APES The Atmosphere Flashcards
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| 9706125122 | composition of the atmosphere | 78% nitrogen (N2) 21% Oxygen (O2) 0-4% Water vapor (H2O) <<1% Carbon dioxide (CO2) <<<1% methane (CH4) <<<1% nitrous oxide (N2O) <<<1% ozone (O3) |  | 0 |
| 9706152030 | Nitrogen (N2) | - 78% of atmosphere - needed for life - deposits on earth through nitrogen fixation - returns to atmosphere through combustion of biomass and denitrification | 1 | |
| 9706163959 | Oxygen (O2) | - 21% of atmosphere - produced through photosynthesis - used in cellular respiration | 2 | |
| 9706172073 | Water Vapor (H2O) | - 0-4% of the atmosphere - largest amts near equator, over oceans, in tropics - low amts in polar areas, deserts | 3 | |
| 9706183418 | Carbon dioxide (CO2) | - <<1% of the atmosphere - Has increased by 1/4 in the past 300 years cause of fossil fuels, deforestation - produced during respiration, decay of organic matter - used in photosynthesis - major greenhouse has - is in the atmosphere for ~ 100 yrs :/ | 4 | |
| 9706202394 | Methane (CH4) | - <<<1% of the atmosphere - contributes to greenhouse effect - increased about 150% in the last 250 yrs b/c of coal mining, fossil fuels, grazing animals, and flooding of rice fields - 1 molecule stays in atmosphere for ~10 yrs | 5 | |
| 9706206517 | Nitrous Oxide (N2O) | - <<<1% of the atmosphere - inc about 0.3%/yr - from fossil fuels, fertilizers, burning biomass, deforestation, conversion to agricultural land - contributes to greenhouse effect - most important substance reducing stratospheric ozone; just as bad as CFCs | 6 | |
| 9706284382 | Ozone (O3) | - <<<1% of atmosphere - 97% in stratosphere in the ozone layer - absorbs UV radiation - produced when photochemical smog is produced - hole over Antarctica - CFCs are primary cause of breakdown | 7 | |
| 9706664523 | layers of the atmosphere | ionosphere mesosphere stratosphere (ozone layer) troposphere |  | 8 |
| 9706677845 | troposphere | - 0-7 mi above earth - 3/4 of Earth's atmosphere's mass - temp dec w altitude - weather - hurtful ozone |  | 9 |
| 9706700476 | stratosphere | - 31 ish miles above - temp inc with altitude bc the ozone absorbs UV - contains ozone layer - ozone produced by UV radiation, lightning - helpful ozone, protective |  | 10 |
| 9706722307 | mesosphere | - 56 mi above - temp dec w altitude - coldest layer - ice clouds - meteors burn up here | | 11 |
| 9706729734 | thermosphere/ionosphere | - 217 mi above - temp inc with altitude b/c of gamma rays, x rays, UV radiation - northern lights (d/t molecules being converted into ions) | | 12 |
| 9706753161 | changes in temp in the atmosphere |  | 13 | |
| 9706763821 | weather is caused by | - transfer of energy d/t the unequal heating of the Earth's surface by the sun - energy transferred whenever there is a temp difference - energy transferred through radiation, conduction, convection | 14 | |
| 9706840455 | radiation | - the flow of electromagnetic radiation - method by which Earth receives solar energy | 15 | |
| 9747448310 | conduction | - involves the transfer of heat through solid substances and results from a difference in temperature between different parts of the substance | 16 | |
| 9747455347 | factors influencing climate | - air mass - air pressure - albedo - altitude - angle of sunlight - clouds - distance to oceans - fronts - heat - human activity - humidity / moisture content of air - land changes - latitude - location - mountain ranges - pollution - rotation - wind patterns - your mom | 17 | |
| 9747468797 | convection | - primary way energy is transferred from hotter to colder regions in atmosphere - determines weather patterns - involves the movement of the warmer, more energetic molecules in air - both vertical and horizontal convenction - ground air becomes warm, which means it's also less dense, so it rises; pressure differences develop because of the temp difference --> creates convection | 18 | |
