GEOG 2630: Exam 2

between 2.5 um and 25 um 10 um

95% of earth radiation occurs between _______ and ______. The wavelength of maximum emission is __________.

between .25 um and 2.5 um .5 um

95% of solar energy is being emitted between ____________ and ______________. The wavelength of max emission is ____________.

Geographic position on the continent with respect to prevailing winds

A coastal location where prevailing winds blow from the ocean onto the shore experiences considerably different temperatures than does a coastal location where prevailing winds blow from the land toward the ocean.

specific heat

A measure of the amount of heat necessary to raise the temperature of 1 g of a substance 1ºC

decrease

Average surface temperatures should _____________ as the landscape's altitude rises above sea level.

False

True or False: All wavelengths of electromagnetic energy have the same properties and interact with the Earth's components in the same way.

True

True or False: Energy must be taken from the environment for ice to be converted into liquid water and for liquid water to be converted to water vapor.

True

True or False: Heat energy is released into the environment when water vapor is converted to liquid water and liquid water is converted to ice.

True

True or False: Land and water have different heating and cooling capabilities, and since the heating of the Earth's surface controls the heating of the air above, land and water influence air temperatures differently

True

True or False: Oceans act as great heat reservoirs and these water bodies temper the extremes of temperature.

True

True or False: The atmosphere does have the ability to absorb the more threatening forms of EMR - gamma rays, x-rays, and UV radiation; 0202, C02, H20 in the lower atmosphere

True

True or False: The atmosphere does not have a good capability to absorb visible light, thus the atmosphere is not warmed by incoming visible light.

False

True or false: Solar energy is distributed equally over the Earth's surface.

visible light, infrared radiation

Two categories of electromagnetic radiation that are most important for the heating and cooling of the Earth's surface and lower atmosphere (troposphere).

higher, hotter

Vancouver has a ____________ average temperature throughout the year but Winnipeg actually gets ___________ in the summer months

Asphalt, water body with low solar altitude

What Earth surface material has a very low albedo (reflectivity) to visible solar radiation?

Water bodies with low solar altitude and snow

What Earth surface material has the greatest albedo (reflectivity) to visible solar radiation?

The Earth's surface

What does sunlight (visible solar radiation) actually warm?

1. scatter 2. reflect 3. absorb 4. transmit

What four things may happen to solar energy as it attempts to reach the Earth's surface?

Hot air is pulled up and cold air is pulled down in a counter-clockwise motion

What is meant by a convective cell or convective circulation?

Keeps wintertime temperatures in Great Britain & much of W Europe warmer than would be expected for their latitudes

What is the influence of the Gulf Stream (and its extension the North Atlantic Drift) on eastern United States and on western Europe

Advection

What is the most important reason explaining the relatively rapid change in temperatures in the Youngstown region over the span of a day or two or over several hours?

Because of the cold California current, summer temperatures in subtropical coastal S California are lower by 10.8°F or more compared to E coast locations

What kind of influence does the California Current have on the western coastal region of the United States?

reflect or absorb

What may happen to solar energy when it reaches the Earth's surface?

It is either reflected or absorbed depending on the surface albedo

What may happen when insolation strike's the Earth's surface?

radiant energy (radiation)

energy from the sun is in the form of __________________

kinetic energy

energy of motion

temperature

measure of the average heat or thermal energy of the molecules in a substance

Four Selected Principles of Electromagnetic Radiation

1. All things, no matter how big or small, emit electromagnetic radiation 2. The temperature of an object determines how much radiation is emitted and at what particular wavelength 3. As the distance from a radiating object increases, a given amount of energy is distributed over a larger area, so that the energy received per unit of area and per unit of time decreases 4. The radiation intensity received from a source depends not only on the intensity emitted and the distance from the source, but also on the angle at which the radiation strikes the surface

heat

the total energy of all the molecular motion inside that object

horizontal air movement

Any movement of air due to the wind, whether on a large or small scale, can have a significant short-term effect on the temperature of a given location. Thus, wind blowing from an ocean to land will generally bring cooler temperatures in summer & warmer temperatures in winter. Air moving from polar regions into mid latitudes will being sharp drops in temperature. Air moving in a poleward position from tropical latitudes will bring warmer temperatures

