Physical Geography test 1
Terms
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- Troposphere
- The home of the biosphere, the lowest layer of the homosphere, containing appriximately 90% of the total mass of the atmosphere, extends up to the tropopause
- Isotherm
- An isoline connecting all points of equal temperature
- Closed System
- A system that is shut off fromt he surrounding enviroment so that it is entirely self-contained in terms of energy and materials. Earth is a closed systems
- Open System
- A system with inputs and outputs crossing back a forth bewteen the system and the surrounding environment. Earth is an open system in terms of energy.
- Temperature
- A measure of sensible heat energy present in the atmosphere and other media; indicates the average kinetic energy of individual molecules within a substance
- Heat
- The FLOW of kinetic energy from one body to another because of a temperature difference between them
- Convection
- Transfer of heat from one place to another through the physical moverment of air; involves a strong vertical movement
- Conduction
- The slow molecule-to molecule transfer of heat through a medium, from warmer to cooler portions
- Electromagnetic Spectrum
- All the radient energy produced by the Sun placed in an ordered range (GXUVIR) divided according to wavelengths
- Scattering
- Deflectiona nd redirection of insolation by atmospheric gases, dust, ice and water vapor; the shorter the wavelength, the greater the scattering, thus skies in lower atmospheres are blue
- Reflection
- The protion of arriving insolation that is returned directly to space without being absorbed and converted into heat and without preforming any work ( see albedo).
- Perihelion
- The point at which the Earth is the closest to the sun along its elliptical orbit occurs on January 3
- Declination
- The latitude that recieves direct overhead (perpendicular) insolation on a particular day, the subsolar point migrates annually through 47 degrees or latitutde between the Tropics of Cancer ( 23. 5 degrees N) and the Tropic of Capricorn (23.5 degrees S)
- Solar Constant
- The amount of insolation intercepted by Earth on a surface perpendicular to the Sun's rays when Eath is at its average distance from the Sun
- Ozone
- Layer of Ozone ( O3) occupying the full extent of the stratosphere about the surface, the region of the atmosphere where ultraviolet wavelenfths of insolation are extensively absorbed and converted in heat
- Tropopause
- The top layer of the troposphere deinfed by temperature, whereever -57 degrees C occurs
- Stratosphere
- That protion fo the homosphere that randers from 20 to 50 km abover Earth's surface with temperature ranging from -57 degrees celcius at the tropopause to 0 degress celcius at the stratopause.
- Sensible heat
- Heat that can be measures with thermonmeter, a measure of the consentration of kinetic energy from one molecular motio
- Insolation
- Solar Radiation that is intercepted by the Earth
- Absorption
- Assimilation and conversion of radiation from one form to another ina medium. Int he process the temperature of the absorbing surface is raised, therby affecting the rate and wavelength of radiation from that surface
- Transmission
- The passage of shortwave and longwave energy through space, the atmosphere or water
- Aphelion
- The point of the Earht's greatest distance from the Sun in its elliptical orbit, reached on July 4
- Revolution
- The annual orbital movement og Earth about the sun, determins the length of the year and seasons
- Albedo
- The reflective quality of a surface, expressed as the percentage of reflected insolation to incoming insolation; a function of surface color, andle of incidence and surface temperature
- Subsolar point
- The only point recieving perpendicular insolation at a given moement, the sun directly overhead
- Latitude
- The angular distance measured north or south of the equator from a point at the center of Earth. A line connecting all points of the same laitudinal angle is called a parallel.
- Longitude
- The angular distance measured east or west of a prime meridian from a point at the center of the Earth. A line connecting all points od the same longitude is called a meridian.
- Prime Meridian
- an arbitrary meridian designated as 0 degress longitude ; the point from which longitudes are measured east or west
- Great Circle
- Any circle drawn on a globe with its center coinciding with the center of the globe, an infinite number of great cirlce can be drawn, but only one parallel is a great circle- the equator
- Small circle
- A circle on a globe's surface rhat does nto shaew Earth's center; for example all parallels of layitude other than the equator.
- Map projection
- The reduction of a spherical globe onto a flat surface in some orderly and systematic realignment of the latitude and longitude grid
- Geographic Information System
- A computer based data processing tool or methodology used for gathering, amnipulating and analyzing geographic information to produce a holistic interactive analysis
- Circle of illumination
- The division between light and ark on Earth, a day and night great circle
- Normal lapse rates
- The average rate of temperature decrease with increaing altitude in the lower atmosphere
- enviromental lapse rates
- the actual lapse rate in the lower atmosphere at any particular time under local weather conditions
- Temperature Inversions
- A reversal of the normal decrease of temperature with increasing altitude, can occur anywhere from ground level up to several thousand meters, functions to block atmospheric onvection and thereby trap polution
- Acid desposition
- Acid rain
- Photochemical Smog
- Air pollution produced byt he interaction of ultraviolet light, nitroge dixoide, and hydrocarbons, produced ozone and PAN thgouh a series of complex photochemical reations. Automobiles are the main source
- Refraction
- The bending effect on electromagnetic waves that occurs when insolation eneters the atmosphere or another medium
- Positive feedback
- Further production int he system stimulated the growth of the system
- Negative feedback
- Further production in the system decreases the growth of the system (has mechanism to slow it down)
- Hydrosphere
- water
- Biosphere
- water
- Map scales
- level of ministration
- Lithosphere
- mineral, rock matter
- SADD
- Shape, Area, Direcction, Distance
- Equator
- 0 degrees
- Tropic of Cancer
- 23 1/2 degrees North
- Tropic of Capricorn
- 23 1/2 degrees South
- Artic circle
- 66 1/2 degrees North
- Antarctic Cirlce
- 66 1/2 degrees South
- Vernal/Spring Equinox
- March 21
- Autumn Equinox
- September 23
- Summer Solstice
- June 22
- Winter Solstice
- December 22
- Time Zones
- Time goes East to West
- Water is polar
- Each molecule is polar ( like a mgent) attracted to itself thus it forms beads and droplets
- Water has a high specific heat
- Sh= 1.0 basis for which content of other materials is judged
- Water has a high boiling point
- 100 degrees celcius at sea level pressure= 1013mb
- Water has a high freezing point
- zero degrees celcius
- Water has high heat vaporization
- requires much heat to boil evaporate away
- Water has a high heat of fusion, freezing
- much of the heat has to be removed to turn it into a solid
- Water is a good solvent
- Saturation occurrs easily
- Water has unusal density changes
-
Heat something- it expands
Cool it- it shrinks - Latent heat
- heat energy is stored in one of the three ststes. The energy is absorbed or released in each phase change from one state to another. Heat energy is absorbed as the latent heat of melting, vaporization or evaporation. Heat energy is released as the latene heat of condensation and freezing
- Radiation
- naturally emitted by everything
- Net
- not what you start with, what you end up with
- Blackbody
- is a perfect absorber and perfect emitter of radiation
- Stephan-Boltzman relationship
-
E= CT4
energy emitted is equal to temperature to the fourth - Wien's Law
-
Peak wavelength is related to temperature
The higher the temperature of the emitting object the shorter the wavelength - Adiabatic process
- no heat added or removed from parcel
- Millibar
- Unit of pressure
- Shortwave
- From the sun, infared
- Longwave
- from the Earth, terrestrial
- Direct beam
- Solar radiation had passed through the atmosphere untouched, you have a shadow
- Diffuse beam
- involves scattering