Atmosphere
Are there different types of fog formation?
One kind of fog, radiation fog, forms when the night sky is clear and the ground loses heat rapidly through radiation. As the ground cools, light wind mix the cool bottom air with the warmer air a short distance above it. Eventually, the whole layer of air cools to its dew point. The resulting fog at ground level is colder than the layer above it. This arrangement of warmer air above cooler air is called temperature inversion. Radiation fog is common in humid valleys near rivers and lakes. an advection fog, may form when warm moist air blows over a cool surface.
What is isolation?
The incoming solar radiation is called insolation.
Do land and water heat at the same rate?
The land heats up much faster than water. The land loses it heat much faster water.
What is acid precipitation?
forms when pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides react with water vapor in the air.
What are air masses?
a large body of air in the lower troposphere that has similar characteristics throughout.
Are there temperature variations?
Intensity Of Insolation Time of Day Latitude Time of Year Cloud Cover
What are temperature maps?
Isotherms are lines that connect places with the same temperatures.
What is the jet stream?
It blows eastward at about 180-350 km/h. and wanders up and down as it circles the Earth
How is the atmosphere divided into layers?
It is divided in 4 layers Troposphere Stratosphere Mesosphere Thermosphere
What is global warming?
It is the raise of the average temperatures on Earth
What is the oxygen cycle?
It used directly from the atmosphere by most plants and animals. It essential for respiration, living things chemically combine oxygen with food to produce energy. Oxygen is needed for combustion or burning of fuels such as wood, oil, and coal.
What are local winds?
Local winds are winds that extend over a distance of 100 km or less.
What about low clouds?
Low clouds- form below about 2000 meters. They are smooth, gray clouds that cover the sky and block out the sun.
What are the four major types of air masses?
Maritime Tropical Maritime Polar Continental Polar Continental Tropical
What are factors that affect winds?
The Coriolis Effect is the tendency of an object freely moving over the Earth's surface to curve away from its path.
How is relative humidity measured?
sling psychrometer
What evidence is there of global warming?
*rising sea levels due to melting polar ice caps *increasing frequency and severity of storms and hurricanes *more frequent heat waves and droughts *relocation of major crop growing areas
What are the conditions in which water vapor will condense?
1. There must be material for water vapor to condense 2. Air must cool to or below its dew point.
Where did early life development?
After the formation of the ozone, certain types of blue-green bacteria started to appear on or near the surface of water.
What human impact affects the atmosphere?
Air pollutants
How is air pressure and wind related?
Air pressure is a measure of the force of air pressing down on the Earth's surface. Air pressure is measured by a device called a barometer. The air pressure at any point on the Earth is determined by the density of the air.
How did the ancient atmosphere change?
At that time, sunlight triggered chemical reactions among the methane, ammonia, and water in the air. The chemical reactions produced new materials in the atmosphere. Nitrogen, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide formed. The methane and ammonia decomposed, but the water still remained. The hydrogen is a light gas so it escaped the gravitational pull of Earth and disappeared to space. Nitrogen was left in the greatest abundance, as well as carbon dioxide and water vapor. In the upper atmosphere, the sunlight began to break down the water vapor into hydrogen and oxygen gases. Again the hydrogen escaped to out in space. The atoms of oxygen gas combined with one another to form ozone. Eventually a layer of ozone gas formed about 30 kilometers above the Earth's surface. The formation of the ozone layer was important because it absorbs most of the harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Without the ozone layer few living things could survive
What are global Wind patterns?
Because the Earth rotates, the Coriolis Effect prevents air from flowing straight from the equator to the poles. Instead, air flowing northward from the equator is deflected to its right, and air flowing southward from the equator is deflected to its left.
Do pollutants damage the ozone layer?
CFCs Chlorofluorocarbons found in aerosol sprays, air conditioners, and solvents are harmful to the ozone layer which protects us from UV radiation. Increased exposure to UV radiation is dangerous to humans and the environment. There has been increase in skin cancer, cataracts, pre-mature skin aging, and weakening of the immune system in humans. Higher levels of radiation are harmful to crops and phytoplankton.
What is the carbon dioxide cycle?
Carbon dioxide is removed by plants during photosynthesis in small amounts. It is returned by respiration of plants and animals. During decomposition, the decay of plants and animals also return carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Burning or combustion returns carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is important to the atmosphere because it traps infrared radiation (heat energy).
Do different surfaces warm at the same rate?
Dark surfaces absorb more heat than light surfaces. Rough surfaces absorb more heat than smooth ones. Wet ground heats slower than dry ground. Snow and ice reflect sunlight and remain cold.
How do meteorologist predict weather?
Data is gathered from satellites, radiosondes (measure the temperature, pressure, and humidity of the air at different altitudes), and surface observations from a station model.
How are the global wind patterns different?
Doldrums are calm surface winds located at the equator. Trade winds are calm winds that have clear skies and little rain 30* N and S latitude. Prevailing Westerlies are strong winds 40-60* N and S latitudes. Polar Easterlies are cold weak winds 60-90 * N and S latitude. Horse Latitudes are located 30-35* N and S latitudes with variable winds to calm.
Are there different types of precipitation?
Drizzle, Raindrops, Snow, Sleet, Hail
Where does precipitation occurs?
