Weather and Climate Final Exam (Ch. 3, 5, 7, 10)

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Mature lodgepoles will form an umbrella-like structure called a(n)_ that shades the forest floor.

Canopy

What are the two major factors in the study of both ancient and present-day climatic conditions of the Earth ?

Changes in the relationship between the Earth and the Sun and the changes in the surface of the planet itself

Weather

Is the condition of the atmosphere at a particular time and place.

Which of the following is not true of carbon dioxide?

It occurs in large amounts in the atmosphere relative to other gases.

The atmosphere over urban centers are an example of which atmospheric scale?

Micro-Scale

Following the urban heat island profile from rural areas to a typical downtown urban area, which of the following is true?

On average, urban areas are 1 to 3°C higher than nearby rural areas.

An example of planetary-scale

Semipermanent pressure centers

In the United States, most anthropogenic pollution is caused by:

automobiles

Approximately how much of all the water on Earth is freshwater?

3%

A fog that develops when warm, moist air blows over a cold current (such as the California Current) is an example of fog.

Advection

Which of the following is false?

Air pressure decreases through the troposphere though increases in the stratosphere.

Land has a ________ specific heat than water and therefore heats more ________.

lower, quickly

The three non-variable gases in the atmosphere, in order of abundance from most to least, are

nitrogen, oxygen, argon.

The reaction of automobile exhaust and ultraviolet light

produces photochemical smog.

A thunderstorm is usually which type of cloud?

cumulonimbus

Conditionally unstable

-environmental lapse rate is greater than the moist adiabatic lapse rate and less then the dry adiabatic lapse rate -ELR is 7C/1000m

uncinus

"hook shaped" = streaks of cirrus clouds that are shaped like a comma resting on its side

graupel

"soft hail" or the first stage of hail formation

hydrophobic

"water-repelling"

hygroscopic

"water-seeking"

Define absolute stability.

(ELR TEMP OF ENVIRONMENT VS TEMP INSIDE AIR PARCEL) ELR<wet adiabatic lapse rate; The air parcel remains COOLER than surrounding environment, whether saturated or unsaturated. AIR PARCEL WILL RESIST LIFTING. cool, stable, resists lifting

Define absolute instability.

(ELR TEMP OF ENVIRONMENT VS TEMP INSIDE AIR PARCEL) ELR> dry adiabatic lapse rate; The air parcel remains WARMER than its surrounding environment, whether saturated or unsaturated. AIR PARCEL WILL CONTINUE TO RISE ONCE LIFTED. warm, unstable, lifts

According to the Skeptical Raptor blog, which of these is NOT a "red flag" warming that the testimony of a scientific expert should NOT be trusted?

The "expert" lists many of their own credentials such as awards from professional organizations and number of citations

How precipitation forms

The Bergeron processes precipitation from cold clouds, depending on the coexistence of water vapor, liquid cloud drops lets ice crystals.

Permafrost

Underneath the thawed soil of a tundra lies a permanently frozen layer of soil.

All of the following are necessary ingredients for the formation of clouds except

Warm surface air temperature

katabatic winds

Winds that move down a slope.

Air consists of

a mixture of gases that behaves as if it were a single gas

Fog

a stratus cloud that forms when air is cooled to its dew point near the ground. A cloud with its base at or very near the ground.

minimum thermometer

a thermometer that measures the minimum temperature for a given period of time, usually 24 hours. By checking the small dumbbell-shaped index, the minimum temperature can be read.

stratus, stratocumulus and nimbostratus

3 kinds of low clouds:

If an air parcel at 2000 m with an initial temperature of 30°C and a dew point of 15°C begins to rise over a mountain, at what altitude will a cloud form?

3500 m

If an air parcel at 2000 m with an initial temperature of 30°C and a dewpoint of 15°C begins to rise over a mountain, at what altitude will a cloud form?

3500 m

Define environmental lapse rate.

actual air temperature at different heights; varies with time and place (NOT the same as adiabatic temperature changes)

Assume a warm air parcel, at sea level, has a temperature of 21°C (70°F) and begins to rise upward. Assume it becomes saturated at 1000 m (3300 ft) altitude, and continues to rise to 2000 m (6600 ft.) altitude. What would the approximate temperature of the parcel be at an elevation of 2000 m (6600 ft.)?

5°C (46.4°F)

Which of these is NOT true of the 'List of References Cited' section format required/suggested according to the Allen 2000 paper?

additional sources not cited in the text should be included if they may be helpful to the reader

When warm moist air moves over a cold surface, ________ fog may result.

advection

El Nino

A warm ocean current that flows along the coast of Peru every seven to fourteen years. Associated with weak trade winds, a strong eastward-moving equatorial countercurrent, and diminishing upwelling

Supercell thunderstorms are characterized by

all of these

The thermohaline conveyor:

all of these

Which of the following best describes air pollution?

Both natural and anthropogenic gases, particles, and other substances in amounts that cause damage to the environment or are harmful to humans.

Which Milankovitch parameter seems to be a factor evidenced in the Vostok ice core? A. Obliquity B. Precession of the equinoxes C. Eccentricity D. None of the above

C. Eccentricity

An instrument used to measure wind speed

anemometer

Hygroscopic and hydrophobic

Cloud condensation nuclei

Ice Age

Is a period during which ice collects in high latitudes and moves toward lower latitudes.

Which of the following was NOT used by Kitchin (2014) to define big data?

Limited in scope

Under what conditions does light and fluffy snow form

cold air and low humidity

daily temperature range

the difference between the maximum and minimum temperatures for a day.

annual temperature range

the difference between the warmest and coldest monthly means.

According to the Southeast Climate reading on temperature trends, what happens to Florida during El Nino winters?

temperatures are below normal

Stability

tendency of an air parcel either to remain in place or to change vertical position by ascending or descending

What is stability?

tendency of an air parcel to move or not

Clouds, dew and frost all form because air has become saturated. This condition of saturation is usually caused by

the air being cooled

Adiabatic Descending process

the air parcel will be compressed and the temp. inside the air parcel will increase

Define lifting condensation level.

the altitude at which a parcel reaches saturation and cloud formation begins

radiative forcing

the amount of change in thermal energy that a given factor causes

temperature gradiant

the amount of temperature change per unit of distance.

Climate sensitivity refers to

the amount of warming that would occur from a given change in a climate driver

Climate sensitivity refers to:

the amount of warming that would occur from a given change in climate driver.

Which of these is NOT one of the 3 general types of models?

elemental

What does one call the smallest unit used in any climate model?

grid cell

What is associated with sinking air masses and fair weather conditions?

high-pressure system

tropics

in what area of the world is the collision-coalescence process more common based on the abundant water vapor and comparatively few condensation nuclei?

Cells

influence global precipitation paterns

The radiation emitted by Earth:

is primarily absorbed by the atmosphere

polar jet stream

jet stream that can bring down cold weather conditions from the north

subtropical jet stream

jet stream that can bring up warm weather conditions from the south

contrails

jet's output of hot water that cools rapidly in atmosphere and condenses

Which of the following statements best describes climate during the past million years?

many climate swings occurring on thousand year time scales.

Define convergence.

mechanism of lifting; an inflow of air leads to air rising and cooling adiabatically. Convergence is a pileup of air. When the wind pattern near Earth's surface is such that more air is entering an area than is leaving, convergence occurs.

To change state from a solid to a liquid

melt

cumulus

most familiar cloud of vertical development cloud; dense, billowy clouds often characterized by flat bases that tend to occur as isolated clouds or closely packed; vertical domes or towers; tops look like cauliflower heads

What is the main difference between the water molecules in all 3 phases?

motion the particles and the distance between them

Diabatic

occurring with an exchange of heat

monthly mean temperature

the mean temperature for a month that is calculated by averaging the daily means.

The Bergeron process causes cloud droplets to grow because

the saturation vapor pressure is lower near ice crystals than it is near supercooled droplets.

The movement of water between Earth's surface and the air

the water cycle

Name the layers of the atmosphere in order, beginning with the layer closest to Earth

troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere

stratosphere

under mesopshere - ozone layer located here

With what confidence level does the AR5 IPCC assessment state that the global average troposphere temperature increased from 1951-2010?

virtually certain

Which of the following is a natural source of atmospheric pollution?

volcanic eruptions

natural causes for air pollution

volcanoes, forest fires, plants, decaying plants, soil, ocean

Natural sources of methane

wetlands, termites, oceans, hydrates

How many calories does it take to have vaporization/condensation?

+540/-540

How many calories does it take to have melting/freezing take place?

+80/-80

Based on Figure 5.7, air temperature above the oceans is usually more moderate than that above the continents because

- There is no mixing between the layers of the land. - Land has a lower specific heat. - The surface of the land is opaque. - There is less evaporation from most land surfaces. Answer: All the above.

isotherm

a line connecting points of equal air temperature

valley breeze

a local wind produced by the movement of cooler air from the valley that moves up a mountain slope

wind chill

a measure of apparent temperature that uses the effects of wind and temperature on the human body by translating the cooling power of wind to a temperature under calm conditions. it is an approximation only for humans and has no meaning for cars, buildings etc.

Oxygen Isotope Analysis

a method of deciphering past temperatures based on precise measurement of the ratio between two isotopes of oxygen, 16O and 18O

growing degree-days

a practical application of temperature data for determining the approximate date when crops will be ready for harvest.

Cooling of a surface overnight that chills the air layer directly above that surface may form

a radiation fog.

