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APES Atmosphere Flashcards

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8410526952Nitrogen- Element that makes up 78% of atmosphere - Element that occurs in amino acids (proteins) and Nucleic acids (DNA and RNA)0
8410531499Oxygen- Element that makes up 21% of the atmosphere - Produced by photosynthesis and used in cellular respiration1
8410537556Water VaporThe main source for the greenhouse effect2
8410546884TroposphereAtmospheric layer where weather occurs3
8410548359StratosphereAtmospheric layer where ozone is located and absorbs high energy UVB and UVC waves4
8410552366MesosphereAtmospheric layer where most of the meteors that enter the earth's atmosphere melt or vaporize5
8410557965ThermosphereAtmospheric layer that absorbs UV radiation and X-rays6
8410567432Coriolis effectMovement of air caused by the Earth's rotation7
8410588627Ferrel Cell-Occurs between 30 degrees and 60 degrees North and South - Land here has large changes in temperature and precipitation (broadleaf deciduous and taiga)8
8410593461Hadley Cell- Dominates tropical equator region -Carries heat and moisture from tropics to mid-latitudes9
8410597008Polar Cell-Occurs above 60 degrees N and S -Cold, dry, descending air with low temperatures and little precipitation10
8410601875Sea breeze (onshore)-Occurs during day when land heats up faster causing denser ocean air to move landward11
8410606021Land breeze (offshore)- Occurs during night when land cools faster and becomes more dense pushing the air out to sea12
8410618581Rain shadow (orographic) effectDry area on the back (lee) side of a mountainous area13
8410620724MonsoonsHeavy rain seasons caused by a large fluctuation in the seasonal cycle of land temperature compared to nearby oceans14
8410625875HurricanesTropical storm systems that form of large bodies of warm water and have low pressure centers, strong winds and flooding rains15
8410630181Storm surgeAn offshore rise of sea level caused by high winds pushing on the ocean's surface16
8410637048Hurricane Katrina-occurred in 2005 around Louisiana - most costly ($81 billion) and most deadly (1,836 lives) category 5 hurricane in US History - Destruction compounded due to failure of local, state, and federal authorities17
8410645779Hurricane Sandy-occurred in 2012 - led to 200,000 homeless in Haiti - Most US damage occurred in New York and New Jersey due to flooding18
8410651509TornadoesA violent rotating column that is in contact with a cumulonimbus cloud and Earth's surface - In US mainly occur in "tornado alley" (Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and bordering states)19
8410657261ENSO consequences- Western Trade winds in south pacific weaken or move east - Warm air rises in Peru causing rain in the deserts their - reduced upwelling of nutrients on SA coastline - moves patterns of rain to dry and dry to rain20
8410684161La Nina- usually cold ocean temperature in equatorial eastern pacific - conditions are opposite of el nino -increased hurricane activity -heavier monsoons in India and SE Asia21

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