METR 1102 Final Exam 2025

What is weather - -The condition of Earth's atmosphere at a particular time and place. What is climate - -the average weather in an area over a long period of time What is earth's atmosphere made of - -Nitrogen (78%) , Oxygen (21%), Other gases (1%) What is the difference between constant and variable gases - -Constant gases are always the same % no matter he circumstance while variable gases can change % Dominant gases: Nitrogen & Oxygen (constant) Water vapor & CO2 (variable) What have CO2 concentrations done over the last 150 years - -they have increased because of fossil fuels and deforestation What is ozone? Where is it found? What does it do that benefits us? - -good ozone is in the stratosphere and blocks UV radiation and bad ozone is near the surface and is human made What is an aerosol? - -A suspension of solid or liquid particles in gas Ex:dust vertical structure of the atmosphere - -troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere lowest two layers in the atmosphere - -Troposphere- temp decreases w/ height Stratosphere- temp increases w/ height (ozone) geostationary satellites - -A satellite that orbits the earth at the same rate that the earth rotates and thus remains over a fixed place above the equator. kenetic energy - -energy that a body possesses by virtue of being in motion. atoms/molecules have KE potential energy - -Energy that is stored and held in readiness Warm vs cold air - -warm air expands and cold air compresses Fahreheit, celsius, and Kelvin - -F, K= C+273, C= (5/9)(F-32) what are heat capacity and specific heat - -heat energy absorbed(capacity), heat capacity per unit mass (SH) What has a higher specific heat, land or water? - -water latent heating - -Transport of heat from one place to another within the atmosphere as a consequence of phase changes of water. Heat is supplied for melting, evaporation, and sublimation of water at the Earth's surface, and heat is released during freezing, condensation, and deposition within the atmosphere. Latent heats of evaporation and condensation - -evaporation(cooling), condensation (cooling) Types of heat transfer - -conduction, convection, radiation Advection - -horizontal movement of air difference between longwave and shortwave energy - -shorter waves carry more energy EM spectrum - -scale that shows different types of light waves; range of frequencies & wavelengths greenhouse effect - -Natural situation in which heat is retained in Earth's atmosphere by carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, and other gases Albedo - -the percentage of incoming sunlight reflected from a surface energy balance - -the relationship between energy intake and energy expenditure when is earth closet and farthest from the sun - -Parathelian(Jan,closest) , Athelian (June,farthest) Why do we have seasons on Earth? - -The earths' orbital tilt relative to the plane of its orbit around the sun. difference between solstice and equinox - -Solstices- times when the sun is far from the celestial equator(summer,winter) Equinoxes- when the sun is close to it(spring,fall) direct sunlight and sunlight distance - -the more angle the light has the more distance it has to travel Dinural temperature pattern - -temp is lowest in the morning and highest in the afternoon temperature inversion - -atmospheric condition in which warm air traps cooler air near the earth's surface surface temperature - -closer to the equator the hotter it is, oceans keep land cool which hemisphere has the largest swings in annual temperature - -Northern continental effect - -land areas have greater range of temperatures from day to night and during different seasons marine effect - -Oceans moderate temperature changes from day to night and during different seasons urban heat island - -Is a metropolitan area which is significantly warmer than its surrounding rural areas. heat index - -a combination of temperature and humidity wind chill - -chilling caused by convection of heat from the body in the presence of air currents How does a thermometer work? - -As the thermometer heats up, the fluid expands and moves up the thermometer. As it cools down, the fluid contracts and moves down the thermometer hydrologic cycle - -The cycle through which water in the hydrosphere moves; includes such processes as evaporation, precipitation, and surface and groundwater runoff Evaporation - -The change of a substance from a liquid to a gas Condensation - -The change of state from a gas to a liquid Saturation - -the state or process that occurs when no more of something can be absorbed, combined with, or added. relative humidity - -The percentage of water vapor in the air compared to the maximum amount of water vapor that air can contain at a particular temperature vapor pressure - -a measure of the force exerted by a gas above a liquid Dewpoint - -the temperature at which the water vapour in the air becomes saturated and condensation begins formation of dew and frost - -dew forms from saturated air and condensation must occur when temp reaches the dewpoint Types of fog - -Radiation(common), Advection(coast), Upslope(mountain: very dense), Evaporation how do we classify clouds? - -height, precipitation, shape/stability adiabatic process - -a thermodynamic process during which no energy is transferr