GEOG131 > Exam 2 > Flashcards

Exam 2 Flashcards

Terms etc. (77 cards)

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1
Q

Pressure Gradient Force

A

the movement of air from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

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2
Q

Convergence

A

the movement of air coming together; occurring at lows

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3
Q

Divergence

A

the movement of air moving apart; occurring at highs

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4
Q

Coriolis Effect

A

apparent force (rotation, doesn’t need anything to prompt it, it just is), dependent on latitude

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5
Q

Friction

A

real force (stationary, needs something to act upon it to be realized), interrupts winds at the surface due to textures

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6
Q

Geostrophic Wind

A

air aloft in the atmosphere only influenced by PGF and Coriolis

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7
Q

Dynamic

A

Occurs due to mechanical movement

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8
Q

Thermal

A

Occurs due to thermodynamic forces

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9
Q

High pressure

A

any pressure higher than 1013 mb

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10
Q

Low pressure

A

any pressure lower than 1013 mb

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11
Q

Dynamic high pressure

A

a high pressure created by shear force, not thermodynamic

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12
Q

Dynamic low pressure

A

a low pressure created by shear force, not thermodynamic

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13
Q

Thermal high pressure

A

a high pressure area

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14
Q

Thermal low pressure

A

a low pressure area

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15
Q

PAUSE: DRAW THE GLOBAL PRESSURE SYSTEMS

A

PICTURE:
Poles: Thermal Highs
60°: Dynamic Lows
30°: Dynamic Highs
Equator: Thermal Low

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16
Q

International Convergence Zone (ITCZ)

A

areas of persistent cloudiness where trade winds converge; aka doldrums

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17
Q

Hadley cell

A

linked areas of rising and descending air in relation to the subtropical high and the Equatorial low

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18
Q

Polar cell

A

linked areas of rising and descending air in relation to the Polar high and subpolar lows

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19
Q

all winds aloft are…

A

westerlies

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20
Q

Ferrell cell

A

a hypothetical open cell that does not move due to thermodynamics, occurring in the space between the Polar and Hadley cells

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21
Q

Shear force

A

a force that slides against another

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22
Q

jet stream

A

currents of fast moving air occurring aloft in the mid-latitudes that influence surface pressure and pressure gradients

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23
Q

polar front jet stream

A

the jet stream occurring on the edge of the polar cell (~45°-60°)

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24
Q

sub-tropical jet stream

A

the jet stream occurring on the edge of the Hadley cell (~60°)

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25
Rossby waves
the irregular paths jet streams take
26
ridge
jet stream movement that bends toward the Poles; warm air
27
trough
jet stream movements that bend toward the Equator; cold air
28
PAUSE: DRAW THE CONVECTION CELLS
PICTURE: HADLEY CELL: Equatorial lows converging up into subtropical highs; subtropical high diverging out into Equatorial and subpolar lows (CLOSED CELL) - Subtropical jet stream aloft FERRELL CELL: Subtropical high diverging into subpolar lows, convergence at subpolar lows, divergence at subtropical high (OPEN CELL) - Subpolar jet stream aloft POLAR CELL: Polar highs diverging out into subpolar lows; subpolar lows converging out into polar highs (CLOSED CELL)
29
Chinook wind
a warm, dry wind blowing down the leeward side of a mountain; a cool wind that has been warmed by latent heat as it rises over the front of a mountain
30
Santa Ana winds
deviant winds blowing northeast to southwest in California, bringing dry, hot winds with uncomfortable weather and wildfires
31
surface tension
the inclination of H2O to stick together and form droplets
32
capillary action
water's ability to pull each other along; e.g. root systems
33
polarity
water's ability to have a positive hydrogen end and a negative oxygen end
34
hydrogen bond
attraction between molecules due to polarity
35
dewpoint
the point at which water reaches saturation
36
dewpoint depression
the difference between air temperature and dew point (how far the atmosphere is from saturation)
37
vapor pressure
how much weight water vapor is pressing down
38
relative humidity
the ratio between how much water vapor the air holds and its temperature; as temperature increases, relative humidity decreases
39
absolute humidity
how much water vapor is in cubic meter at a given point in time; aka specific humidity
40
adiabatic process
a process WITHOUT energy exchanged
41
lifted condensation level (LCL)
the height in the atmosphere where a parcel cools to the dew point
42
temperature inversion
When a blanket of warm air covers a layer of cold air, trapping pollution underneath
43
stability
when a parcel of air is cooling faster than the surrounding environment
44
instability
when a parcel of air is warming faster than the surrounding environment
45
Charles' Law
if pressure remains constant, temperature and volume are directly proportional
46
Boyle's Law
if temperature remains constant, pressure and volume are inversely related
47
Ideal Gas Law
a change in pressure, density, or temperature, then the others must respond accordingly (Charles' and Boyle's laws combined)
48
Average sea level pressure
1013 mb
49
air pressure
the weight of the atmosphere and all its molecules pushing down on you
50
three components of wind
pressure gradient force, friction, Coriolis Effect
51
weather conditions of high pressure
sunny, fair (happy!)
52
weather conditions of low pressure
cloudy, stormy
53
weather conditions of stability
sinking; clear skies
54
weather conditions of instability
rising; cloudy skies
55
differences in thermal properties of land vs. water
land heats and cools faster than water, leading to more variance in temperature
56
sea breeze
a wind that blows from the sea to land
57
land breeze
a wind that blows from the land to the sea
58
valley breeze
when warm air within a valley rises and cool mountain air from the surroundings fall to fill the space
59
mountain breeze
the valley circulates air out, cooling more than the surroundings
60
urban heat island
when urban areas are much warner than surrounding areas
61
maritime effect
nearby water buffers the effect of land heating
62
PAUSE: DRAW LAND BREEZE
PICTURE: a high-pressure point on the land during the night, creating a small-scale cell
63
PAUSE: DRAW SEA BREEZE
PICTURE: a high-pressure point on the sea during the day, creating a small-scale cell
64
PAUSE: DRAW MOUNTAIN BREEZE
PICTURE: a breeze draining from the mountains back into the valley during the nighttime
65
PAUSE: DRAW VALLEY BREEZE
PICTURE: a breeze coming out of a valley, up the slope of the surrounding mountains during the day
66
PAUSE: DRAW THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT
PICTURE: A low within the city and a high outside
67
Monsoon
winds that reverse direction depending on the season
68
PAUSE: DRAW HIGH AND LOW PRESSURE IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE
PICTURE: H: air moving out in a clockwise direction to the right (cyclone) L: air moving in in a counter-clockwise direction to the left (anti-cyclone)
69
wind
air molecules moving from an area of excess to an area of deficit
70
be the wind
winds are named from whence they come
71
where is a westerly coming from?
the west
72
where is an easterly coming from?
the east
73
where is a northeasterly coming from?
the northeast
74
what direction does weather move across the United States?
from west to east
75
what direction do winds diverge in the Northern Hemisphere?
to the right
76
horse latitudes
regions near 30° where weeks without wind can occur
77
specific vs. absolute vs. relative humidity
SPECIFIC: the the amount of total water in a given location ABSOLUTE: the amount of total water in the atmosphere RELATIVE: the ratio of the amount of water in the atmosphere in relation to the amount that the atmosphere is able to hold
GEOG131
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