Third selected principle of electromagnetic radiation

As the distance from a radiating object increases, a given amount of energy is distributed over a larger area, so that the energy received per unit of area and per unit of time decreases

altitude and aspect

Because of the indirect heating of the atmosphere whereby the air is heated by IR from the Earth's surface, temperatures decrease with altitude. Daily temperature range also changes with variations in height. Aspect also influences temperature- the combined influences of steepness and direction faced by a slope determines its aspect. The importance of aspect is best seen in differences that occur on the north- facing and south- facing slopes in the N.H.

westerly

California is being influenced by ____________ winds while New York is under the influence of inner continental winds

no

Can the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere absorb all wavelengths of infrared radiation?

sun angle

Changes in ___________________ cause changes in ocean surface albedo.

Rapid daytime heating and nighttime cooling

Characterize the day and night temperature conditions in high mountains.

cooler

Cloudy days are _____________ than clear days.

warmer

Cloudy nights remain ___________ than clear nights.

latitude

Distance north or south of the equator

yes

Do clouds have a capability to absorb outgoing infrared radiation being emitted from the Earth's surface?

no

Does the atmosphere treat visible light and infrared radiation the same?

released

During cloud formation, energy is ______________ to the environment.

day

During the ________________ the deserts are extremely hot but at night the deserts are extremely cold

longwave radiation

Earth radiation is often referred to as ____________________.

Heat disorders

Heat disorders generally have to do with a reduction or collapse of the body's ability to shed heat by circulatory changes and sweating, or a chemical (salt) imbalance caused by too much sweating. When heat gain exceeds the level the body can remove, or when the body cannot compensate for fluids and salt lost through perspiration, the temperature of the body's inner core begins to rise and heat-related illness may develop. Ranging in severity, heat disorders share one common feature: the individual has overexposed or over exercised for his age and physical condition in the existing thermal environment. Heat Disorder Symptoms: sunburn, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat stroke

warmer to colder

Heat energy is always transferred from _______ to _________ substances/objects.

mountains cut off the influencing winds

How do mountain barriers influence temperatures?

we receive conflicting air currents which causes storms

How do the lack of major west-east trending mountain barriers between the Rocky and the Appalachians Mountains influence the temperatures in Youngstown?

• The combined influences of steepness & direction faced by a slope determines its aspect. • The importance of aspect is best seen in differences that occur on north-facing and south-facing slopes in the N.H. • A north-facing slope may still have snow lying on it while a south-facing slope is quite clear. • The north-facing slope gets less intense radiation and, as the sun gets lower in the sky, will be in shadow before the south-facing slope.

How might a landscape's aspect influence surface temperatures?

50%

How much of the energy that reaches the top of Earth's atmosphere is actually absorbed directly or indirectly by the Earth's surface?

it would change the time

How would a cloudy night affect the time of lowest temperature within a 24-hour period?

hypothermia

Hypothermia is a medical emergency that occurs when your body loses heat faster than it can produce heat, causing a dangerously low body temperature. Normal body temperature is around 98.6 F (37 C). Hypothermia occurs as your body temperature passes below 95 F (35 C). Can eventually lead to complete failure of your heart and respiratory system and to death. Most often caused by exposure to cold weather or immersion in a cold body of water. Primary treatments for hypothermia are methods to warm the body back to a normal temperature. Mild hypothermia symptoms may include shivering, dizziness, fast breathing, trouble speaking, increased heart rate Moderate to severe symptoms include shivering, lack of coordination, slurred speech, weak pulse, lack of concern about ones condition, slow and shallow breathing

water surface, air

If colder air overlies a warmer water surface, heat will be transferred from the _______ to the __________.

Energy is being transferred to balance out these latitudes

If the middle latitudes (think Youngstown) are losing more energy to space than these latitudes gain directly from the sun, why are these latitudes not getting progressively colder?

mid afternoon

In a 24-hour period, on average, when do we experience the highest temperature?

noon

In a 24-hour period, on average, when do we receive the greatest input of solar radiation?

sunset-sunrise

In a 24-hour period, on average, when do we receive the least amount of solar radiation.

sunrise

In a 24-hour period, when do we normally experience the lowest temperature?