Define relative humidity.

a ratio of the air's actual water vapor content compared with the amount of water vapor required for saturation at that particular temp and press

Chinook

a seasonal warm dry wind that blows down the leeward side of the Rockies in late winter and early spring

liquid-in-glass thermometer

a simple instrument that provides relatively accurate readings over a wide temperature range.

Which of the following settings is most likely to have high precipitation?

a site where two large-scale circulation patterns converge, causing air to rise and cool

frost

a strictly temperature-dependent phenomena that occurs when the air temperature falls to 0 degrees celsius or below; deposits of ice crystals, called "white _____" form only when the air becomes saturated

Hadley Cell

a system of vertical and horizontal air circulation predominating in tropical and subtropical regions and creating major weather patterns.

Celsius scale

a temperature scale devised by Anders Celsius in 1742 and used where the metric system is in use. For water at sea level, 0 degrees is designated the ice point and 100 degrees the steam point.

Fahrenheit scale

a temperature scale devised by Gabriel Daniel Farenheit in 1714 and used in the English system. For water at sea level, 32 degrees is designated the ice point and 212 degrees the steam point.

Kelvin or absolute scale

a temperature scale used primarily for scientific purposes and having intervals equivalent to those on the Celsius scale but beginning at absolute zero.

Hygroscopic

a term describing salts and other compounds that remove moisture from the air

bimetal strip

a thermometer consisting of two thin strips of metal welded together, which have widely different coefficients of thermal expansion. When temperature changes, the two metals expand or contract unequally and cause changes in the curvature of the element.

maximum thermometer

a thermometer that measures the maximum temperature for a given period in time, usually 24 hours. A constriction in the base of the glass tube allows mercury to rise but prevents it from returning to the bulb until the thermometer is shaken or whirled.

What is an interglacial?

a time interval when glacial ice volume was relatively low

Cloud

a visible mass of condensed water vapor floating in the atmosphere, typically high above the ground. Small water droplets.

Common mechanisms that "get an air parcel started" in a lifting trend include...

-surface heating -wind/weather front -mountain range, differences in elevation

Unstable enviroment

-the enviromental lapse rate is greater then the dry adiabatic lapse rate -ELR is 12C/1000m

Stable enviroment

-the environmental lapse rate is less then the moist adiabatic lapse rate -ELR is 5C/1000m -bad in places with air pollution, air can't move much in stable conditions

Specific humidity

-the mass of water vapor (grams) per mass of air (kilograms) at any temp

The amount of global average surface temperature warming generally thought to have occurred since 1850 is about:

0.8 degrees C

Describe some personal, local, or regional mitigation actions to reduce climate change impacts.

1) Use energy wisely 2) Drive less; walk and bike more 3) Reduce; Reuse; Recycle 4) Landscape wisely; plant trees 5) Use renewable energy 6) Think globally: act locally 7) Use Energy Star products*

Earth's short term climate history

1) Younger Dryas: Cooling Dip, 14,000 years ago 2) Medieval Climate Anomaly: Warm Spell, AD 800-1200, mild climatic episode that affected the North Atlantic 3) The Little Ice Age: Chilling Out, AD 1250-1850 temperatures cooled globally from volcanic activity/multiyear changes in global oscillation patterns Warming steadily since

Define wet (saturated) adiabatic lapse rate.

5-9 degrees per 1000 m; When a parcel of air rises above the lifting condensation level, the rate at which it cools is reduced, and this slower RATE OF COOLING is the wet adiabatic lapse rate.

If you visited Mount Shasta City (elevation 900 m [3000 ft.]) and found the outside air temperature to be 27°C (81°F), what would be the air temperature at the summit of Mount Shasta (elevation 4200 m [14,000 ft.]) at that moment-assuming that the temperature conditions with altitude change at an average, or normal, lapse rate?

5.9°C (42.5°F)

In a sunny day, where the surface temperature is 30°C, but with different dew point temperature, choose the cloud that will start to form in the highest altitude.

5°C

What is the average Moist Adiabatic Lapse Rate?

6C/1000m

What confidence level do scientists typically require to conclude that a result of a given experiment or study did not occur purely by chance?

95%

According to recent studies (Doran, 2009 and Cook et al., 2013), what fraction of climate scientists agree that global average temperatures have increased in the past century due to increases in man-made atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations?

97%

Humidity Instrument: Sling Psychrometer

?

Relative Humidity Equatoin

Actual water vapor in the air/ maximum water vapor possible in air at that temp X 100%

Factors in climate change include:

All of the above - Natural changes - Human-induced changes - Long-term changes in weather

Which of the following is an example of an anthropogenic (human-caused) climate control? A. Urban heat islands B. Changes in natural vegetation C. Air pollution D. All of the above E. None of the above

All of the above - Urban Heat Islands - Changes in natural vegetation - Air pollution

Which is correct? Climate:

All of these are correct

Which of the following is NOT true about CFC's?

All of these are true

Which are true of tornadoes?

All of these are true of tornadoes

Which of the following is NOT used to evaluate science faculty when considered for tenure by university administrators?

All of these are used -mentorship -service -teaching -research

Which of the following is NOT one of the major organizations that assemble global instrumental surface temperature data into models showing global temperature variation over the past century?

American Meteorological Society Climate research center

Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)

An area of Earth that receives the most intense sunlight; where the ascending branches of the two Hadley cells converge.

Carbon isotope analysis

Analysis of the proportion of 12C and 13C in a bone or soil sample. Useful in dietary and environmental reconstruction because different groupings of plants use carbon compounds containing 12C and 13C differentially. Each decomposes by a half-life.

Where on Earth have scientist drilled the longest ice cores?

Antarctica, Dome C core in 2004 reached a depth of 3270 m (10,729 ft).

carbon source

Anything that releases more carbon than it absorbs i.g. humans clearing forests, producing carbon dioxide--Keeling curve Oceans absorb a lot of carbon which acidifies it-increasing carbonic acid

Tropical Savannas (Grasslands)

Are dominated by tall grasses, with trees scattered here and there.

Microclimates

Are small regions with unique characteristics.

Evergreens

Are trees that keep their leaves year-round.

Deciduous Trees

Are trees that lose their leaves when the weather becomes cold.

What exhibits such a large variety of both spatial and temporal scales?

Atmosphere

The most sophisticated atmosphere and ocean submodels are known as

Atmosphere-Ocean General Circulation Models (AOGCMs)

Why is Moist Adiabatic Rate much less then Dry Adiabatic Rate?

Condensation releases energy and heats surrounding air

Saturation and surface for water vapor to condensate on

Condensation requiers:

What are the main sources of carbon dioxide?

Human activities: fossil fuel combustion (70%), biomass burning, removal of forests, industrial agriculture, and cement production

Humidity Instrument: Hair Hygrometer

Human hair changes in length with respect to changes in relative humidity

Frost

Ice formed when water vapor changes directly into ice crystals

How do you determine whether an air parcel is absolutely unstable, absolutely stable, or conditionally stable?

If an air parcel is warmer than the atmosphere, it is unstable and will rise. If an air parcel is cooler than the atmosphere, it is stable and will resist rising. Conditional depends on whether the air parcel is saturated or unsaturated. If the air parcel stays UNSATURATED, then it will remain cooler than the surrounding environment and RESIST LIFTING. If the air parcel becomes saturated then it will be warmer than the surrounding environment and will RISE.

Characteristics of synoptic scale

- Spanning smaller distances, a few hundred to a few thousand kilometers. - possessing shorter lifetimes, a few to several days - contains the migrating cyclones and anticyclones Answer: Only A, B, and C are correct

The average dry adiabatic lapse rate is

10 C°/1000 m.

In a sunny day, where the surface temperature is 30°C, but with different dew point temperature, choose the cloud that will start to form in the lowest altitude.

15°C

Oxygen represents approximately how much of our current atmosphere?

21%

The molecule(s) mostly responsible for stratospheric ozone depletion is (are)

Chlorofluorocarbons

What Paleoclimatologists seek to explain ?

Cimate variations for all parts of the Earth during any given geologic period

Why human health is vulnerable to climate change?

Due heat stress, an increase in waterborne diseases, poor air quality, and diseases transmitted by insects and rodents

Today's landscape gives clues to the climate of the past, what is an example of signs of their activity?

Glaciers

Which of the following is true regarding acid deposition?

Hundreds of lakes are incapable of supporting life due to high acidity.

Most freshwater is contained in

Ice and glaciers

Biome

Is a large region characterized by a specific type of climate and the plants and animals that live there.

Global Warming

Is a rise in average global temperatures that can result from an increase in the greenhouse effect.

Greenhouse Effect

Is the Earth's natural heating process, in which gases in the atmosphere trap thermal energy.

Temperate Zone

Is the climate zone between the Tropics and the Polar zone. Temperatures tend to be moderate.

Latitude

Is the distance north or south, measured in degrees, from the equator.

Tundra

Is the driest region (place) on Earth. This biome has long, cold winters with almost 24 hours of night and short, cool summers with almost 24 hours of daylight.

Elevation

Is the height of surface landforms above sea level.

Deforestation

Is the process of clearing forests.

Tropical Zone (Tropics)

Is the warm zone located around the equator.

A line connecting points of equal temperature is a(n)

Isotherm

The temperature inside a cloud should be

Just above the dew point

Example of forces that shape the atmospheric conditions in each of these parts of the world

In the Sahara, high pressure combined with its tropical location allows for more solar radiation to reach the ground and heat it throughout the year

Saturation specific humidity at various temperatures. Saturation specific humidity is the maximum possible water vapor in a mass of water vapor per unit mass of air (g/kg). As temperature increases, the saturation specific humidity

Increases

Climate

Is the average weather conditions in an area over a long period of time.

