Weather and Climate: Structure of the Atmopshere

?
How high is the top of the atmosphere?
100km
1 of 43
__% of the atmosphere lies within __km of the Earth due to ____
99% of the atmosphere lies within 40km of the Earth due to gravity pulling particles closer
2 of 43
Starting from closest to the Earth and going outwards, what is the structure of the atmosphere?
Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere
3 of 43
Where is the Ozone layer?
At the start of the stratosphere
4 of 43
Describe the troposphere (Temp, Temp decrease, Pressure, what takes place here)
Warmed by the Earth's heat to an average of 17C, average decrease in temp of 6.5C per km from Earth, Pressure=Just under 1000mb due to gravity, weather processes take place here at 16-17km high
5 of 43
Describe the stratosphere (Height, Temp, UV, Pressure)
Extends to 50km above Earth, Ozone layer warms surrouding atmosphere so temp rises. O3 absorbs 97-99% of UV radiation. Pressure ranges from 50mb near the tropopause to just under 1mb by the stratopause
6 of 43
Describe the mesosphere (Temp, Pressure, Height)
Temp cools as we get further away from the earth and ozone. Pressure continues to decrease rapidly as it nears the 100km mark, reaching 0.01mb
7 of 43
Describe the Thermosphere (Pressure, temp)
Outermost layer. Pressure is almost non-existent at 0.001mb. Atmosphere begins to warm again via the Sun's radiation, as it becomes closer to the Sun, temp can reach 1500C
8 of 43
What is input in the atmospheric heat budget?
Input is received in the form of short-wave solar radiation, called insolation.
9 of 43
How much insolation is absorbed by the Earth's surface?
51%
10 of 43
How much insolation is absorbed by clouds?
3%
11 of 43
How much insolation is absorbed by the atmosphere?
16%
12 of 43
How much insolation is reflected by the atmosphere?
6%
13 of 43
How much insolation is reflected by clouds?
20%
14 of 43
How much insolation is reflected by the surface?
4%
15 of 43
How much of the Earth's re-radiated long-wave radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere or greenhouse gases?
15%
16 of 43
Describe the imbalance in the atmospheric heat budget
There is a net gain of solar energy at the tropics and a net loss at the poles due to reflection and levels of insolation.
17 of 43
Why is there a net gain at the tropics?
Insolation is more concentrated due to a lower angle of incidence, so there is less energy loss via absorption/reflection. Tropical rainforest absorbs insolation.
18 of 43
Why is there a net loss at the poles?
A higher angle of incidence here means that more insolation is lost through absorption and reflection, particularly due to the high albedo of ice and snow. For 6 months the poles receive no insolation due to the Earth's orbit and axial tilt.
19 of 43
How is energy balanced and transferred?
Via atmospheric (70-75%) and oceanic circulation. (25-30%)
20 of 43
What are the cells in the tricellular model, from the poles inwards?
The polar cell, ferrel cell, and hadley cell.
21 of 43
What is the pressure at the poles?
High pressure (air sinks)
22 of 43
what is the pressure at the equator?
Low pressure (air rises)
23 of 43
What weather conditions does low pressure cause?
Rising air cools, condenses and forms clouds, producing rain. Creates depressions.
24 of 43
What weather conditions does high pressure cause?
Anticyclones. Gentle winds and clear skies. Very warm in summer and very cold in winter.
25 of 43
What does ITCZ stand for?
The inter-tropical convergence zone
26 of 43
Describe the ITCZ and its movement.
It moves between the tropics throughout the year due to distance from the sun. It is where the sun is strongest at that time of year. In the northern hemisphere's summer, the ITCZ is near the tropic of Cancer.
27 of 43
Are cells in the Tricellular model stationary?
Due to the movement of the ITCZ, the cells in the tricellular model are also subject to movement
28 of 43
What is the order of planetary surface winds from north pole to south pole?
Polar easterlies, westerlies, North-East trade winds, South East Trade winds, westerlies, polar easterlies.
29 of 43
How are planetary surface winds affected by the Coriolis effect of the Earth's rotation?
They are deflected in the northern hemisphere to the right, and to the left in the southern hemisphere.
30 of 43
What are jet streams?
Strong upper air currents in the tropopause that are moved by surface planetary winds.
31 of 43
What are the two main jet streams in each hemisphere?
Polar and Subtropical
32 of 43
What are Rossby waves?
A way of charting or mapping the jet streams postion.
33 of 43
What are the three main factors that affect climate?
Latitude, altitude and ocean currents.
34 of 43
How does latitude affect climate?
In areas closer to the poles, the sun has a higher angle of incidence, so more energy is lost via absorption and reflection, so less reaches the Earth's surface. Greater presence of ice and snow near poles=high albedo further contributing to low temp
35 of 43
How does altitude affect climate?
Locations at higher altitudes have colder temperatures. Temp usually decreases by 1C per every 100m gain in altitude. This is because air at higher alt. is thinner due to gravity so there are fewer molecules to retain heat.
36 of 43
How do ocean currents affect climate?
Many areas by the sea are affected by ocean currents, either warm or cold. The uk is affected by gulf stream, bringing warm water from the carribbean. Our climate is warmer than Newfoundland, a similar latitude but affected by labrador current.
37 of 43
What are gyres?
Ocean gyres are circular rotations of surface ocean water. There are 5 of them, after the main oceans, 2 (north atlantic and north pacific) of which are in the northern hemisphere.
38 of 43
What is the north atlantic gyre moved by?
Westerlies and north east trade winds. The gulf stream is the section pushed by the westerlies from the Caribbean to the UK
39 of 43
What is thermohaline circulation?
vertical ocean currents driven by changes in temperature or salinity.
40 of 43
Why is water saltier at the poles?
Freshwater becomes locked up in ice.
41 of 43
What are the 6 things to look at when measuring weather conditions?
Precipitation, Temperature, Wind speed, wind direction, cloud cover, pressure
42 of 43
what do fronts always bring?
rain
43 of 43

Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

__% of the atmosphere lies within __km of the Earth due to ____

Back

99% of the atmosphere lies within 40km of the Earth due to gravity pulling particles closer

Card 3

Front

Starting from closest to the Earth and going outwards, what is the structure of the atmosphere?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

Where is the Ozone layer?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

Describe the troposphere (Temp, Temp decrease, Pressure, what takes place here)

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
View more cards

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar Geography resources:

See all Geography resources »See all Weather systems resources »