AHS 104

3 components of Global Warming Hypothesis

1. GHG increase, 2. GHG absorb IR, 3. warming reinforced by positive feedback

3 components of Global Warming Theory

1. Surface air temps increase, sea level increases, alpine glaciers receded

How do clouds affect radiation? (Warming)

Absorb IR, emit radiation back to Earth's surface where it is absorbed

What is the cryosphere?

All frozen water on Earth

What is the hydrosphere?

All liquid water on Earth

The Butterfly Effect is: 1. a statement concerning sensitive dependence on initial conditions 2. a metaphor for chaos theory 3. a shorthand for the loss of predictability in complex systems

All of the above

Which of the following might be expected across a frontal boundary? Sharp temperature change, strong dew point temperature gradient, sudden wind shift

All of the above

What is the biosphere?

All plant and animal life

The uneven heating over the surface of the globe causes what?

Average Global Wind Circulation

Why do we have seasons?

Axis of Earth is tilited

If the north to south temperature gradient becomes stronger (larger) than normal, winds in the upper troposphere will ______

Become stronger westerlies

If a cold front stretches from SW to NE across the Midwest, you'd expect the jet stream winds above the front to be

Blowing from the SW

How is fog formed?

By cooling or evaporation and mixing

What are the 4 anthropogenic greenhouse gases? Which is the most important?

CO2, Chlorofluorocarbons, methane, nitrous oxide

Eye of hurricane

Clear area in center, due to sinking of air from aloft

How do clouds affect radiation? (Cooling)

Clouds reflect sunlight back to space

Hurricanes weaken when they move over ____ & ____

Colder sea water; land

An apparent force created by the earth's rotation is called the:

Coriolis force

Before the passage of a cold front the pressure normally _______, and after the passage of a cold front the pressure normally ________.

Drops, rises

What is the Little Ice Age?

Extended period of cold conditions, from roughly 1350-1850

The initial stage of development of a low pressure system in which a counterclockwise circulation is present is the ________ stage.

Frontal wave

The atmosphere would rush off into space if the vertical pressure gradient force were not balanced by:

Gravity

What is radiation?

Heat transferred by electromagnetic waves

What is conduction & where does it occur?

Heat transferred by molecular collisions, occurs in the lowest few centimeters next to the ground

Hurricanes energy is supplied by ____ & ____ drawn from the ocean

Heat; moisture

The pressure gradient force is directed from:

High pressure toward low pressure

________ variations in the temperature lead to _______ variations in the pressure gradient force that leads to _______ in the upper troposphere.

Horizontal, vertical, jet streams

What are clouds made of?

Ice crystals or water droplets suspended in air

Has the global surface temperature increased or decreased in the last century?

Increased, about 0.5 C

Has the sea level increased or decreased in the last century?

Increased, about 8"

Stefan-Boltzman law

Intensity of radiation depends upon the temperature of the emitting object. Higher temp = more radiation emitted

Internal causes of climate change? (2)

Internal oscillations, feedback effects

Theoretically, what is more predictable (predictable farther into the future)? 1. Middle latitude cyclone 2. evolution of a cumulus cloud 3. thunderstorm 4. tornado

Middle latitude cyclone

Composition of Earth's atmosphere

Nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor

If a winter storm is expected to move from the west to the east across the Midwest, the heaviest snowfall will be ______ of the storm's track.

North

If a developing cyclone tracks from west to east, where would you expect to find the majority of the precipitation?

North of the storm's track

If a wind is coming from the north, what would it be called?

Northern wind

The strongest winds around a mid latitude cyclone will occur as it reaches the __________ stage of its development.

Occluded

At which stage of development does a middle latitude cyclone move faster?

Open wave

A forecast that says tomorrow's weather will be the same as today's is a _____ forecast

Persistence

Radiation fog?

Produced by Earth's radiational cooling

What is a stable atmosphere?

Rising air is colder than surrounding air

What is an unstable atmosphere?

Rising air is warmer than surrounding air

How are clouds made?

Saturation of air, upward moving air

Why is the sky blue?

Shorter wavelengths (blue) scatter more than longer wavelengths (red)

What happens to the rate of propagation (speed of travel) of a middle latitude cyclone as it occludes?

Slows down

External causes of climate change? (5)

Solar variations, change in Earth's orbit, volcanoes, continental drift, meteorite impact

Saturated:unstable::unsaturated:_____

Stable

Where is the ozone located?

Stratosphere

Eye wall

Strongest thunderstorms, highest surface winds surrounding the eye

An air mass is characterized by similar properties of ___________ and ___________ in any horizontal direction.

Temperature and moisture

A forecast based on a front continuing to move at the same speed in the next 6 hours as it did in the past 6 hours is a _____ forecast

Trend

Where do hurricanes form?