Air is a very poor conductor of heat - only a thin layer of the atmosphere in contact with the Earth's surface gains heat by conduction

Is the atmosphere a good conductor of heat?

no

Is the form of energy reaching the Earth's surface the same type of energy that is returned to space?

The sky is not always blue due to things like dust, salt, pollutants, tiny water droplets, ice crystals, etc. They change the sky from blue to milky white.

Is the sky always blue? Why or why not?

no

Is the time of lowest temperature always just before sunrise?

(infrared) atmospheric window

It is through this atmospheric window that most heat from the Earth's surface eventually escapes to space as IR

opaque, transparent

Land is ___________ and water is ____________

contrast in heating and cooling between land and water

Land surfaces are rapidly & intensely heated under the sun's rays, whereas water surfaces are only slowly & moderately heated. Land surfaces cool off more rapidly & reach lower temperatures than water surfaces when solar radiation is cut off or significantly reduced. Water bodies act as great heat reservoirs. Water absorbs heat better than land.

July

On an annual basis, what month typically experiences the highest mean monthly temperature?

January

On an annual basis, what month typically experiences the lowest mean monthly temperature?

June 21

On an annual basis, what time of year do we receive the greatest amount of solar radiation?

December 21

On an annual basis, what time of year do we receive the least amount of solar energy?

shortwave radiation

Solar radiation is often referred to as _____________________.

greater

The shorter the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation, the ________________ is its energy level.

Infrared Radiation

The earth radiates much of its energy as ____________________.

total kinetic energy created by a molecular movement, the potential energy stored in the molecular bonds

The energy present in a body/substance (its internal energy) consists of (1) __________ and (2) ______________.

cooler, warmer

The general effect of the contrast in heating and cooling properties of land and water is to produce ___________ winters and ____________ summers over continental interiors than over coastal zones and ocean bodies.

more, shorter

The higher and object's temperature, the ________ radiation it emits and the __________ is the peak wavelength of the emissions.

True

The presence of clouds tends to keep nighttime temperatures higher and daytime temperatures lower

Fourth selected principle of electromagnetic radiation

The radiation intensity received from a source depends not only on the intensity emitted and the distance from the source, but also on the angle at which the radiation strikes the surface. If the radiation arrives at right angles to the receiving surface, the radiation energy received by that surface area is maximum. The more oblique the incident radiation, the smaller the amount of energy received at any given point. For these reasons, the ground is warmed very little by sunlight near sunrise and sunset and is heated most strongly at local noon Also, winter is colder than summer because the sun in generally low in the winter sky.

Visible Light

The sun radiates much of its energy as _________________.

Second selected principle of electromagnetic radiation

The temp. of an object determines how much radiation is emitted and at what particular wavelength The higher a body's temp. the more radiation emitted and the shorter the peak wavelength of the emissions. Hotter objects radiate more total energy per unit area than do colder objects As the temp. of an object increases, more total radiation is emitted each second Small increase in temp. results in a large increase in the amount of radiation emitted because doubling the absolute temp. of an object increases the maximum energy output by a factor of 16 (2^4)

wind chill

The wind chill is the effect of the wind on people and animals. The wind chill temperature is based on the rate of heat loss from exposed skin caused by wind and cold and is to give you an approximation of how cold the air feels on your body. The only effect wind chill has on inanimate objects, such as car radiators and water pipes, is to shorten the amount of time for the object to cool. The lower the wind chill temperature, the greater you are at risk for developing frost bite and/or hypothermia

energy

When water vapor is transferred through the atmosphere, not only is water being moved, but ________________ is also being moved.

California Current

Where would you tend to find fog: over the California Current; over the Gulf Stream; over the Labrador Current; near the junction of the Labrador and Gulf Stream Currents?

the British Isles

Which is influenced more by the Gulf Stream - the east coast of the United States or the British Isles and western Europe?

advection

Which of the five heat transfer mechanisms is most responsible for the significant changes in temperature in the Youngstown region over the span of a day or two or even over the span of several hours?

They have a larger surface area to absorb solar radiation, give off large quantities of heat from buildings, factories, and cars, and there's more carbon dioxide over cities to absorb earth's radiation

Why are urban areas often referred to as "heat islands" in relation to the surrounding more rural areas?

