Air sea interactions chap 6
what are the 3 active reservoirs for carbon dioxide
Atmosphere • Land surface, including the vegetation • Oceans
anticyclonic flow (hi pressure)
Clockwise around a high in Northern Hemisphere - Counterclockwise around a high in Southern Hemisphere
cold front
Contact where cold air mass moves to warmer area; rain over smaller area
Warm front
Contact where warm air mass moves to colder area; rain over larger area
cyclonic flow (low pressure)
Counterclockwise around a low in Northern Hemisphere Clockwise around a low in Southern Hemisphere
storms
disturbances with strong winds and precipitation
true or false, Descending air on leeward side; low precipitation
true
true or false, Mountains deflect wind upwards
true
true or false, Rising air on windward side of mountain; heavy precipitation
true
true or false, Rising and descending air from cells generate high and low pressure zones; result in major wind belts
true
true or false, ocean currents can transfer heat downward in summer and upward in winter
true
cyclones
name in indina ocean
typhoons
name in north pasific
jet stream
narrow, fast moving, flows west to east
trade winds
northeast and southeast
When is the Coriolis Force strongest?
objects that move long distances across latitudes
plane of the ecliptic
plane traced by Earth's orbit around the sun
where does not coriolis effect not apply
poles
fronts
- boundaries between air masses
Hadley Cell
0-30 degrees
Ferrel Cell
30-60 degrees
Polar Cell
60-90
convection cell
A circular pattern of air rising, air sinking, and wind.
Albedo
Ability of a surface to reflect light earth is about 30%
Coriolis effect
Apparent deflection of moving air relative to Earth's surface
What are greenhouse gases?
CO2,CH4,N2O,O3
Why do we have seasons?
Earth's axis of rotation is tilted 23.5 degrees
Why does the Coriolis effect occur?
Earth's rotation to the east
land breeze
From land to ocean; land cools relative to ocean; air above ocean rises and cool air moves in to fill void over water
sea breeze
From ocean to land; The land heats up and air rises, allowing cool, dense ocean air to fill the void on land
what climate zones are found in Polar
High pressure Sea ice most of the year
Monsoon effect in winter
High pressure forms over Indian sub-continent (relative to water); reversal of winds; little precipitation
tropical cyclones/hurricanes
Large rotating masses of low pressure; cyclonic flow
what is the composition of the atmosphere
N2,O2 and some CO2
Artic Circle
No direct solar radiation during Northern Hemisphere winter
what climate zones are found by the Equator
Rising air - Weak winds - Doldrums
what climate zones are found in temperate
Strong westerly winds - Severe storms common • Heavy precipitation
Winter Solstice
Sun is directly overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn
Mesosphere
Temperature decreases with height
Stratosphere
Temperature increases with altitude Ozone
what is the green house effect
The process by which gases hold heat in the atmosphere
what climate zones are found in subtropics
Weak winds, sluggish currents at horse latitudes, but strong currents at (particularly western) boundaries of continents
Winds
Weather maps show pattern of wind flow relative to high and low pressure regions.
doldrums
a frequently windless area near the Equator
Troposphere
all weather occurs here lowest layer of atmosphere
Declination
angular distance of sun from equatorial plane
where is solar radiation more concentrated
at low latitudes
intertropical convergence zone
belt of rising air near the Equator
Weather
conditions of atmosphere at particular time and place
in Southern Hemisphere coriolis effect
deflection to the left
what happens to air in hi pressure zones
descending, subtropics and polar
Thermosphere
extends out to space
Autumnal Equinox
fall
what generates wind
global circulation cells closest to surface generate winds
air always flows from
hi pressure to lo pressure
the albedo of ice is
high
where does most solar radiation diffuse
high latitudes
monsoon effect in summer
intense warming, air rises over land producing clouds and heavy rainfall
Air masses
large volumes of air with distinct properties
Climate
long-term average of weather (i.e. at least 20-30 years) • Ocean influences Earth's weather and climate patterns.
Tropopause
minimum temperature zone
in Northern Hemisphere coriolis effect
right
most air
rises
warm air ...
rises
what happens in low pressure zones
rising air , equatorial and subpolar
cool air
sinks
dry air
sinks
Vernal Equinox
spring equinox
what climate zones are found in Tropical
strong winds, little rain, rough seas
Summer Solstice
sun is directly overhead at tropic of cancer
Global Circulation Cells
three cells in each hemisphere hadley,ferrel,polar