GEOG 1900 final Exam Questions and Answers Solved Correctly
The forces involved in surface winds and in geostrophic winds - Answers Surface winds:
Eddy viscosity: Friction associated with the dissipation of kinetic energy due to eddies. The rougher the
surface, the greater the eddy viscosity. The eddy viscosity decays rapidly with the height above the
Earth's surface so that the horizontal winds strengthen with the height. Eddy viscosity plays only minor
role outside frictional boundary layer. (the horizontal winds are deflected by friction, which acts
opposite to the direction of motion)
Geostrophic winds:
upper level winds (the balance between the horizontal pressure gradient and the Coriolis force)
What causes and what are the adiabatic changes in temperature experienced by an air parcel moving
vertically in the atmosphere - Answers Adiabatic lapse rate: the change in temperature with height due
to expansion and compression of air parcel.
Remember: The dry adiabatic lapse rate is always larger than the saturated lapse rate (the dry air cools
quicker than the moist air)
Atmospheric stability: Atmosphere is stable when the adiabatic lapse rate is larger than the
environmental lapse rate.
When the air parcel rises up, it expands (does work to it surrounding) and cools down. Therefore, the air
parcel tends to sink down.
Why is the lifting of air parcels associated with cloud formation? - Answers Cloud formation is frequently
a result of upward movement in adiabatic cooling and condensation/deposition of water vapor because
the atmosphere cools with elevation
Oceanic convergence and divergence and how these generate downwelling and upwelling - Answers
Convergence- water is incompressible
Water pushed down- gravity
Downwelling: water is pushed TO the coast
,Divergence- water moved upward; surface water is pushed FROM the coast by the Ekman effect
Upwelling- to fill in to compensate for water moving away?
thermal stability of water - Answers The specific heat of water is greater than the sand. Therefore, the
temperature change of water is not obvious. Thus, at night, the wind is from the land to the sea (land
breeze). During the day, the wind is from the sea to the land (sea breeze).
The ice albedo-temperature feedback - Answers Temperature increase -> ice cover decrease-> albedo
decrease-> Temperature increase
Temperature decrease-> ice cover increase-> albedo increase-> temperature decrease
ENSO: Definition and frequency of occurrence;
the coupled atmospheric-oceanic processes that characterized the mean state of the Equatorial Pacific;
how positive feedbacks can amplify disturbances to one of these components leading to El Niño or La
Niña states;
the differences between the El Niño state and the mean state;
the differences between the La Niña state and the mean state. - Answers ENSO (EI Nino Southern
Oscillation): the natural oscillation of the atmosphere-ocean system centered in the tropical Pacific
which occurs on an irregular cycle. (every 3-7 years)
Ocean/ Atmosphere: coupled system: (a circulation)
-Zonal pressure gradient sustains trades.
-Trades winds drive warm water west.
-Maintains zonal (east-west) sea surface temperature (SST) gradient.
-Sea Surface Temperature gradient maintains pressure gradient. (go back to 1))
, The difference between the El Niño state and the mean state:
The western equatorial pacific becomes higher pressure. The Eastern equatorial pacific becomes lower
pressure.
The trade winds flow from the west to the east.
The different between the La Niña state and the mean state:
-La Niña is the "intensification" of the mean condition.
-The west becomes warmer and wetter.
-The east becomes colder and dryer.
-The trade winds are stronger.
El Niño impacts: on tropical pacific precipitation and winds; on local ocean productivity and the fisheries
off Peru and Ecuador; on the US climate during winter. - Answers Warm/ wet in the East
cold/ dry in the West
Effects highly variable
Fisheries do poorly?
Are ENSO events all similar in intensity and location of anomalies? What does this mean for potential
ENSO impacts? - Answers Common impacts of EI Nino effects are highly variable and depend, in part, on
the magnitude and location of the sea surface temperature anomaly.
La Nina and EI Nino are not the only factors determining climate variability at any location.