An equal amount of heat leaves the Earth-atmosphere system as enters the system from the sun

Why does the average temperature of the Earth remain almost the same from year to year?

The sky appears blue because of the light that stimulates the sensations of blue color reaches your eye This happens because of the influence of atmospheric scattering of incoming solar visible light You perceive the sky as being blue because the violet, blue, and green light waves are bombarding you from all directions

Why is the sky blue?

no

Will most energy reaching the Earth's surface at a particular location be returned to space from that same particular location?

yes

Within the Earth's system, is energy converted from one type to another?

ocean currents

a movement of ocean water that follows a regular pattern

mountain barriers

air masses could travel further because mountains are in the way; more of a continental location. Summers get warmer but winters get colder. Lack of mountain- easy for air masses to travel. Ohio has a lack of mountain ranges;

First selected principle of electromagnetic radiation

all things, no matter how big or small, emit electromagnetic radiation

high pressure system

clockwise, outward, warmer air left, colder air right

low pressure system

counter clockwise, inward, warmer air right, colder air left

water

evaporation is greater over _____________ bodies

greenhouse gas

gases that absorb & emit infrared radiation & contribute to the greenhouse effect

heat index

given in degrees F, is an accurate measure of how hot it really feels when relative humidity is added to the actual air temperature. IMPORTANT: Since HI values were devised for shady, light wind conditions, exposure to full sunshine can increase heat index values by up to 15°F. Also, strong winds, particularly with very hot, dry air, can be extremely hazardous.

latent heat

heat absorbed or radiated during a change of phase at a constant temperature and pressure

advection

horizontal heat transfer within the atmosphere Wind is the transfer agent of advection Transports warmer or colder air to new locations and accounts for a major percentage of the lateral heat transfer within the atmosphere Major reason for significant temp. changes over short periods of time in our region

sublimation

ice -> melting -> liquid -> evaporation -> vapor

Water Vapor

most important greenhouse gas

reflection

process whereby a surface turns back a portion of the radiation that strikes it, without being absorbed or transmitted

5 main processes of energy transfer

radiation conduction convection advection the latent heat of evaporation and condensation

low latitudes

receive more energy than high latitudes

absorption

the energy conversion process whereby a portion of the radiation incident on an object is converted to heat energy represents an energy transfer to the absorbing molecule

albedo

the fraction of solar radiation arriving at a surface that is reflected represents the reflectivity of a surface high albedo - light colored - water low albedo - dark colored - land

cloud cover

the fraction or percent of the total sky at a location that is covered by clouds

insolation

the incoming solar radiation that reaches the Earth's surface

absorber

the ocean is a strong _________________ of incoming visible light

scattering

the process by which aerosols and molecules disperse radiation in all directions

transmission

the process whereby electromagnetic waves pass completely through a medium the atmosphere is transparent to a portion of incoming visible light from the sun - the atmosphere allows this light to be transmitted to the Earth's surface

greater

the specific heat of water is significantly _______________ than that of land materials

Greenhouse Gas Effect

the warming of the atmosphere by its absorption & emission of infrared radiation coming off the Earth's surface while allowing sunlight to pass through without absorbing it

conduction

transmission of heat energy by point-to-point contact of neighboring molecules

convection

transport of heat within a fluid via motions of the fluid itself Unequal heating at the Earth's surface creates a local hot spot Air in contact warms by conduction, expands, and rises Rising air cools adiabatically to dew point temperature Very important means of heat transfer in the atmosphere More important than conduction in transporting heat vertically within the atmosphere Major cause of clouds leading to precipitation

electromagnetic radiation

travels in the form of waves at the speed of light that release energy when they are absorbed by an object; consists of waves of many different wavelengths

water bodies

turbulent and free to mix

Urbanization

urban areas are relatively warmer than rural areas around it. Noted as called "heat islands" because cities are good absorbers of sunlight

deposition

vapor -> condensation -> liquid -> freezing -> ice

4 times

water must absorb about ___________ as much heat energy as land materials in order to rise in temp. the same amount as dry soil

visible light

what wavelengths are most easily scattered in the atmosphere