent higher evaporation higher specific heat

Cumulonimbus

no altitude, tall vertical thunderclouds, produce heavy rain, hail, tornadoes

Stratus

prefix Low (before 6500

Alto

prefix Middle (6500 to 20,000 ft)

Cirrus

prefix high (20,000 ft)

What are the primary means for transporting surplus energy from the tropics to the deficit areas at the poles

pressure, wind, and ocean circulation systems

What is relative humidity

ratio of water vapor present to the total amount of vapor the air mass can hold

When an air mass comes in contact with a barrier, such as a mountain, it is forced to

rise

When do we use the wet adiabatic rate

rising air masses that have cooled to dew point

When do we use the dry adiabatic rate

rising air masses that have not cooled to dew point

If this happens, the air mass will become

saturated

Why don't all geographic locations not receive the same amount of insolation

seasons - shift of direct rays in tropics, 24 hrs day/night poleward angle of the rays duration of daylight atmospheric conditions albedo

The suffix is the

shape

Between warm and cold fronts

small decrease in pressure, then small increase southwest winds warm temps Cumulus, cumulonimbus No rain then heavy rain prior to cold front

What are some high albedo surfaces

snow, ice, sand, deserts, light vegetation, smooth surfaces, light surfaces

What are the 4 factors of land

solid opaque less evaporation lower specific heat

When do we use the normal lapse rate

stratified air - air that is not rising

Nimubus

suffix any could that is precipitating

Cumulus

suffix rounded and puffy

Humidity is based on

temp

What is dew point

temperature where relative humidity is 100% AND to which a given air mass must cool in order for condensation to occur

As the air mass descends, what happens

the opposite. Increasing external pressure compresses the air mass and causes warming.

What is leeward

the side of the mountain where air is sinking and warming; no precipitation

What is winward

the side of the mountain where the air is rising, cooling, and precipitating

Wind direction is based on

the source region of the air - which direction it is coming from

What happens when the currents hit a barrier

the water is deflected to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere by the Coriolis Effect see pg 96

You only use the wet adiabatic rate on which side of the mountain? .

the winward side, above lifting condensation level (LCL)

Ocean currents are responsible for

transferring surplus energy stored along the equator to deficit areas at the poles

Fronts occur where

two air masses of different temps meet. A low pressure cell forms where the air masses meet due to mixing. Around the low pressure cell in the northem hemisphere, the air will circulate counterclockwise around the cell due to Coriolis. This allows the cold air to move into the warm air sector and warm air to move into the cold air sector. Eventually, the cold front will overtake the warm front, and the cyclone will end.

The air mass with the highest humidity would be

warm

Tropical air mass

warm

Which has a high capacity, warm air mass or cold air mass

warm

What is low pressure

warm air rising to an area of lower external pressure; converges

Marine Tropical

warm and wet

There is more evaporation over water or land

water

What happens to relative humidity if temp increases or decreases

when temp decreases, humidity increases when temp increases, humidity decreases the warmer it is, the greater capacity for water vapor in the air