A pattern or relationship that genera lies a large body of observations but do not propose to explain them is a:

Law

The wet adiabatic lapse rate is _________ than the dry adiabatic lapse rate because _________.

Less; condensation heats the air

16O

Light oxygen

When ONLY heavy oxygen (18O) remains in the ocean water,

Light oxygen (16O) must be in the glaciers and ice sheets which means you were in a cold, GLACIAL CLIMATE

Which of the following cities would likely have the greatest annual temperature range?

Minneapolis

When both 16O and 18O occur in the ocean water, and there is more 16O present in it,

Light oxygen returned as runoff to the oceans in a warm, INTERGLACIAL CLIMATE

In this video, the type of pine tree prefers to grow on __, sunny ground

Open

Scientific study of the climatic conditions of past geologic ages

Paleoclimatology

Raindrops that fall through a thick, subfreezing layer of air near the ground form ice pellets known as

Sleet

constant stable gases in the homosphere

Nitrogen, oxygen, Argon, Helium, Krypton, Xenon

Which of the following is true of the ionosphere?

The region principally absorbs gamma rays, X-rays, and interacts with the solar wind.

Temperate Grasslands (Prairies, Steppes, Veldt, Pampas)

Occur in regions that receive too little rainfall for trees to grow.

Wildfire feedback

Occurs as warming temperatures and drought lead to increased wildfires, which increases greenhouse gases, especially CO2 and methane. This enhances warming, leading to larger and more intense wildfires.

Why are we not crushed by the pressure of the atmosphere?

They exert pressure outward, counterbalancing atmospheric pressure.

What were the two components in Los Angeles smog pollution

VOCs and Nitrogen Oxides

Why are temperature inversions noteworthy in relation to air pollution?

Vertical mixing of pollutants is halted, trapping the pollutants under the inversion layer.

About half of Earth's crust consists of compounds containing

Oxygen

Which of the following statements about ozone (O3) is false?

Ozone in the lower atmosphere protects human health.

Which index is used to display the global pattern of drought in Dire Predictions?

Palmer Drought Severity Index

Which of the following statements regarding rising air, in which dew-point temperature has been reached, is correct?

The air is simultaneously being cooled by expansion and heated by condensation.

polar front

The boundary at which air flowing away from the polar regions collides with the warmer air from the lower latitudes

Front

The boundary between two air masses that have different temperatures.

Condensation

The change of state from a gas to a liquid

Ozone in the lower troposphere

causes lung irritation, asthma, and susceptibility to respiratory illness in humans.

Three criteria used for classification of the atmosphere are

composition, temperature, and function.

During summer, cities located near the coast are than those in the interior at the same latitude, while in the winter they are .

cooler; warmer

How do you describe the water molecules in ice?

crystal lattice

The greater the difference in temperature between the wet bulb and dry bulb on a sling psychrometer, the ______ the air is and the ______ the relative humidity.

drier, lower

What are the three cyclical movement related to Earth's orbit regards to the Milankovitch theory?

eccentricity, axial tilt, and revolution

From Figure 7.5, when a liquid is transformed into a solid,

energy is released from the liquid.

The process of a liquid transforming into a gas is

evaporation

Sea smoke refers to

evaporation fog at sea.

What analyzing the ratio of oxygen-16 to oxygen-18 recorded in rocks, fossils, ice and sediments help the scientist find?

find evidence of the climate at the time they were formed.

Based on temperature, the atmosphere is divided into

four regions, ranging from the troposphere to the thermosphere.

Which of the following is NOT a control of temperature?

gravity

The Clean Air Act

has resulted in the significant reduction in various atmospheric pollutants. set emission standards for cars, and limits for release of air pollutants

From the follow figure, the heat index is based on

humidity and air temperature

Which of the following is not responsible for the urban heating effect?

increased reflected sun energy of urban environments relative to that of natural landscapes

What can you tell about the air temperature through most of the stratosphere (based on next figure)

increases with increasing altitude

When warm surface currents flow past a landmass, and winds blow toward the land from the water, what happens to the climate of the land?

The climate of the land becomes warmer and wetter, as the wind takes heat and moisture from the warm current toward the landmass.

The principal controls and influences of temperature patterns include

latitude, altitude, land-water heating differences, cloud cover, and ocean currents.

Based on function, the atmosphere has

two zones that absorb radiation from the Sun.

From the figure , the wind-chill temperature index is based on

wind speed and air temperature.

The high temperature in the upper thermosphere

would feel cold to humans due to few molecules for heat transfer. is more a measure of kinetic energy than sensible temperature.

Sublimation

The energy absorbtion of a solid into gas is called what?

mountain breeze

The movement of air caused by cool air sinking and moving down the slope of a mountain.

Freezing rain (ice storm) or sleet occurs when

There is a warm layer of air between the cloud and the cold surface

How do evaporation fogs differ from other types of fog

They are created when water vapor is added to the air.

cirrocumulus

Thin, white, ice-crystal clouds. in the form of ripples or waves or globular masses can be merged or separate. may produce a "mackerel sky". white patches composed of smell cells. they are the least common of high clouds.

Taiga (Northern Coniferous Forest

This biome has long, cold winters and short, warm summers.

synoptic-scale winds

Time scale: Days to a week Distance scale: 100-5,000 km Mid-latitude cyclones, anticyclones and hurricanes

Mesoscale Winds

Time scale: Minutes to hours Distance scale: 1 to 100km -Thunderstorms, tornadoes, and land-sea breeze

Planetary-scale winds

Time scale: Weeks or longer Distance scale: 1,000-40,000 km Westerlies, trade winds, the jet stream

Dew

Tiny drops of water that form on cool surfaces at night, when atmospheric vapor condenses.

Second most important radiative forcing factor for climate from 1750 to 2011? (IPCC)

Tropospheric ozone (Others are stratospheric water vapor, contrail cirrus clouds, and black carbon on snow)

Climate model simulations must include both natural and human factors to best represent the observed pattern of surface warming.

True

Goddard Institute for Space Studies uses a supercomputing cluster to run models for the IPCC report.

True

In precipitation mode, a Doppler radar used by the National Weather Service can produce nearly 1 billion points of data per day.

True

Models show that rainfall will be generally greater than present day in the tropics by 2100.

True

Most models project temperature increases that will be higher over land than over water.

True

One big challenge in working with big data is indexing them so that you can find them in an archive.

True

T or F frost tends to form when the surface dew point temperature is below freezing

True

Why are high altitude clouds always so thin?

Very little water vapor is present

True

Warm fogs are more common than supercooled fog.

How does the period of 20th century warming differ from past warming periods over the past 8,000 years such as the medieval warm period?

Warming is now occurring globally, across all regions

False

Water droplets grow (condense) to replenish the lost water vapor collected by ice crystals as a result of their supersaturated condition.

Rain

Water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere. Is restricted to droplets of water with a diameter at least 0.5mm.

Which statement best reflects model predictions of precipitation trends over the next century?

Wet regions will get wetter, dry regions will get dryer

fog

What forms from cooling or when air becomes saturated through the addition of water vapor?

clouds

What forms when air rises and cools adiabatically?

clear days with unequal surface heating

What kind of day produces cumulus clouds?

Define saturation.

When DEW POINT TEMP AND AIR TEMP ARE =; FULL; ALL SPACE IS BEING USED (BY WATER VAPOR)

When does condensation occur?

When particles of water vapor cool and lose energy

Below, above, supersaturated

When temperature is ____ 0 degrees celsius the relative humidity of ice will be _____ 100% so the air is considered ______.

Warm Front

When warm air mass pushes into a cold air mass

Santa Ana Winds

Winds flowing over Rockies and to West Coast/Calif. Bring dry hot weather and fuel wildfires

Cirrus clouds

Wispy, feathery clouds made of ice crystals that form at high levels.

What are the international actions being taken at present to delay the effects of global climate change?

Worldwide, many large urban areas are working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Both governments and businesses are now planning for climate change impacts.

polar high

Zone of high atmospheric pressure at the earths poles

horse latitudes

a belt of calm air and sea occurring in both the northern and southern hemispheres between the trade winds and the westerlies.

equatorial low

a belt of low pressure lying near the equator and between the subtropical highs

Gyre

a circular motion of water in each of the major ocean basins

Country Breeze

a circulation pattern characterized by a light wind blowing into a city from the surrounding countryside

fog

a cloud with its base at or very near the ground

What best describe the Milankovitch cycle ?

a cyclical movement related to the Earth's orbit around the Sun

Atmospheric pressure decreases with increasing altitude due to:

a decrease in the thickness and density of air on top

ice-albedo feedback

a feedback mechanism that accelerates melting of sea ice and amplify warming

carbon sink

a forest, ocean, or other natural environment viewed in terms of its ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

doldrums

a frequently windless area near the Equator

Condensation is the energy release of what?

a gas

Keeling Curve

a graph made over the span of 50 years that shows the increase of carbon dioxide

jet stream

a high-speed high-altitude airstream blowing from west to east near the top of the troposphere

Milankovitch cycles include all of the following except:

changes in the distance between the Earth and the moon

Milankovitch cycles include all of the following, except:

changes in the distance between the earth and the Moon.

three criteria used for classification of the atmosphere

chemical composition, temperature, and function

What kind of data would have had to have been used to construct the temperature record in the figure below?

chemical proxies found in sediment layers

High altitude wispy clouds made of ice crystals are classed as

cirroform.