| 9747484108 | regions near the equator receive (more, less, =) solar energy than the poles; therefore they are (hotter, colder, the same temp) | more; hotter | 19 | |
| 9747487578 | global convection | because poles are colder & have less solar energy than the equator = latitudinal differences in surface temp = global convection = major weather patters - without convection the equator would be 27 def F warmer and the Arctic would be 45 def F colder |  | 20 |
| 9747497517 | air mass | - a large body of air with similar temp and moisture content - can be equatorial, tropical, polar, arctic, continental, or maritime | 21 | |
| 9747503225 | air pressure | - 99% of mass of atmosphere is within 20 miles of Earth's surface - gravity on air mass results in air pressure - measured in millibars, inches of mercury, or hectopascals (hPa) - decreases with altitude - LOW pressure = CLOUDY and STORMY - HIGH pressure = SUNNY; cool, dense air that descends and warms | 22 | |
| 9747516293 | albedo | - reflectivity - ocean water = low albedo - land masses = moderate albedo - snow, ice = high albedo - dust in atmosphere from dry climate periods, volcanic eruptions, meteor impacts = high albedo - forms veil around Earth and reflects solar radiation | 23 | |
| 9747529841 | altitude | - for every 1000 ft, there is a 3 deg F drop in temp - for every 300 ft its equivalent to shifting 62 miles N in latitudej | 24 | |
| 9747536399 | angle of sunlight | - areas closest to equator receive the most sunlight, have higher temperatures | 25 | |
| 9747542748 | carbon cycle | - consumption of carbon in the form of CO2 results in cooling (consumption via carbonate rock weathering and silicate rock weathering): PRODUCT is carbon dioxide (left side of formula) and COOLS - production of carbon in the form of CO2 results in warming (production via carbonate formation in the oceans and metamorphic breakdown of carbonate): YIELDS carbon dioxide (right side of formula) and WARMS | 26 | |
| 9748251765 | clouds | - water droplets or ice crystals in atmosphere - warm air rises, it expands d/t decreasing air pressure --> drops in temp t/f cannot hold much water vapor --> vapor condenses forming tiny water particles or ice crystal - high level clouds (prefix cirr-) mostly ice crystals - mid level clouds (prefix alto-) and low level clouds (prefix strat-) mostly water droplets, some ice or snow | 27 | |
| 9748269467 | distance to oceans | - oceans more thermally stable because they have a high specific heat | 28 | |
| 9748271271 | fronts | - front = boundary between two different air masses - fronts vary in temp, dew point, wind direction | 29 | |
| 9748288958 | warm front | - boundary between advancing warm air mass and the cooler one it is replacing - warm air is less dense t/f rises and cools, releases the moisture it has as rain |  | 30 |
| 9748313850 | cold front | - leading edge of an advancing mass of cold air - thunderhead clouds, high surface winds, thunderstorms - after it passes the weather is usually cool with clear skies |  | 31 |
| 9748322047 | greenhouse effect | - most impt greenhouse gasses: water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) | 32 | |
| 9748329125 | heat (convection) | - influences climate by how heat energy is exchanged between air over the oceans and the air over land | 33 | |
| 9748332035 | land changes | - urbanization, deforestation influences climate | 34 | |
| 9748338444 | landmass distribution | - ocean water absorbs a lot of solar radiation; land reflects a lot more - low latitudes (equator) get a lot more radiation than near the poles - so a planet with land clustered at low lats would be cooler than a planet with only land at poles | 35 | |