Air Masses: What are they and how do they get formed? What are the different types? - Answers
Categorized by their source region or relative moisture amount
-Continental (c) - originates over land mass, dry
The forces involved in surface winds and in geostrophic winds - Answers Surface winds:
Eddy viscosity: Friction associated with the dissipation of kinetic energy due to eddies. The rougher the
surface, the greater the eddy viscosity. The eddy viscosity decays rapidly with the height above the
Earth's surface so that the horizontal winds strengthen with the height. Eddy viscosity plays only minor
role outside frictional boundary layer. (the horizontal winds are deflected by friction, which acts
opposite to the direction of motion)
Geostrophic winds:
upper level winds (the balance between the horizontal pressure gradient and the Coriolis force)
What causes and what are the adiabatic changes in temperature experienced by an air parcel moving
vertically in the atmosphere - Answers Adiabatic lapse rate: the change in temperature with height due
to expansion and compression of air parcel.
Remember: The dry adiabatic lapse rate is always larger than the saturated lapse rate (the dry air cools
quicker than the moist air)
Atmospheric stability: Atmosphere is stable when the adiabatic lapse rate is larger than the
environmental lapse rate.
When the air parcel rises up, it expands (does work to it surrounding) and cools down. Therefore, the air
parcel tends to sink down.
Why is the lifting of air parcels associated with cloud formation? - Answers Cloud formation is frequently
a result of upward movement in adiabatic cooling and condensation/deposition of water vapor because
the atmosphere cools with elevation
Oceanic convergence and divergence and how these generate downwelling and upwelling - Answers
Convergence- water is incompressible
Water pushed down- gravity
Downwelling: water is pushed TO the coast
,Divergence- water moved upward; surface water is pushed FROM the coast by the Ekman effect
Upwelling- to fill in to compensate for water moving away?
thermal stability of water - Answers The specific heat of water is greater than the sand. Therefore, the
temperature change of water is not obvious. Thus, at night, the wind is from the land to the sea (land
breeze). During the day, the wind is from the sea to the land (sea breeze).
The ice albedo-temperature feedback - Answers Temperature increase -> ice cover decrease-> albedo
decrease-> Temperature increase
Temperature decrease-> ice cover increase-> albedo increase-> temperature decrease
ENSO: Definition and frequency of occurrence;
the coupled atmospheric-oceanic processes that characterized the mean state of the Equatorial Pacific;
how positive feedbacks can amplify disturbances to one of these components leading to El Niño or La
Niña states;
the differences between the El Niño state and the mean state;
the differences between the La Niña state and the mean state. - Answers ENSO (EI Nino Southern
Oscillation): the natural oscillation of the atmosphere-ocean system centered in the tropical Pacific
which occurs on an irregular cycle. (every 3-7 years)
Ocean/ Atmosphere: coupled system: (a circulation)
-Zonal pressure gradient sustains trades.
-Trades winds drive warm water west.
-Maintains zonal (east-west) sea surface temperature (SST) gradient.
-Sea Surface Temperature gradient maintains pressure gradient. (go back to 1))
, The difference between the El Niño state and the mean state:
The western equatorial pacific becomes higher pressure. The Eastern equatorial pacific becomes lower
pressure.
The trade winds flow from the west to the east.
The different between the La Niña state and the mean state:
-La Niña is the "intensification" of the mean condition.
-The west becomes warmer and wetter.
-The east becomes colder and dryer.
-The trade winds are stronger.
El Niño impacts: on tropical pacific precipitation and winds; on local ocean productivity and the fisheries
off Peru and Ecuador; on the US climate during winter. - Answers Warm/ wet in the East
cold/ dry in the West
Effects highly variable
Fisheries do poorly?
Are ENSO events all similar in intensity and location of anomalies? What does this mean for potential
ENSO impacts? - Answers Common impacts of EI Nino effects are highly variable and depend, in part, on
the magnitude and location of the sea surface temperature anomaly.
La Nina and EI Nino are not the only factors determining climate variability at any location.
Air Masses: What are they and how do they get formed? What are the different types? - Answers
Categorized by their source region or relative moisture amount
-Continental (c) - originates over land mass, dry