Clouds that look thin and wispy, made of tiny bits of ice and are usually found very high in the sky.

cirrus cloud

A collection of tiny water droplets or ice crystals in the atmosphere

cloud

Surprisingly, the Earth has a greater albedo than the Moon. This might be because the Moon has no:

clouds

The thermohaline conveyor is driven by:

cold less saline water that flows from melting glaciers in Greenland

On a cold, windy day, the air feels because the wind .

colder; increases evaporative heat loss from our skin.

weighing gauge

collects precipitation in a cylinder that rests on a spring balance

The growth of a cloud droplet into a rain drop large enough to fall to earth in a warm cloud is accomplished primarily through

collision and coalescence

The primary mechanisms to form precipitation are the

collision-coalescence and Bergeron processes.

General Circulation Models

complex mathematical models that use supercomputers to analyze and make quantitative predictions of future climate change

halogenated gases

containing flourine, chlorine or bromine these gases are produced only by human activities ex. CFCs, (CFC-11 & CFC-12) ex2. HCFCs (HCFC-22)

ozonosphere -

contains an increased level of ozone - blocks ozone

Name and describe four mechanisms of lifting that cause air particles to rise vertically.

convection, convergence, orographic lifting, and frontal lifting

The most important process for cloud formation in the atmosphere is

cooling through the adiabatic process

heat-conservation methods

covering plants with insulating material, generating particles that reduce the rate of cooling, water sprinklers, air-mixing techniques and/or orchard heaters

upslope fog

created when relatively humid air moves up a gradually sloping landform or the steep slopes of a mountain

Advection fog

created when warm, moist air from the sea blows onto cooler land surface. Decreases with capacity.

A cumulus cloud that becomes dark and thick and often produces precipitation.

cumulonimbus

Hail is most commonly associated with:

cumulonimbus clouds

Puffy white clouds that look like cotton balls

cumulus cloud

Which is the appropriate time-scale that describes the cycles of climate change that occur in response to the Milankovitch cycles?

about 10,000 to 100,000 years

Relative to day, what was the global average temperature 55 million years ago?

about 12oC warmer

What is the median estimated eventual (equilibrium) global average temperature that would result from a doubling of atmosphere CO2 concentration? (estimated using modern instrumental observations)

about 3 degrees C

The planetary albedo of the earth is:

about 30%

Vaporization of a liquid has it's energy ____

absorbed

What are the ways to achieve saturation in the atmosphere?

addition of water vapor; mixing cold air with warm, moist air; cooling air to dew point, which decreases storage capacity and subsequently causes air to saturate faster

The Montreal Protocol

aims to reduce and eliminate all ozone depleting substances.

Clouds and precipitation form in the air primarily due to

air being cooled as it rises

The force of air pushing down on an area

air pressure

Westerlies

airflow aloft in the middle latitudes is predominantly from west to east. Driven by the pressure gradient aloft caused by the temperature contrast between the poles and the equator

The percentage of energy reflected by an object or substance is called its:

albedo

Which of the following are dangers associated with hurricanes?

all of these

Which of the following are true regarding hurricanes?

all of these

Which of these would be considered weather events (as opposed to climate)?

all of these

Limited observations hinder our ability to observe trends in which of the following phenomena?

all of these -hail - floods -tropical cyclones

The underlying purpose of the set of different emission scenarios (RCPs) is to

allow us to more easily compare the results of different climate models

The ________ cloud is confined to the middle height range

altostratus

-40 degrees celcius

at what temperature do cloud droplets freeze?

The blanket of gasses that surrounds the Earth

atmosphere

Which of these was a new element incorporated into the models used for the 2007 IPCC AR4 as compared to the 2001 models?

atmosphere chemistry

A reduction in ice cover would be expected to ______ Earth UV reflectivity and represents a _______ feedback to global warming.

decrease, positive

inventional weather modification

deliberate human intervention to influence atmospheric processes that constitute the weather; to alter the weather for human purposes

Degree of Stability

depends on temp difference between inside an air parcel and the air surrounding the parcel

rime

deposit of delicate ice crystals formed by the freezing of supercooled fog or cloud droplets on objects whose surface temperature is below freezing

Stratus clouds

described as sheets or layers (strata) that cover much or all of the sky; no distinct individual cloud units

Name and describe two measures of moisture content.

dew point temp and and relative humidity. Dew point is the temp at which air would have to be cooled for saturation to occur. Relative humidity is the percent of possible space to store moisture that is being used.

How do we measure water in the atmosphere?

dew point temp and relative humidity

The greater the difference in temperature between the wet bulb and dry bulb on a sling psychrometer, the ______ the air is and the ______ the relative humidity.

drier; lower

rain

drops of water that fall from a cloud and have a diameter of at least .5 mm

high pressure

dry conditions

Which is NOT true? The input of anthropogenic carbon dioxide into the atmosphere:

began at the start of the 20th century

Which is NOT true? The input of Anthropogenic carbon dioxide into the atmosphere:

began at the start of the 20th century.

homosphere

below heterosphere - blends of gasses are nearly uniform throughout - exception is the ozone layer

subpolar low

belt of low air pressure at about 60 degrees north and 60 degrees south latitude

Nimbostratus

big precipitation producer = light to moderate but of long duration and widespread. amorphous layer of dark gray clouds; formed under stable conditions when air is forced to rise, as along a front; this forced ascent of stable air leads to the formation of a stratified cloud layer that is large horizontally compared to its thickness;

Air Parcel

body of air has specific temperature and humidity

cooling degree-day

each degree of temperature of the daily mean above 65 degrees F is counted as one cooling degree-day. The amount of energy required to maintain a certain temperature in a building is proportional to the cooling degree-days total.

heating degree-days

each degree of temperature of the daily mean below 65 degrees F is counted as one heating degree-day. The amount of heat required to maintain a certain temperature in a building is proportional to the heating degree-days total.

From the figure, when a liquid is transformed into a solid,

energy is released from the liquid.

The process of a liquid changing to a gas

evaporation

Discuss the exchange of moisture between the land and the atmosphere. Trace water through the hydrologic cycle.

evaporation ^, transpiration ^, infiltration soaks into ground, condensation

The primary contributor of water vapor to the atmosphere is:

evaporation at the ocean's surface

According to Dire Predictions, which is true of the 2003 heat wave that killed 35,000?

events such as this will occur more often given AGW

With what likelihood does the AR5 IPCC assessment state that human influence has been the dominant cause of the observed warming from 1951 to 2010?

extremely likely

controls of temperature

factors that cause temperature to vary from place to place and from time to time.

Cumulus

fair weather clouds

troposphere

final layer to encounter solar radiation - supports life, the biosphere, and and is the region of principal weather activity - tropopause - outer boundary of troposphere

drizzle

fine, uniform droplets of water having a diameter less than .5 mm

heat

flow of kinetic energy from one body to another resulting form a temperature difference between them

Frontal fog

fog formed when rain evaporates as it falls through a layer of cool air. Increases water vapor content.

Define orographic lifting.

forcing air to rise above a mountain barrier, enhanced precipitation on windward side, rain shadow effect on leeward side

low clouds

form below 2000 meters

Clouds are classified and named according to their altitude and

form or appearance

When a research proposal is funded, half the amount granted by the federal agencies will generally:

go to the researcher's institution

(Saturation) Warmer air means

greater maximum water vapor possible

hail

hard, rounded pellets or irregular lumps of ice; produced in large convective, cumulonimbus clouds where frozen ice particles and supercooled water coexist; grow by continually collecting supercooled droplets as they fall through the cloud until it is too heavy to remain suspended or encounters a downdraft

What causes liquid water to turn into water vapor?

heat

Of the excess energy stored by the Earth during the past half century, the majority of it has gone toward

heating the ocean

Greenhouse gases:

help maintain Earth at temperatures at which life can exist

chemical composition

heterosphere and homosphere

A radiation fog requires which of the following in order to form?

high relative humidity and clear nighttime skies

cirrus clouds

high, white, thin clouds. they form delicate veil-like patches or wisplike strands and often have a feathery appearance. name means "curl" or "filament". composed of delicate, icy filaments

thermosphere

highest -thermopause is the upper limit

The possibility that future human CO2 emissions will produce a scenario similar to the RCP2.6 is

highly uncertain

The primary external drivers of a planet's climate involve all EXCEPT:

how much of the solar energy is received in the northern versus southern hemisphere of the planet

The measurement of how much water vapor is in the air

humidity

From the follow figure , the heat index is based on

humidity and air temperature.

Dire Predictions lists key features of the actual climate that current models do a good job of reproducing. Which of the following is NOT in that list?

hurricanes

A tool that measures the amount of moisture in the air

hygrometer

Most freshwater is contained in

ice and glaciers

Adiabatic Ascending process

if an air parcel rises, it will expand and the temp inside the air parcel will decrease

When is an air parcel unstable?

if it continues to rise until it reaches an altitude where the surrounding air has a density and temp similar to its own

When is an air parcel stable?

if it resists displacement upward or when disturbed, tends to return to its starting place

Which of the following has not been used as a source of paleoclimate information?

igneous rock

When it gets warmer and more water evaporates, would be a logical result?

increase cloud formation which is a negative temperature feedback

According to Dire Predictions, what might happen that would cause the ocean's conveyor belt to shut down?

increased rainfall would mean surface waters would be less salty and would not sink

Proxy Methods

information about past environments that represent changes in climate

Which of the following conditions has low relevance when running a general circulation model?

initial conditions

According to Dire Predictions, there is a likely strong association between the increase in sea surface temperatures and global tropical cyclone

intensity only

Which is TRUE? Albedo:

is high for ice, snow and thick clouds

A line connecting points of equal temperature is a(n)

isotherm.