| 9748358570 | moisture content of air (humidity) | - determines plant growth and distribution and biome type (ex desert vs forest vs tropical forest) - atmospheric water vapor supplies moisture for clouds, rainfall, plays role in atmospheric energy exchanges - water vapor is a greenhouse gas b/c it traps heat leaving the surface | 36 | |
| 9748449483 | dew point | - the temperature at which water vapor in the air (at constant barometric pressure) condenses into liquid water at the same rate at which it evaporates - at temperature below the dew point, water will leave the air | 37 | |
| 9748453497 | mountain ranges | - rain shadow effect: side of mntns facing ocean is "windward side" get a ton of rain; side opposite ocean is "leeward side", gets little rain - temp dec as altitude inc - orographic lifting: warm moist air rises to top of mountain, where the atmospheric pressure dec (b/c of in altitude) the air expands and cools to reach the dew point; at dew point moisture condenses onto mountain and it precipitates; air then descends onto other side (leeward side) but that side doesn't get any rain cause it already rained! | 38 | |
| 9748463592 | orographic lifting | - when an air mass is forced from a low elevation to a higher elevation as it moves over rising terrain like a mountain - as it gains altitude it expands and cools, which can raise relative humidity and create clouds and sometimes precipitation |  | 39 |
| 9748473841 | plate tectonics and volcanoes | - volcanoes produce CO2 - if/when supercontinents stabilize, global volcanism slows, less CO2 in atmosphere --> global cooling - inc volcanism --> more CO2 in atmosphere --> greenhouse warming | 40 | |
| 9748481395 | pollution | - greenhouse gases emitted from natural sources like volcaoes or anthropogenic sources like industry, transportation - why am i writing this | 41 | |
| 9748487728 | precession | - the wobble of earth on it's axis - changes the amt of energy received by the sun - changes in the orientation (tilt) of Earth in space also affects climate |  | 42 |
| 9748491951 | rotation | - rotation affects day/night t/f affects daily temp cycles - night heat escapes - daily min temp occurs right before sunrise | 43 | |
| 9748498038 | solar output | - times of sunspot activity (once every 11, 90, 180 yrs) correspond to decreases in solar radiation reaching earth - changes of solar output can affect earth's temp - sun's magnetic field reverses every 22 years | 44 | |
| 9748505325 | volcanoes | - sulfur rich eruptions -> stuff into atmosphere -> cooling in troposphere, warming in stratosphere - volcanic aerosols -> 1-3 yrs in atmosphere -> tropospheric cooling, when in stratosphere can help destroy ozone - over long ass time ash in oceans can make it more iron-y, which promote biotic activity, which can lower the CO2 concentration of seawater, and hence atmospheric CO2 levels, and t/f global cooling | 45 | |
| 9748555960 | wind patterns | - are influenced by temp, pressure differences (gradients), and Coriolis effect - sun heats atmosphere unevenly - air closest to surface is warmer and rises - air at high elevations is cooler, sinks - aka our good friend, convection! causes winds |  | 46 |
| 9748568028 | global air circulation is caused and affected by: | - uneven heating of Earth's surface - seasons - Coriolis effect - the amt of solar radiation reaching Earth's surface - convection cells created by areas of warm ocean water which are caused by differences in water density, winds, and Earth's rotation |  | 47 |
| 9748575394 | land and sea breezes | - sunny days: land warms up faster than sea (has a lower specific heat) - t/f the air above the land is less dense than that over the sea - t/f sea breeze (sea --> land) - calm, clear nights: land cools down faster than sea - air over land is more dense than air over sea - t/f land breeze (land --> sea) | 48 | |
| 9748588831 | Coriolis Force | - deflection in path - caused by Earth's rotation - N hemisphere moves R - S hemisphere moves left - greater deflection the greater the speed and the lat - more deflection @ high speeds, at poles - is 0 at equator |  | 49 |