Tropical easterlies

Where does weather happen?

Troposphere

T/F: Has the Earth's climate always been changing?

True

T/F: is the Global Warming Theory consistent with current observations?

True

The mature stage of a thunderstorm is characterized by

Up- & down draft, heavy rain

How do tornadoes form?

Updraft of a severe thunderstorm

The cumulus stage of a thunderstorm is characterized by

Updraft only, no rain

What is the lithosphere?

Upper part of Earth's crust

Strongest hurricanes form over ____ water

Warm

One would expect a maritime tropical air mass to be:

Warm and moist

Based on the forecasts below, what type of front will pass through? "Clouds increasing and lowering today, with a chance of rain tonight. Tonight, temperatures steady or rising with winds turning more southerly."

Warm front

What is the Holocene Maximum?

Warm period after last de-glaciation, dawn of civilization

What 3 things are needed for hurricane development?

Warm surface water, light winds aloft, easterly wave

Advection fog?

Warmer, moist air moves over a colder surface causing the temperature to drop

What gases absorb infrared radiation?

Water, Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide

The dissipation stage of a thunderstorm is characterized by

Weak downdraft only, light rain

All else being equal (same PGF, same latitude), how would winds over the ocean compare to winds over the continental interior like MN?

Weaker over the land

Chaos is characterized by

a lack of regularly repeated behavior

In a developing cyclone, the strongest downward vertical motion will be _______ the surface high and be _____ of the cold front.

above, behind (on the cold side)

In a developing cyclone, the strongest upward vertical motion will be _____ of the warm front and _______ of the surface low.

ahead (on the cold side), north and northwest

Positive feedback ____ changes

amplifies

Why don't the winds blow directly from high toward low pressure?

because of the Coriolis force

Why can't we predict the weather on Christmas Day right now?

because the atmosphere is in a state of chaos

If you were travelling in western Kansas next June and encountered a very hot day (95°F) when the air was very dry (dew point temperature of 25°F), you'd conclude that you were in a ______ air mass.

cT

In the Southern Hemisphere, surface winds around low pressure areas tend to blow in a ____________ direction around the low and ___________ the low pressure center.

clockwise, inward toward

In the Northern Hemisphere, surface winds around high pressure areas tend to blow in a ____________ direction around the high and ___________ the high pressure center.

clockwise, outward from

One would expect a continental polar air mass to be:

cold and dry

Based on the forecasts below, what type of front will pass through? "Sunny and warm today. Chance of showers this evening. Winds shifting from SW to NW and gusty after midnight. Colder tomorrow."

cold front

An occluded front may form as a:

cold front overtakes a warm front

In the Northern Hemisphere, surface winds around low pressure areas tend to blow in a ____________ direction around the low and ___________ the low pressure center.

counter clockwise, inward toward

In the Southern Hemisphere, surface winds around high pressure areas tend to blow in a ____________ direction around the high and ___________ the high pressure center.

counter clockwise, outward from

In the Southern Hemisphere, the Coriolis force acts to _________.

deflect an air parcel's motion to the left

If the surface wind was blowing from the northwest, in what direction would you expect to find low pressure?

east-northeast

What 3 forces balance one another to produce the winds at the earth's surface?

friction, Coriolis force and horizontal pressure gradient force

The strongest winds aloft occur above

fronts at the surface

The balance of forces that occurs well above the earth's surface in the horizontal direction in the atmosphere is called _________ balance.

geostrophic

mT is characterized by

high temp, high humidity

cT is characterized by

high temp, low humidity

The force that initially causes the wind to blow is the

horizontal pressure gradient force

What forces balance one another to produce the winds aloft (well above the earth's surface)?

horizontal pressure gradient force and Coriolis force

The balance of forces that occurs in the vertical direction in the atmosphere is called _________ balance.

hydrostatic

cA & cP is characterized by

low temp, dry air

mP is characterized by

low temp, high humidity

If the surface wind was blowing from the southwest, in what direction would you expect to find low pressure?

north-northwest

Negative feedback ____ changes

opposes

The primary energy source for a developing wave cyclone in midlatitudes is:

potential energy released from warm air rising and cold air sinking

If there is a trough in the contour pattern of the 500 mb heights, it means that there must be

relatively cold air below the trough

If there is a ridge in the contour pattern of the 500 mb heights, it means that there must be

relatively warm air below the ridge

If the wind is blowing from the east at an altitude of 2 km above the surface, use the Buys-Ballot law to determine the direction of the lowest pressure?

south

If the wind is blowing from the southeast at an altitude of 2 km above the surface, use the Buys-Ballot law to determine the direction of the lowest pressure?

southwest

Frictional forces between moving air and the ground will affect

the speed and direction of the wind

An air mass gets its properties from

where the air originated and where it had been for several days earlier