The thermohaline conveyor is important in the North Pacific because:

it brings deep nutrient-rich water to the surface

As you climb a mountain, what happens to the temperature?

it gets cooler

How does drizzle differ from rain?

it has a smaller diameter

Which is NOT one of the reasons the Vostok ice core is so famous and scientifically important?

it is the only record of variations in atmospheric CO2 concentrations through a number of glacial/interglacial cycles

cumulonimbus

large, dense, billowy clouds of considerable vertical extent in the form of huge towers, spreading out on top to form an "anvil head"; associated with heavy rainfall, thunder, lightning, hail and tornadoes

collision-coalescence process

larger droplets (formed when "giant" condensation nuclei are present or when hygroscopic particles exist) fall through a cloud, colliding with smaller, slower droplets and coalesce. the name of this process is:

fall velocity

larger droplets fall faster although their movement is impeded by friction

The proxies that are mainly are used to reconstruct the climate changes that have occurred over the whole of the Quaternary Period are:

mainly stable isotope measurements in marine or lake sediment cores

temperature

measure of the average kinetic energy of individual molecules in matter

Define frontal lifting/frontal wedging.

mechanism of lifting; when warm and cold air masses collide, they produce boundaries called fronts. The cooler, denser air acts as a barrier over which the warmer, less dense air rises.

The layer of the atmosphere that is the coldest

mesosphere

Alto clouds

middle level clouds

The conditions that persist along the west coast of the U.S. that are conducive to fog formation are

moist air moving over a cold surface

land breeze

movement of air from land to sea at night, created when cooler, denser air from the land forces up warmer air over the sea

sea breeze

movement of air from sea to land during the day when cooler air from above the water moves over the land, forcing the heated, less dense air above the land to rise

Which of the following is FALSE?

nearly all regions of Antarctica ice sheets have decreased in thickness over the last few decades

A system that regulates itself depends upon:

negative feedbacks

A(n) ________ is a low layer of dark gray clouds that produces precipitation.

nimbostratus

Of the following cloud types, which is most likely to produce the most rain?

nimbostratus

Two gasses that make up almost all of the atmosphere

nitrogen and oxygen

frontal (precipitation fog)

occurs when raindrops falling from relatively warm air above a frontal surface evaporate into the cooler air below and cause it to become saturated

temperature inversion

occurs when the normal temperature, which normally decreases w/altitude, reverses trend and begins to increase at some point - it prevents the cooler air below the inversion layer from moving with the air above - pollution is trapped near the ground

The thermopause is located

on average, approximately 480 km (300 mi.) above Earth's surface.

standard rain gauge

open container with a funnel that conducts rain though a narrow opening into a cylindrical measuring tube that has a cross-sectional area to magnify the rainfall depth to 10x (for more accuracy)

heterosphere

outer atmosphere in terms of composition. not uniform - gasses are not evenly mixed - gasses in layers sorted by gravity according to atomic weight

ionosphere

outer layer, absorbs cosmic rays, hamma rays, x-rays, and shorter wavelengths of UV radiation, changing atoms to positively charged ions

If one wants to know the oxygen isotope signature of seawater in the past they could examine:

oxygen isotopes in marine plankton skeletons

hydrophobic nuclei

particles that are not efficient condensation nuclei; however, cloud drops will still form on them when the relative humidity reaches 100%

False

physically, there are differences between fog and a cloud.

Water in the atmosphere that falls to Earth as rain, snow, hail, or sleet

precipitation

mist

precipitation containing the very smallest droplets able to reach the ground; impact is almost imperceptible

Snow

precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals.

snow

precipitation in the form of (aggregates of) ice crystals; crystalline nature so it can assume many shapes; produced in supercooled clouds where water vapor is deposited as ice crystals that remain frozen during their descent

Hail

precipitation of ice pellets when there are strong rising air currents

climate feedbacks

processes that either amplify or reduce climatic trends, toward either warming or cooling

freezing rain/glaze

produced when supercooled raindrops freeze on contact with solid objects

Earth's long-term climate can be described as

quasi-steady, with long periods of hothouse eras punctuated by (geologically) brief ice ages.

Which type of fog occurs during nights when skies are clear and relative humidity is high?

radiation fog

RCP6 is a scenario in which, by the year 2100, __________ will be 6 times that of the early 20th century.

radiative forcing

A device that measures how much precipitation has fallen

rain gauge

Nimbo clouds

rain producing clouds

Freezing rain

raindrops that freeze after they hit the ground or other cold surfaces. Glaze are rain drops that become super- cooled

fixed points

reference points, such as the steam point and the ice point, used in the construction of temperature scales.

Freezing of a liquid involves _____ it's engergy

releasing

photochemical smog

results from he interaction between sunlight and nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, produces brown photochemical smog

industrial smog

results from the interaction between fog and humid air and sulfur dioxides and particulates from burning coal, produces grey industrial smog

radiation fog

results from the radiation cooling of the ground and adjacent air; nighttime phenomenon requiring clear skies and a high relative humidity

If atmosphere CO2 concentrations were held constant, over the next century average global temperature, would likely

rise another 1 degree C

The most common way for air to be cooled in order that a cloud may form is by

rising and expanding

mammatus

rounded protuberances on the bottom surface of clouds

Air is ____ at 100% relative humidity

saturated

Monsoons are caused by

seasonal heating of land masses in summer that changes wind directions

The majority of the energy received by the Earth from the sun is ____, whereas that emitted by the Earth is____ radiation.

shortwave, longwave

drifting snow

significant accumulations of falling or loose snow caused by strong wind

Microscale Winds

smallest scare of air motion, usually lasts seconds at most minutes, Ex: gusts and dust devils

blowing snow

snow lifted from the surface by the wind and blown about to such a degree that horizontal visibility is reduced

Stratocumulus

soft, gray clouds in globular patches or rolls. rolls may join together to make a continuous cloud

Which of these is NOT true?

solar activity remains constant over century timescales

The RCP (emission scenario) that is mostly to occur depends upon all EXCEPT ......

solar output variability

Name the 3 states of water

solid, liquid, and gas

freezing nuclei

sparsely appearing in the atmosphere, the solid particles on which supercooled droplets freeze

Scientists use _________________ to establish climate records for sea surface temperature from the fossils found in oceanic sediment cores

stable isotopes

Supercooled water is water which is

still liquid at temperatures below 0 degrees C.

altostratus

stratified veil of grayish clouds that is generally thin, formless, covers most of sky and may produce very light precipitation. the sun or moon may be visible through it although no halo is produced. commonly associated with approaching warm fronts

The cloud form that is best described as sheets or layers that cover much or all of the sky is termed:

stratus

Clouds formed in layers that look like sheets or blankets. These clouds are often the lowest clouds in the air.

stratus cloud

El Niño is a condition that brings increased precipitation to the eastern Pacific Ocean basin when:

strengthening of an ocean current results in warmer sea temperatures in the eastern Pacific

increase

super saturation causes a(n) ______ for the drive of a chemical reaction

Define dew point temperature.

temp at which air would have to be cooled for saturation to occur; the temp at which water vapor begins to condense

A measurement of how hot or cold something is

temperature

Deep ocean currents are driven by:

temperature and salinity

Dew-point

temperature at which a given mass of air becomes saturated and net condensation begins to form water droplets

Define the adiabatic process (adiabatic temperature changes).

temperature changes where no heat is added or subtracted; Instead, changes in PRESSURE result in temp changes. i.e. when air is compressed, it warms (air parcel is sinking), and when air is allowed to expand, it cools (air parcel is rising). Associate this eith the temperature inside an air parcel.

What information do we need to determine stability of an air parcel?

temperature inside an air parcel, moisture content

specific heat

the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of a substance 1 degrees Celsius

For modelers, the term 'Climate sensitivity' specifically refers to:

the amount of warming that would occur in response to a doubling of atmospheric CO2

Define humidity.

the amount of water vapor in the air

The Coriolis effect in the atmosphere is due to:

the atmosphere rotating faster at the equator than at the poles

Southern Oscillation

the atmospheric pressure conditions corresponding to the periodic warming of El Nino and cooling of La Nina in the eastern and western pacific

carbon budget

the balance of the carbon exchanges between carbon sinks and sources

cumulus, stratus and cirrus

the basic forms of clouds

adiabatic cooling

the cause for the formation of clouds; why water vapor condenses in the atmosphere

Define deposition.

the conversion of a vapor directly to a solid, such as water vapor deposited as ice on a window pane, white frost.

What phenomena is thought to have triggered the general cooling trend from about 30 million years ago to the present?

the development of the Antarctic circumpolar current

weather radar

the development of this has given meteorologists an important tool to track storm systems and the precipitation patterns they produce

The point where saturation begins in a rising air parcel is

the lifting condensation level.

daily mean temperature

the mean temperature for a day that is determined by averaging the hourly readings or, more commonly, by averaging the maximum and minimum temperatures for a day.

hygroscopic nuclei

the most effective sites for condensation are particles called:

slightly lower

the saturation vapor pressure above ice crystals is _______ than above supercooled liquid droplets

Saturation

the state or process that occurs when no more of something can be absorbed, combined with, or added.

Paleoclimatology

the study of natural climatic variability over the span of Earth's history scientific study of the climatic conditions of past geologic ages

Dendroclimatology

the study of past climates using tree rings

ice point

the temperature at which ice melts

steam point

the temperature at which water boils

From the Dire Predictions reading this week, where is it predicted that heat wave frequency will increase the least?

the tropics

rain and snow

the two most common and familiar forms of precipitation

What causes wind to blow?

the uneven heating of Earth

Upwelling

the upward movement of ocean water toward the surface as a result of diverging currents

The constant movement of water between Earth's surface and the atmosphere

the water cycle

absolute zero

the zero point on the Kelvin temperature scale, representing the temperature at which all molecular motion is presumed to cease.