| 9748608975 | human activity | deforestation, urbanization, heat island effects, release of pollutants/greenhouse gases, burning of fossil fuels, production of acid rain - in pollution with an increase in conventional uplift in urban area = more rainfall in urban areas | 50 | |
| 9748662923 | 2 000 000 BCE to 12 000 BCE: The Pleistocene Ice Age | - glacial sheets - interglacial periods: warmer so glaciers retreated - glacial periods: colder so they advanced | 51 | |
| 9748671526 | 12 000 BCE to 3 000 BCE | - warming of earth and glacial retreat began - sudden cooling period b/w 10 000 and 8 500 BCE; possibly d/t fresh water trapped behind ice in NA draining into oceans and f*ing with the currents which exchange heat energy with the atmosphere - warming resumes 8 500 BCE CLIMATIC OPTIMUM: 5000 to 3000 BCE: max global temp reached: avg global temp 2-4 deg F warmer than they are today; ancient civs began | 52 | |
| 9748725783 | 3000 BCE to 750 BCE | - 3000 to 2000 BCE = cooling trend --> caused drop in sea lvls, many islands and coasts emerged - 2000 to 1500 BCE = warming - 1500 to 750 BCE = renewed ice growth in continental glaciers and alpine glaciers and sea lvl drop | 53 | |
| 9748754535 | 750 BCE to 900 CE | - 750 BCE to 150 BCE = warming - 150 BCE - 300 CE (roman empire) - 900 CE = cooling, Nile R and Black Sea froze :/ | 54 | |
| 9748766210 | 900 CE to 1200 CE (Little Climatic Optimum) | - warm period - Vikings est on Greenland, Iceland - followed by cooler, more extreme weather ex floods, droughts, seasonal fluctuatios up to 1400s | 55 | |
| 9748774070 | 1500 CE to 1850 CE (Little Ice Age) | 1550 to 1850 CE: cold af | 56 | |
| 9748775618 | 1850 - now | general warming | 57 | |
| 9748781448 | why does Sun heat atmosphere unevenly? | - rotation of Earth on axis - rotation around the sun, - tilt of axis | 58 | |
| 9748794019 | global air circulation is affected by: | - convection cells created by warm ocean waters (commonly lead to hurricanes) - uneven heating of surface - seasons - coriolis effect - amt of solar radiation reaching earth over long periods of time - ocean currents caused by differences in water density - winds - earth's rotation | | 59 |
| 9748804831 | trade winds | - blow from NE in N H, from SE in S H - strengthen during winter - blow tropical storms that form over Atlantic, Pacific, south Indian oceans over to N Am, SE Asia, India - steer African dust W into Caribbean sea |  | 60 |
| 9748817807 | wind moves from ___ pressure to ___ pressure | high; low | 61 | |
| 9748819358 | wind speed is determined by | pressure differences between air masses; the greater the pressure the greater the speed; measured by an anemometer if you're looking at isobars; the closer together they are the stronger the wind |  | 62 |
| 9748829552 | The Coriolis effect causes winds in the N hemisphere to spiral _____ in high pressure areas and spiral out _______ in low pressure areas | clockwise in high pressure; counter clockwise in low pressure; opposite in S H |  | 63 |
| 9748869797 | Hadley Cells | - next to equator - creates trade winds - equatorial regions: (0 deg) LOW PRESSURE so air RISES high humidity, high clouds, heavy rains no winter tropical rain forest - subtropical regions: (30 deg) - next to Ferrel cells - HIGH PRESSURE so air FALLS - low humidity, little clouds, deserts |  | 64 |
| 9748892467 | Ferrel Cells | - 30 deg to 50 deg - HIGH pressure at 30 deg so air FALLS; LOW pressure at 60 deg so air RISES - creates Westerlies -temperate zone |  | 65 |
| 9748913493 | Polar Cells | 60 deg to 90 deg 60 deg - next to Ferrel cells LOW PRESSURE so moist warm air RISES 90 deg- HIGH PRESSURE so cold dry air FALLS creates Polar fronts - tundra and taiga cold deserts |  | 66 |
| 9748943437 | Air Circulation Cells | | 67 | |
