ATMOS 1010 MIDTERM 1 STUDY GUIDE
zMeterology - Answers - study of the atmosphere
Weather - Answers - State of atmosphere at any given time or place
Climate - Answers - Average weather over a long period of time
Weather & Climate are expressed in the same elements: - Answers - -Temperature
-Atmospheric Moisture
-Type & Amount of Clouds
-Type & Amount of Precipitation
-Air Pressure
-Speed & Direction of Wind
what are some causes in the upward trend in climate related natural hazard? - Answers
- More people for severe weather to impact due to population growth and better
technology to detect storms
Atmosphere - Answers - 99% of the earths atmosphere is within 30km of earths surface
- protects the earth - weather occurs in the atmosphere
Nature of the Atmosphere - Answers - - Increased altitude decrease pressure
-Increased altitude decrease temp in troposphere
-Moisture decrease rapidly with increase in altitude
-Oxygen & Nitrogen make up 99% of the volume
-Carbon Dioxide - .03% of atmosphere - absorbs energy
-Water Vapor - 0-4% by volume - clouds & precipitations
Infrared Energy - Answers - Responsible for "Sensible heat" or heat that you can feel
Solar Radiation - Answers - Travels through space providing light and heat energy
(short wave radiation)
Wavelength - Answers - Describes the length of the crest of one radio wave to the next
Visible light - Answers - Often referred as white light, actually describes the sensitivity of
the human eye to a range of wavelengths
Infrared Radiation - Answers - Cannot be seen by the human eye; but is detected as
heat
Ultraviolet Radiation - Answers - Wave length that may cause sun burns
Law of Radiation - Answers - -All object continually emit radiate of a range of
wavelengths
, -Hotter objects radiate more total energy per unit than the colder ones
-Hotter objects radiate more short wave radiation than cooler
-Objects that are good absorbers of radiation are also good emitters
What Happens to Incoming Solar Radiation - Answers - -Reflection - light bounces back
from an object at the same angle & intensity
-Scattering - Produces a large number of weaker rays traveling in different directions
-Back Scattering - Scattering both backwards & forwards
-Albedo - The % of radiation reflected by an object
-High albedo reduces surface temperature
Relationship between incoming and outgoing radiation - Answers - Energy is absorbed
by earths surface and then re-emitted as longwave radiation
The Role of Gasses in the Atmosphere - Answers - -The greenhouse effect: natural
phenomenon and is a result of the earths atmosphere trapping some outgoing radiation
-Carbon dioxide and water vapor absorb longwave radiation which heats the air
-The greenhouse effect is not the same as global warming
Rising CO2 levels - Answers - - Burning fossil fuels & deforestation
-Some of excess is taken up by plants or is dissolved in the ocean
Atmosphere Measurements - Answers - -Traditional Weather Stations
-Low Cost - Sensors
-Mobile Measurements
-Weather Balloons
-Radar
-Satellites
Weather Stations Typically Measure: - Answers - - Temperature
-Wind Speed & Direction
-Pressure
-Humidity
-Precipitation
-Solar Radiation
-Air Quality Related Variables
Why Do We Display Wind Data as a Wind Barb? - Answers - - Coinvent way to display
vectors in graphical form
Radiosondes Provides Vertical Measurements of - Answers - - Temperature
-Wind Speed & Direction
-Humidity
Dropsondes - Answers - Identical to radiosondes except that they are deployed from an
aircraft usually within tropical systems
zMeterology - Answers - study of the atmosphere
Weather - Answers - State of atmosphere at any given time or place
Climate - Answers - Average weather over a long period of time
Weather & Climate are expressed in the same elements: - Answers - -Temperature
-Atmospheric Moisture
-Type & Amount of Clouds
-Type & Amount of Precipitation
-Air Pressure
-Speed & Direction of Wind
what are some causes in the upward trend in climate related natural hazard? - Answers
- More people for severe weather to impact due to population growth and better
technology to detect storms
Atmosphere - Answers - 99% of the earths atmosphere is within 30km of earths surface
- protects the earth - weather occurs in the atmosphere
Nature of the Atmosphere - Answers - - Increased altitude decrease pressure
-Increased altitude decrease temp in troposphere
-Moisture decrease rapidly with increase in altitude
-Oxygen & Nitrogen make up 99% of the volume
-Carbon Dioxide - .03% of atmosphere - absorbs energy
-Water Vapor - 0-4% by volume - clouds & precipitations
Infrared Energy - Answers - Responsible for "Sensible heat" or heat that you can feel
Solar Radiation - Answers - Travels through space providing light and heat energy
(short wave radiation)
Wavelength - Answers - Describes the length of the crest of one radio wave to the next
Visible light - Answers - Often referred as white light, actually describes the sensitivity of
the human eye to a range of wavelengths
Infrared Radiation - Answers - Cannot be seen by the human eye; but is detected as
heat
Ultraviolet Radiation - Answers - Wave length that may cause sun burns
Law of Radiation - Answers - -All object continually emit radiate of a range of
wavelengths
, -Hotter objects radiate more total energy per unit than the colder ones
-Hotter objects radiate more short wave radiation than cooler
-Objects that are good absorbers of radiation are also good emitters
What Happens to Incoming Solar Radiation - Answers - -Reflection - light bounces back
from an object at the same angle & intensity
-Scattering - Produces a large number of weaker rays traveling in different directions
-Back Scattering - Scattering both backwards & forwards
-Albedo - The % of radiation reflected by an object
-High albedo reduces surface temperature
Relationship between incoming and outgoing radiation - Answers - Energy is absorbed
by earths surface and then re-emitted as longwave radiation
The Role of Gasses in the Atmosphere - Answers - -The greenhouse effect: natural
phenomenon and is a result of the earths atmosphere trapping some outgoing radiation
-Carbon dioxide and water vapor absorb longwave radiation which heats the air
-The greenhouse effect is not the same as global warming
Rising CO2 levels - Answers - - Burning fossil fuels & deforestation
-Some of excess is taken up by plants or is dissolved in the ocean
Atmosphere Measurements - Answers - -Traditional Weather Stations
-Low Cost - Sensors
-Mobile Measurements
-Weather Balloons
-Radar
-Satellites
Weather Stations Typically Measure: - Answers - - Temperature
-Wind Speed & Direction
-Pressure
-Humidity
-Precipitation
-Solar Radiation
-Air Quality Related Variables
Why Do We Display Wind Data as a Wind Barb? - Answers - - Coinvent way to display
vectors in graphical form
Radiosondes Provides Vertical Measurements of - Answers - - Temperature
-Wind Speed & Direction
-Humidity
Dropsondes - Answers - Identical to radiosondes except that they are deployed from an
aircraft usually within tropical systems