During the last 800,000 years:

there has been a pattern of roughly 100,000-year cycles of climate change.

A tool used to measure temperature

thermometer

cirrostratus

thin sheet of white, ice-crystal clouds that may give the sky a milky look. sometimes produce halos around the Sun and Moon. they are transparent and sometimes barely discernible

In the mid-1970's, the popular media reported that an ice age was eminent. This occurred for all these reasons EXCEPT:

this was the concensus view among climate scientists at the time

Tree Rings

tree growth is influenced by climate conditions, patterns in tree rings and isotopic composition of matter within each ring reflect variations in past climate *Wider rings suggest good growing conditions

All of Earth's weather takes place in this layer of the atmosphere

troposphere

The layer of the atmosphere that is the thinnest

troposphere

cloud seeding

trying to trigger, intensify or redirect atmospheric processes; done by adding agents such as dry ice and silver iodide when a portion of the cloud is supercooled; this technique has shown some promising results and is relatively inexpensive

function

two specific zones: ionosphere and ozonosphere

altocumulus and altostratus

two types of middle clouds

steam fog

type of evaporation fog; when cool air moves over warm water, enough moisture may evaporate from the water surface to saturate the air immediately above; the rising water vapor meets the cold air, condenses and rises with the air that is being warmed from below

middle clouds

typically occupy heights from 2000-6000 meters

As one goes further back in time in the climate record...

uncertainty increases and resolution decreases

Stratus

uniform layer that frequently covers much of the sky and may produce light precipitation; resembles fog but doesn't rest on the ground

A parcel of air, with less than 100% relative humidity, that is rising because of heat energy derived from the surface is

unstable

cloudbursts

unusually heavy rainfalls originating from cumulonimbus clouds

Which of these is most certain in regards to global climate change?

unusually rapid warming has occured over the past century

Define convection.

vertical motion; Parcels of air that are warmer, denser, than the surrounding air is buoyed upward because warm air rises.

What example is given for a mathematical model?

volume

What kind of air (cold or warm) has the capacity to store more moisture?

warm air

The ocean current known as the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic Ocean is a:

warm current flowing north from the equator

Most of Earth history can be characterized by average climate conditions that are

warmer than today.

The temperature on a cloudy night is likely to be ________ than that on a clear night because ________.

warmer; the clouds absorb heat energy and then reradiate some of it back to the ground

How does the period of 20th century warming differ from past warming periods of the past 8000 years such as the Midieval Warm Period?

warming is now occurring globally, across all regions

supercooled

water in the liquid state below 0 degrees celsius that freezes on contact if it impacts an object is called:

Water in the form of a gas

water vapor

Rossby waves

wavy paths that have long wavelengths which usually consist of four to six meanders that encircle the globe that the westerlies follow

What is a set of conditions in the atmosphere in one location for a limited period of time

weather

Citations do NOT need to be provided for which of the following?

well-known arguments or theories

frigid temperatures high in the troposphere

what kind of temperatures AND in which part of the atmosphere are the ideal environment to initiate precipitation?

light drizzle

what the Bergeron process is NOT responsible for forming:

virga

when rain droplets completely evaporate before hitting the ground, this appears as streaks of precipitation falling from a cloud that extend toward Earth's surface without reaching it

evaporation fogs

when saturation occurs primarily because of the addition of water vapor this type of fog forms

clouds of vertical development

when some clouds extend upward to span more than one height range. their base is in the low height range and extends to middle/high altitudes

fractus

when stratus or cumulus clouds appear broken

trace of precipitation

when the amount of rain is less than .025 cm it is generally reported as being a:

positive buoyancy

when the parcel has a higher temperature than the atmosphere; it is a general sign of severe weather and is atypical

advection fog

when warm, moist air blows over a cold surface, it becomes chilled by contact with the cold surface below. if cooling is sufficient, the result will be:

Define condensation.

when water vapor changes to a liquid state; water vapor molecules release energy (latent heat of condensation) in an amount equal to what was absorbed during evaporation

Which of these is NOT an uncertainty in regards to global climate change?

whether humans are responsible

altocumulus

white to gray clouds that tend to form in large patches composed of rounded masses or rolls that may or may not merge; generally composed of water droplets so the individual cells have a more distinct outline. they are thicker than cirrocumulus

Moving air

wind

Surface ocean currents are mostly driven by:

wind

From the follow figure , the wind-chill temperature index is based on

wind speed and air temperature.

Monsoon

wind systems that exhibit a pronounced seasonal reversal in direction such as the asian monsoon and the much smaller north American monsoon

A device that moves to show which way the wind is blowing

wind vane

prevailing westerlies

winds that blow west to east between 30 and 60 degrees in the northern and southern hemispheres

fallstreaks

wisps of ice particles that sublimate when they enter dry air below

mesosphere

within hemisphere - below thermosphere - mesosphere is the coldest portion of the atmophere

Does air always have some amount of water vapor in it?

yes

If your hypothesis is rejected, which is true?

your experiment may well have been a success

Last glacial maximum

~20,000 years ago Warming since

Prevailing Winds

Winds that blow mainly from one direction.

The ozonosphere is critical to life because it

absorbs most ultraviolet wavelengths

Surface-temperature anomalies from 1950 to 2014, compared to 1951-1980 baseline. Oranges indicate positive anomalies (warmer temperatures); purples indicate negative anomalies (cooler temperatures). [GISS/NASA.] The overall trend to warming temperatures

indicates the Arctic has experienced larger temperature increases than lower latitudes.

Nitrogen oxides (NOx)

inflame the human respiratory tract, destroy lung tissues, and damage plants. Source: ~50% from transportation (exhaust), ~50% from industry Effects: acidification of lakes, respiratory irritation, leads to photochemical smog & ozone formation Equation for acid formation: NO + O2 NO2 + H2O HNO3 Reduction: selective catalytic reduction unit, more efficient combustion processes like FBC (fluidized bed combustion), lower combustion temperatures, find alternatives to fossil fuels

The point at which evaporation and condensation are in balance is

saturation equilibrium.

The heat capacity of a substance is known as

specific heat

The general term that refers to the tendency of a parcel of air to either remain in place or change its initial position is

stability

Flat and layered clouds with horizontal development are classed as

stratiform (stratus)

The process of a solid transforming directly into a gas is

sublimation

What two pollutants react with water to produce acid rain?

sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides

Daily relative humidity patterns. On a typical day, the point of highest relative humidity is associated with

the time of the lowest temperature.

High altitudes are cooler than low altitudes because

there are fewer air molecules to absorb and radiate sensible heat.

50 mya

Generally started to cool, theories include absorbed carbon dioxide by the Himalayas

height and form

2 aspects of cloud classification:

saturated air and available surface

2 conditions that need to be met in order for condensation to occur

Siberian High

A strong, shallow area of high pressure that forms over Siberia in winter.

At saturation, ____ rate is equal to condensation rate

evaporation

An actual "greenhouse" works because:

short wave lengths of energy pass through the glass but longer ones can't

Polar Cell

Cells of air circulation occurring between 60 degrees north and south and each pole.

A halo around the sun or the moon indicates the cloud____ is present

Cirrostratus

Form and height

Clouds are classified based on

Contrails

Clouds formed as jets fly through the air. Look like long streaks.

Speleothems

Collective term for the dripstone features found in caverns, calcium carbonate (CaCO3) mineral deposits

The uncertainty with which our models predict the global average temperature resulting in 2100 from any particular RCP is about:

2 degree C

Pleistocene Epoch began

2.5 million years ago

What are the main sources of methane?

2/3 is from Human activities: livestock, mining of coal, oil, and natural gas, anaerobic "without oxygen" processes in flooded agricultural fields, and the burning of vegetation in fires.

How long ago was the peak of the last major glaciation?

20,000 years

If the temperature at the surface of Earth (at sea level) is 40°C, what is the temperature at 2000 m if the normal lapse rate is 6.4 C°/1000 m?

27.2°C

cirrus, cirrostratus and cirrocumulus

3 types of high clouds: (they are typically thin, white and made up primarily of ice crystals due to the small quantities of water vapor present at high altitudes and the low temperature)

Ferrel Cell

30 to 60 degrees. Air at 30 degrees stable so moves towards the poles towards unstable air, or subpolar lows

The top of the Earth's atmosphere is approximately

480 km (300 mi) above Earth's surface

How many ice ages occurred in the past 2 billion years of Earth's history?

5

How many ice ages occurred in the past two billion years of Earth's history?

5

5 mya

Fluctuating temperatures -Series of warmer and cooler periods -125,000 ya had temperatures similar to now -Carbon dioxide was lower, but temperatures were warmer

Cumulus clouds

Fluffy, white clouds, usually with flat bottoms, that look like rounded piles of cotton.

Upslope fog

Fog formed as moist, stable air flows upward over a topographic barrier. Decreases with capacity.

Small liquid drops or small ice crystals

Fog is composed of

Steam fog and frontal or precipitation fog

Form evaporation (increases water vapor content)

Sleet

Formed when rain falls through a layer of freezing air. Translucent particles of ice, rain drops freeze while falling.

Cold Front

Forms when a cold air mass pushes under a warm air mass.