| 9748950995 | hurricanes | - begin over warm ocean where trade winds converge - subtropical high pressure zone = high daytime temps w/ low humidity t/f lots of ocean evaporation - coriolis effect makes them spin - thunderstorms develop over tropical oceans and coriolis effect makes them spin - center is "eye" - low pressure, descending air - energy dissipates as it moves | 68 | |
| 9748970128 | tornadoes vs hurricanes | - both have eyes w/ low pressure - tornadoes are smaller - tornadoes are produced from 1 convective storm like a thunderstorm- - hurricanes are huge - hurricanes are made from many convective storms - tornadoes mostly on land b/c solar heating of land surface helps create the thunderstorm - tropical cyclones mostly ocean, die out over land d/t no moisture | 69 | |
| 9748988741 | monsoons | - strong violent winds, change direction w/ season - blow from cold to warm regions b/c cold air takes up more space than warm air |  | 70 |
| 9749017754 | Normal State (not el niño o la niña; aka "La Nada") | - easterly trade winds move water and air moved by sun to W (Walker circulation) - trade winds pile up water in W Pacific which makes a deep warm layer in W - pushes thermocline down in W, and it rises in E - shallow E thermocline allows winds to pull up old nutrient rich water from below - W side of equatorial Pacific has warm, wet low pressure weather, typhoons and thunderstorms |  | 71 |
| 9749036237 | El Niño / El Niño - Southern Oscillation (ENSO) | - air pressure patterns in S Pacific reverse direction - trade winds DEC in strength, reverse direction - normal flow of water away from S Am dec - ocean water piles up near S Am - thermocline is pushed deeper - upwelling of nutrient rich deep water is DEC --> fish kills off coast of S Am - E Pacific surface temp INC d/t deeper thermocline, dec westward transport of water - shift of precailling rain pattern from normal W Pacific to central Pacific; rainfall is more common in central Pacific while W Pacific becomes drier - warm phase of ENSO |  | 72 |
| 9749082684 | La Niña | - opposite of El Niño - trade winds are stronger - inc upwelling off S Am - cooler than normal sea surface temps - rain pattern shifts W - winds pile up warm surface water in W Pacific - cold ocean temps in E equatorial Pacific - inc in hurricanes in S/E US - heavier monsoons in India, S/E Asia |  | 73 |
| 9749085097 | climatological effects of el niño |  | 74 | |
| 9749117643 | climatological effects of la niña |  | 75 | |
| 9749128995 | List 3 facts about each of the following gases in the atmosphere: a. nitrogen b. oxygen c. water vapor d. carbon dixoide e. methane f. nitrous oxide g. ozone | pgs 109-110 | 76 | |
| 9749141315 | describe each of the following layers of the atmosphere: a. troposphere b. stratosphere c. mesosphere d. ionosphere | pgs 110-111 | 77 | |
| 9749143329 | describe the difference between weather and climate | pg 111 | 78 | |
| 9749146335 | describe the difference between radiation, conduction, and convection | pg 111 | 79 | |
| 9749148070 | name and describe 5 factors that influence climate | pgs 112-117 | 80 | |
| 9749151089 | describe 3 major climatic periods during Earth's history | pgs 117-118 | 81 | |
| 9749152553 | describe how a convection cell works | pg 119 | 82 | |
| 9749154139 | describe the Coriolis effect | pg 119 | 83 | |
| 9749156780 | describe the characteristics of Hadley, Ferrel, and polar cells | pgs 120-122 | 84 | |
| 9749158194 | describe how hurricanes and tornadoes form | pgs 123-124 | 85 | |
| 9749162959 | describe how monsoons form and where they occur | pg 124 | 86 | |
| 9749164865 | describe the "rain shadow effect" | pg 125 | 87 | |
| 9749166554 | describe how El Niño forms | pgs 125-126 | 88 | |
| 9749168949 | describe how La Niña forms | pg 127 | 89 | |
| 9749172532 | MC questions - WIP (if anyone wants to add the MC Qs from the Barron's book be my guest <3) | 90 |