Everywhere! One of the main causes of precipitation is the rising and cooling of moist air.
What is the difference between dew and frost?
Formation of Dew and Frost- When air cools to its dew point through contact with a colder surface, water vapor condenses directly onto the surface. If the air temperature is above 0* C, then dew forms. Dew may form on the ground, on leaves, and grass. If the air temperature is below 0* C, the water vapor becomes frost through deposition.
How is heat transferred in the atmoshere?
Heat transfer takes place by direct transfer of heat energy from one substance to another substance by conduction. Heat energy in a fluid is by convection. The transfer of energy by waves such as light is radiation.
What about high clouds?
High clouds- form above 7000 meters. They are formed from ice crystals because of the cold upper atmosphere.
What about middle clouds?
Middle clouds- form about 2000-7000 meters. They are found in the middle troposphere and have the prefix alto added to their names.
What about our present atmosphere?
In time green plants began to grow on the land. They took in carbon dioxide, sunlight, and water and released oxygen during photosynthesis. The oxygen content increased greatly. The composition of oxygen and carbon dioxide began to level off
What is the NITROGEN CYCLE?
Nitrogen is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere Two nitrogen oxides are found in the atmosphere. Nitrogen only reacts with oxygen in presence of high temperature and pressure. Nitrogen in the air becomes a part of biological matter mostly through the actions of bacteria and algae in a process known as nitrogen fixation. Legume plants such as clover, alfalfa, and soybeans form nodules on the roots where nitrogen fixing bacteria take nitrogen from the air and convert it into ammonia. The reaction of ammonia and nitric acid produces ammonium nitrate which may then be used as a fertilizer. Animal wastes when decomposed also return to the earth as nitrates. To complete the cycle other bacteria in the soil carry out a process known as de-nitrification which converts nitrates back to nitrogen gas.
How is precipitation measured?
Rain-rain guage Snowfall-measuring stick
What is the thermospehre?
The air is very thin and the density and air pressure is only one-ten millionth of that at the surface. The thermosphere's temperature can reaches temperature 2000*C or more.
What is humidity?
The amount of water vapor in the air at a given time and place
What was earth's ancient atmosphere's composition?
The atmosphere is the envelope of gases that surround the Earth. The atmosphere protects the Earth and also provides material necessary to support all forms of life on the Earth. The Earth's atmosphere 4 billions of years ago contained two deadly gases: methane and ammonia. Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen and is a poisonous gas too. The atmosphere is no longer composed of dangerous gases.
What is the composition of our present atmosphere?
The atmospheric gases include nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, water vapor, argon, and trace gases. Among the trace gases which are present in only small amounts, are neon, helium, krypton, and xenon. Nitrogen is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere. Nitrogen makes up 78 % of the Earth's atmosphere. Oxygen accounts for 21 % of the Earth's atmosphere. Trace gases account for 1% of the atmosphere. Nitrogen is essential for living things to make proteins
What are fronts?
The boundaries between the two air masses are called fronts. The weather along a front is usually unsettled and stormy.
What is the mesosphere?
The mesosphere extends from about 50 kilometers to 80 kilometers above the Earth's surface. The temperature drops to about -100*C. The mesosphere is the coldest region of the atmosphere. This layer protects us meteoroids because they burn up in the mesosphere. The heat caused by the friction between the meteoroid and atmosphere cause this burning.
What is condensation?
The water vapor may condense into droplets, forming clouds or fog.
What is the stratosphere?
There is a very strong eastward wind that blows horizontally around the Earth called the jet stream. The ozone layer is located in the layer at about 16 kilometers. It warms to 18* C. The zone where the temperature is the warmest is called the stratopause.
What is the layer closest to the earth's surface?
Troposphere
What are vertical clouds?
Vertical clouds- form from cumulus clouds that grow to the height of excess of 12,000 meters. They develop into severe thunderstorms.
What are the characteristics of water?
Water is in a solid state in the atmosphere when the temperature is below freezing. It appears as ice, snow, hail, and ice crystals in the atmosphere. Water in the liquid form is in the atmosphere when the temperature is above freezing. It appears as rain and cloud droplets. Water in the gaseous form is in the atmosphere when the temperature is above 100*C.
What is precipitation?
Water vapor that condenses and forms clouds can fall to the Earth as rain, snow, sleet or hail.
What are the different types of clouds?
What are the different types of clouds?
What is relative humidity?
When meteorologist refer to relative humidity, they are telling how near the air is to its maximum capacity for holding water vapor.
What is smog?
a brownish haze that forms in air polluted with nitrogen dioxides and hydrocarbons mainly from automobile exhaust.
What is an occluded front?
occurs when a cold front moves faster than a warm front
What is a cold front?
occurs when cold air meets and replaces warm air, the cold air forces the warm air upward producing violent thunderstorms.
What is a stationary front?
occurs when warm air meets cold air, and there is no movement. Rain may fall for extended periods.
What is a warm front?
occurs when warm air overtakes a cold air mass.
What is meteorology?
the study of processes that govern Earth's atmosphere, helps make weather predictions possible
What are storms?
violent disturbances of the atmosphere which is marked by sudden changes in air pressure and rapid movement of air.
What are clouds?
water vapor begins to condense, or change into a liquid making cloud
How does fog form?
when a cold surface cools the warmer moist air above it.