True

Frontal fog is most common on cool days during extended periods of light rainfall

Long-term proxy methods

Gives information from hundreds of millions of years ago. Proxy indicators of ice-core data, sediments, corals, ancient pollen, tree-rings, ALL FOSSILIZED. Also oxygen isotope analysis and ocean sediment cores

Short-term proxy methods

Gives information from hundreds or thousands of years ago. Proxy indicators of carbon-isotope analysis, tree rings, lake cores, speleothems, and corals, all alive and collected today.

According to the IPCC, what was the most important radiative forcing factor for climate from 1750 to 2011?

Greenhouse gases, CO2 (60%)

Hydrophobic

Having an aversion to water; tending to coalesce and form droplets in water.

18O

Heavy oxygen

We are currently living in which geological time period?

Quaterernary

Which of these scenario results in the highest CO2 concentrations in 2100?

RCP 8.5

The precipitation in form of liquid water droplets that forms by condensation or by melting ice crystals as they pass through a warm layer of the atmosphere is

Rain

70 mya

Rapid Warming, followed by gradual cooling Much warmer in the distant past Tropics extended

If you want to predict the climate in Miami in the year 2050, you would best use a:

Regional Climate Model

is the process whereby supercooled water droplets freeze onto ice crystals.

Riming

Which of these is NOT one of the basic steps in constructing a general circulation climate model?

Running the model with different sets of initial conditions

Name the energy source that drives the water cycle

The Sun

Radioactive Isotopes

Such as carbon-14 are unstable and decay at a constant rate measured as a half-life (the time it takes half the sample to break down)

solar variability

Sunspot activity in time frame of decades Varies from 1 to over 200

Temperate Deserts

Tend to be cold deserts.

Chaparrals

Are regions with cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers.

Deposition

A gas that is releasing it's energy into a solid

Cloud Formation (4 ways)

-adiabatic cooling by vertical lift -air parcel cools to the dew-point temp -air parcel becomes saturated -condensation occurs

Normal Lapse Rate

-average decrease in temperature with increasing altitude -value of 6.4C/1000m

Maximum specific humidity

-maximum possible water vapor per unit mass of air -increases as air temp. increases

Cloud Types by form/shape

-cirroform (hairlike, feathery) -stratiform (flat and layered) -cumuliform (dense, heavy)

Fog

-cloud layer on ground -air temp and dew point temp at ground level are nearly identical -near ground, air is -fog directly affects visibility

Advection fog

-formed when warm and moist air overlays cooler ocean currents, lake surfaces, or snow masses, layer of migrating air above surface chills to dew point

Cloud Types by Altitude

-low (up to 2000m) -middle (2000 -6000m) -high (6000-13000m) -vertically developed (near surface to 13000m)

Humidity (2 things)

-refers to water vapor in the air -primarily a function of the air temp and water vapor temp

Based on Figure 5.7, air temperature above the oceans is usually more moderate than that above the continents because

-there is no mixing between the layers of the land. -land has a lower specific heat. -the surface of the land is opaque. -here is less evaporation from most land surfaces.

Earth's 'climate sensitivity' to a doubling of atmosphere CO2 concentration is now judged to be in the range of

1.5 to 4.5 oC

Earth's 'climate sensitivity' to a doubling of atmosphere CO2 concentration is now judged to be in the range of:

1.5 to 4.5 oC

Define dry adiabatic lapse rate.

10 degrees per 1000 m; the rate of cooling or heating that applies to unsaturated air as it ascends or descends

The last glacial period ended about ________ years ago.

10,000

What is the average Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate?

10C/1000m

Last glacial period

110,000-11,700 years ago

The Holocene is a geological time interval that began about

12 thousand years ago

If air at sea level with a temperature of 27°C is forced up a mountain slope and the air's dew point at the condensation level is 14°C, at what elevation will condensation begin?

1300 meters

Maunder Minimum

1645 - 1715--period of low sunspot activity that corresponded to the Little Ice Age in Europe

La Nina

A cooling of the ocean surface off the western coast of South America, occurring periodically every 4 to 12 years and affecting Pacific and other weather patterns. Associated with strong trade winds, a strong westward moving equatorial current, and strong upwelling

subtropical high

A belt of high pressure located at approximately 30o N and 30o S, which pushes heavy subsiding air outward toward both north and south.

Stationary Front

A boundary between air masses that are not moving.

Tropical Deserts

A desert is an area that receives less than 25 cm of rainfall per year.

Teleconnections

A linkage between weather changes occurring in widely separated regions of the world.

Altitude

A measure of the height of a place above sea level.

Bermuda-Azores High

A semipermanent cell found in the Atlantic in summer.

About how far back in time does the proxy record of changing climate from ice cores extend?

About 800,000 years

Which Milankovitch parameter is on a 41,000 year cycle? A. Obliquity B. Precession of the equinoxes C. Eccentricity D. None of the above

A. Obliquity

In dendrochronology, the scientist wants to choose a tree that: A. is growing in an area that relies on precipitation for existence B. is growing by a stream C. is growing by a lake D. there is no preferred location of a tree for the dendrochronologist to sample

A. is growing in an area that relies on precipitation for existence

Which of the following is NOT true about chlorofluorocarbons (CFC-11 and CFC-12)?

ALL of these are true -they cause long-term depletion of stratospheric ozone -they are greenhouse gases -they have a global warming potential many times greater than CO2 -they are non-toxic refrigerants

How human activities contribute to climate change?

By causing changes in Earth's atmosphere in the amounts of greenhouse gases, aerosols

Define rain shadow.

By the time air reaches the leeward side of mountains, much of the moisture has been lost, resulting in a rain shadow effect; an area having relatively little precipitation due to the effect of a topographic barrier

Oxygen isotope analysis is most commonly performed on which type of proxy data? A. Varves B. Ice cores C. Tree rings (dendrochronology) D. Palynology E. All of the above

B. Ice cores

In terms of Obliquity, what characteristic is favorable to ice age formation? A. Greater tilt B. Lesser tilt C. Obliquity is NOT a factor in the development of ice ages

B. Lesser Tilt

Which Milankovitch parameter is a non-factor when our earth is near-circular in form? A. Obliquity B. Precession of the equinoxes C. Eccentricity D. None of the above

B. Precession of the equinoxes

If Earth had less axial tilt, what would the affect be on our seasons? A. Seasons would have greater variability B. Seasons would have lesser variability C. There would be no change because seasons are not caused by axial tilt

B. Seasons would have lesser variability

Which of the following is NOT a factor in the development of Urban Heat Islands? A. Sky view factor. B. Setting aside of "open space" C. Point and mobile sources of heat and pollution D. Increasing population and construction E. Paving of land for city streets

B. Setting aside of open space

Climates may best be defined as: A. The day-to-day changes in temperature and moisture we see in the Troposphere B. The prevailing set of weather conditions at a place over a number of years C. The day-to-day changes in temperature and moisture over a year's time D. The prevailing set of weather conditions at a place over one decade E. None of the above

B. The prevailing set of weather conditions at a place over a number of years

Which of these climate controls would most likely have the fastest impact on climate change? A. Movement of continents due to plate tectonics B. Urban Heat Islands C. Change of the Earth's tilt D. Earth's rotation slowing down with days getting longer E. All of the above would cause the climate to respond in an equal time frame

B. Urban Heat Islands

Currently, Polaris is our "North Star". According to Milankovitch theory, which star will be our "North Star" in the future? A. Alpha Centauri B. Vega C. Proxima Centauri D. Polaris will ALWAYS be the "North Star"

B. Vega

Why major eruptions alter the Earth's radiative balance?

Because volcanic aerosol clouds absorb terrestrial radiation, and scatter a significant amount of the incoming solar radiation, an effect known as "radiative forcing" that can last from two to three years following a volcanic eruption.

Most of the precipitation that falls in the middle latitudes is formed by:

Bergeron process

CO2 weathering feedback

CO2 combines with rainwater to make a weak acid, which erodes mountains and rocks which releases calcium, magnesium, and potassium into the rivers which flow into the oceans, which combine with the ocean water to make the ocean more acidic so some fish live shorter lives/can't live at all.

Surface Currents

Can either be warm or cold, are stream-like movements of water that occur at or near the surface of the ocean.

What is true of the last 30 to 40 years in terms of climate change? A. Major weather events appear to be getting more frequent but cause less damage B. Major weather events appear to be getting less frequent but more costly C. Major weather events appear to be getting more frequent and causing more damage D. Major weather events appear to be getting less frequent and are causing less damage E. Climate change does not appear to be occurring

C. Major weather events appear to be getting more frequent and causing more damage

Palynology involves: A. the study of ice cores B. the study of tree rings C. the study of pollen D. the study of varves E. the study of still existing geomorphic features

C. The Study of Pollen

What greenhouse gas has the largest radiative forcing?

CO2

The_______ cloud May have an "anvil head"

Cumulonimbus

Thunder and lightening are associated with the _________ cloud

Cumulonimbus

Radiation

Energy that is radiated or transmitted in the form of rays or waves or particles.

Dust in the Vostok ice core seems to increase in association with: A. Colder temperatures and ice ages B. Warmer temperatures and interglacial (non Ice age) periods C. Due to a stronger Polar Front jet stream D. Both A and C E. Both B and C

D. Both A and C - Colder temperatures and ice ages - Due to a stronger Polar Front jet streams

Which of the following is an example of a(n) macro-scale climate control? A. Urban heat islands B. Existence of a mountain range or large water body C. Changes in natural vegetation D. Distribution of oceans and continents

D. Distribution of oceans and continents

Which of the following explain how and why atmospheric pressure changes with altitude?

Density of molecules in the atmosphere decreases upward, as does the force of Earth's gravity. Atmospheric pressure lowers with increasing altitude.

