Unit 4 Study Guide The Atmosphere

PART 1 a.Weather - constantly changing, refers to the state of the atmosphere at any given place and time. b. Climate - Observations that have been based over many years (describe a place or region)

c. Revolution - Around the orbit (year) d. Heat - Energy transferred from one object to another, a difference in temperature. e. Rotation - Spinning around on the axis (day). f. Temperature - the measure of the average energy in an individual object.

g. Latent Heat - Use to melt ice that does not produced a temperature change (hidden). h. Absorption - when clouds absorb solar energy and heat up the atmosphere. i. Dew Point - the temperature at which a parcel of air would need to be cooler to reach saturation.

2. Unstable air tends to rise and cause lots of bad weather. 3. Explain what causes the different seasons. Earth’s tilt and its location in its orbit. 4. What is water vapor the source of? Condensation (clouds) and precipitation

5. Explain the difference between humidity and relative humidity. Humidity - how much water vapor is in the air. Relative Humidity - a ratio of the actual water vapor content compared to the amount of water vapor air can hold.

6. List the layers of the atmosphere and one thing that occurs in that layer. Troposphere - where weather occurs Stratosphere - where you find the ozone Mesosphere – where you find most satelites Thermosphere - outermost layer of the atmosphere

7. What are the major components of the atmosphere? Nitrogen, Oxygen, Argon/Carbon Dioxide 8. Give an example of a primary source, secondary source, and photochemical source of pollution. Primary - car exhaust pipe Secondary - aerosol cans Photochemical - CFC’s

9. Explain the three ways heat is transferred. Conduction - by touch Convection - through circulation Radiation - travel through space

10. List the different types of ways that temperature is controlled. 1.Land - heats and cools rapidly, high and lower temp, high temp variations 2.Water - heats and cools slowly and has more regulated temp 3.Geographic Position - Based on coastal/land windward has coastal seasons; leeward has continental seasons

10. cont 4.Altitude - Elevation from sea level 5. Cloud Cover - helping to act as a blanket or reflected surface for solar radiation 6. Albedo - the amount of reflection of the sun off a surface. 7. Isotherms - lines of equal temperatures, allows us to study global temperature patterns.

11.) Explain the four ways that air is lifted. 1.Orographic Lifting - elevated terrains act as barriers 2.Frontal Wedging - when warm air and cool air combine to create a front 3.Convergence - when the atmosphere flows together as it rises. 4.Convective Lifting - the heating and lifting of air, creating thermals.

a.) Wind - A result of horizontal differences in air pressure. b.) Coriolis Effect - the deflection of wind due to the rotation of the Earth. c.) Anticyclones - pressure increases from outside to center, winds blow outward and clockwise, net flow=outward PART 2

d.) Cyclones - pressure decreases from outer to center, winds blow inward and counterclockwise, net flow = inward e.) Monsoon - seasonal change in the wind direction, lots of rain f.) Local Winds - caused by either topographic effects or by variations in surface composition

13. What is the difference between a close isobar and a far apart isobar? Close = high winds Far Apart = low winds 14. A low pressure system is where you are more likely to find bad weather.

15. What is the difference between a mountain breeze and a valley breeze? Mountain - cooling at night, air moves into the valley Valley - heats during the day, warm air rises

PART 3 a.) Front - when two air masses meet, form a front, a boundary that separates two air masses. b.) Storm Surge - the damaging force that is brought with a hurricane as it approaches the shoreline.

17. Explain what an air mass is, how it moves, and what it brings with it when it moves. A large area of weather that is characterized by similar temperatures and amounts of moisture, moves out of the region (changes as it moves), and takes moisture and temp with it.

18. How are thunderstorms formed? The vertical movements of warm unstable air that can lead to a thunderstorm. 19. When an occluded front forms during a middle latitude cyclone, the storm will get stronger.

20. What are four ways natural climate change can occur? Explain each. 1.Volcanic Eruptions - emits large amounts of ash and dust into the atmosphere 2.Ocean Circulation - El Nino 3.Solar Activity - changes in the outputs of the solar energy (sunspots) 4.Earth Motions - tectonic plate movements; rotation, revolution, precession and nutation

21. Explain a tornado -a violent windstorm that takes the form of a rotation of air called a vortex that extends downward -wind speed measured by the Fujita Scale and amount of damage caused.

22. Explain a hurricane -a heat engine that is fueled by the energy given off when huge quantities of water vapor condense -Intensity measured by the Saffir - Simpson Scale

23. Types of Fronts 1.Warm Front - forms when warm air moves into an area that formerly was cooler air, red lines and semicircles 2.Cold Front - when cold dense air moves into a region occupied by warm air, blue lines and triangles 3.Occluded Front - when an active cold front overtakes a warm front, blue triangles and red semicircles shown on both sides of the front line. 4.Stationary Front - when the surface position of the front does not move, blue triangles on one side and red semicircles on the other side of the fault.