56 mya

Distinct period of warming, theories include a sudden increase in atmospheric carbon from a) Melting methane hydrates in the ocean This took place in about 20,000 years (much slower than today)

True

High clouds are generally not precipitation makers.

Which of the following is true of chlorofluorocarbons?

The CFC molecules react with ultraviolet light to release chlorine which then destroys ozone.

Ratios of ^{16} O/^{18} O typically increase: A. As one moves closer to the equator B. As one moves close to the poles C. As conditions grow colder D. As conditions grow warmer E. Both B and C

E. Both B and C - As one moves closer to the poles - As conditions grow colder

Which of the following would best be described as a climatic event? A. Hurricane B. Blizzard C. Drought D. Earthquake E. None of the above

E. None of the above

From the graph in figure 2 {2}, which of the following weather events appears to be occurring with greater frequency and causing the greater damage? A. Tropical cyclones B. Flooding C. Wildfires D. Winter storms E. Severe storms

E. Severe Storms

Define conditional instability.

ELR is between the dry and wet adiabatic lapse rates. If the air parcel stays UNSATURATED, then it will remain cooler than the surrounding environment and RESIST LIFTING. If the air parcel becomes saturated then it will be warmer than the surrounding environment and will RISE. unsaturated, cool, resists lifting saturated, warm, rises

Which subject is not covered by the working group on the physical science basis for climate change?

Ecological Responses

Which of the following is an example of a short-term climate feature?

El Nino

According to Dire Predictions, where was the 2003 heat wave that killed 35,000?

Europe

How does evaporation affect land-water heating differences?

Evaporation tends to lower temperatures more over water bodies than over land.

Conifers

Evergreen needle-leaved trees. Pine, spruce, and fir are examples.

A GCM with a lower T number, will have higher spatial resolution.

False

El Nino is considered a weather event, rather than a climate event

False

In the Hadley Center's regional climate model, the land area of the United States does not include Florida.

False

Models show that rainfall will decrease almost everywhere on Earth by 2100.

False

Observations that fall into the tails of a normal probability distribution are referred to as standard deviations.

False

T or F Advection dogs form best when there is no wind

False

The C cycle consists only of transfers of carbon between the atmosphere and plants and animals.

False

The National Weather Service issues forecasts for long-term climate conditions.

False

The climate shift illustrated in this probability of occurrence graph will result in a greater number of extreme weather days.

False

True or False? Average annual maximum temperatures in Florida have increased continuously (year to year) since 1900.

False

Latitude

Measure of how far a place is from the equator.

Why is methane a more potent greenhouse gas as compared to CO2?

Methane is 25 times more efficient at trapping atmospheric heat/longwave radiation, making its global warming potential higher

Earth's Orbital Cycles

Milankovitch cycles--3 parts 1) Orbit changes shape-100,000- year cycle. 2) Axis wobbles (precession)--26,000-year cycle 3) Axial tilt varies from 21.5 to 24.5 degrees--41,000-year cycle

Macroscale Winds

Planetary and synoptic scale winds

polar easterlies

Prevailing winds that blow from east to west between 60degrees-90degrees latitude in both hemisphere.

trade winds

Prevailing winds that blow northeast from 30 degrees north latitude to the equator and that blow southeast from 30 degrees south latitude to the equator

Radiation fog (ground up)

Produced over land when radiation cooling decreases air temperature to the dew point. At night, temp decrease, because air cools because ground cools because losing long- wave radiation calm, clear fall and winter nights. Decreases with capacity

According to the Skeptical Raptor blog, which of these represents the highest quality type of source of evidence to use in making a scientific argument?

Secondary reviews published in high quality journals

Mechanisms of Natural Climate Fluctuation

Solar variability Earth's orbital cycles Continental position and topography Atmospheric gases and aerosols

What happens to water when it is heated?

Some of it evaporates to form water vapor

water vapor feedback

The net effect of increasing water vapor in global warming. More evaporation leads to higher humidity, accelerating greenhouse warming

Polar Zone

The northernmost and southernmost climate zones.

Moist Adiabatic Rate

The rate at which an ascending air parcel that is moist and saturated cools by expansion

Aleutian Low

The subpolar low-pressure area that is centered near the Aleutian Islands on charts that show mean sea-level pressure.

cloud condensation nuclei

The surface on which condensation can occur aloft

Temperate Forests

The temperate forest biomes tend to have very high amounts of rainfall and seasonal temperature differences.

low pressure

ample precipitation

annual mean temperature

an average of the 12 monthly means.

fog and cloud dispersal

an effect of cloud seeding that involves spreading dry ice into layers of supercooled fog or stratus clouds to improve visibility; unfortunately, most fog is not composed of supercooled water droplets

thermistor

an electric thermometer consisting of a conductor whose residence to the flow of current is temperature dependent; commonly used in radiosondes.

thermometers

an instrument for measuring temperature; in meteorology, generally used to measure the temperature of the air.

thermograph

an instrument that continuously records temperature.

Credence should be given only to scientific assertions that satisfy ALL EXCEPT:

are thought true by a majority of people

Cumulonimbus clouds

are thunderstorm clouds. High winds can flatten the top of the cloud into an anvil-like shape. Are associated with heavy rain, snow, hail, lightning and even tornadoes. The anvil usually points in the direction the storm is moving. Vertical development.

A tool used to measure changes in air pressure

barometer

What are Milankovitch cycles?

changes in Earth's orbit and orientation to the Sun

Icelandic Low

center of low atmospheric pressure located in the north Atlantic, especially persistent in winter.

Which of the following would we expect to see on a map depicting a seasonal forecast?

chances of experiencing above-normal conditions

The process by which a cloud droplet first forms is

condensation

The process of a gas changing to a liquid

condensation

Salt, dust particles, and smoke are all examples of:

condensation nuclei

The cloud droplets in a cloud are formed by water vapor molecules and

condensation nuclei

Steam fog

condensation of water vapor that results when cool air moves over warm water. Increases water vapor content.

Which of these is NOT a primary goal of climate modeling?

condense large amounts of data into summary parameters

Stability—three examples. Specific examples of (a) unstable, (b) conditionally unstable, and (c) stable conditions in the lower atmosphere. Note the response to these three conditions in the air parcel on the right side of each diagram. When the environmental lapse rate is between the dry and moist adiabatic lapse rates, conditions are described as

conditionally unstable.

When the environmental lapse rate is between the dry and moist adiabatic lapse rates, conditions are described as

conditionally unstable.

The IPCC is mandated to do all EXCEPT:

conduct research to better understand the causes and effects of climate change

Cumulus clouds

consist of globular cloud masses that are often described as cottonlike in appearance. typically they have a flat base and appear as rising domes or towers. name means "heap" or "pile"

tipping-bucket gauge

consists of two compartments situated at the base of a funnel that tip, closing an electrical circuit and records on a graph the amount of precipitation

collision-coalescence process

formation of precipitation, where tiny droplets accumulate, fall, and collide with other small droplets until rain drops form and fall.

temperature

four distinct zones: thermosphere, mesosphere, stratosphere and troposphere

According to Kitchin, big data exploration represents the _____ paradigm of science

fourth

To change state from a liquid to a solid

freeze

Satellite observations of recent decreases in stratospheric temperatures are important because they:

lend further support to the theory that GHG increases are causing global warming

lenticular

lens-shaped clouds; common in rugged or mountainous topographies

The wet adiabatic lapse rate is _________ than the dry adiabatic lapse rate because _________.

less; condensation heats the air

(Saturation) Cooler Air means

lesser maximum water vapor possible

Stratus clouds

look like flat blankets and are usually the lowest clouds in the sky.

Describe the humidity in a desert

low humidity

Land has a ________ specific heat than water and therefore heats more ________.

lower; quickly

high clouds

normally have bases above 6000 meters

According to the Southeast Climate reading on rainfall, which region of the U.S. has experienced the greatest increase in very heavy precipitation

northeast

Future climate:

numerical prediction using GCMs

Adiabatic

occurring without a loss or gain of heat

Approximately how far back in time can one investigate climate change on Earth using tree rings?

several thousand years

sleet

the fall of clear to translucent particles of ice; form when raindrops freeze while falling through a layer of subfreezing air = (snow melts to rain from incoming warm air and then freezes again into small, spherical or lumpy ice particles)

Atmospheric gases and aerosols

the greenhouse effect varies in strength naturally over time from volcano & ocean floor vent CO2 emissions. Volcanic eruptions can lead to large changes in climate by injecting aerosols into the stratosphere which increases albedo so the Earth receives less insolation.

evaporation

the growth of ice crystals is fed by the continued _____ of liquid droplets.

lifting condensation level

the height at which the ascending parcel has cooled to its dew-point temperature and triggers condensation

Climate consists of all of the following, except:

the high temperature for a given day

Global belts of prevailing winds are caused by:

the higher spin velocity and higher atmospheric solar heating at the equator

Climate Change Science

the interdisciplinary study of the causes and consequences of changing climate for all Earth systems and the sustainability of human societies

Define evaporation.

the process of converting a liquid to a gas (vapor); the energy absorbed by water molecules during evaporation is used to give them the motion needed to escape the surface of the liquid and become a gas, energy referred to as latent heat of vaporization.

Bergeron process

the process that generates much of the precipitation in the middle latitudes

Dry Adiabatic Rate

the rate at which "dry" air cools by expansion (if ascending) or heats by compression (if descending) -Dry refers to air that is less then saturated

echo

the reflected signal from radio waves that penetrate small cloud drops and are reflected by larger raindrops, ice crystals and hailstones.


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