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How are winds created?
Solar energy
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What drive surface ocean currents and waves?
Winds
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What assumptions can be made about thermal equilibrium relative to the input and output of heat on Earth?
They are equal.
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What seasons cause the sun to be directly overhead at the equator and cause equal day/night periods?
- Vernal(Spring) equinox (3/21)
- Autumnal (fall) equinox (9/23)
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Which seasonal solstice cause the shortest day of the year in the Northern hemisphere?
- Winter solstice (12/22)
- Overhead Tropic of Capricorn
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Which seasonal solstice cause the longest day of the year in the Northern hemisphere?
- Summer Solstice (6/21)
- Overhead Tropic of Cancer
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Characteristics of unequal solar heating:
- Low latitudes receive more solar radiation
- High latitudes receive less solar radiation
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What is the result of the angle of incidence of solar rays per area?
- Greater the angle, solar energy spread over more area.
- Equatorial regions = more heat
- Polar regions = less heat
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Albedo
- % incident radiation reflected back into space
- Affected by angle of sun - more angle, more radiation reflected
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what types of surfaces are directly affected by the properties of Albedo?
- Snow/ice reflects more
- Water surface absorbs more
- Land absorbs most
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What is the most abundant gas in our atmosphere?
Nitrogen gas.
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In what direction does the Earth rotate?
From west to east
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How is the wind direction indicated?
By determining where the directions winds are blowing FROM.
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Describe the behavior of air in the atmosphere.
- Air (wind) always moves from regions of high pressure to low.
- (High ---> Low)
- Cool dense air, higher surface pressure.
- Warm less dense air, lower surface pressure.
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Describe the process of cloud formation.
- Ascending air cools as it expands. Cooler air holds less water, so water vapor condenses into clouds.
- Descending air warms as it compresses and clouds evaporate.
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Describe the behaviors of cold air and warm air.
- Warm air rises
- Cold air falls
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Cold air holds more moisture than warm air (T/F)
FALSE
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When happens when air cools?
Moisture condenses and forms clouds/precipitation
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Rotational velocity increases approaching equator (T/F)
True
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Circulation cells as air changes density due to:
- Changes in air temp.
- Changes in water vapor content
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Name the 3 main circulation cells and their relative coordinates:
- Hadley Cells (0 to 30 N and S)
- Ferrel Cells (30 to 60 N and S)
- Polar Cells (60 to 90 N and S)
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Where is the wind split?
At the top of the troposphere.
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What are two characteristics of the Horse latitudes?
- Low winds
- High pressure ridge
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Wind only blows in two cardinal directions, which two?
North and South
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What are the characteristics of tradewinds and in what direction is it deflected?
- Returns to Equator
- deflected WEST
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What are the characteristics of the Westerlies and in what direction is it deflected?
- Toward poles
- deflected EAST
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In Global atmospheric circulation, where are there zones of High pressure?
- Subtropical highs
- Polar highs
- Clear skies
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In Global atmospheric circulation, where are there zones of low pressure?
- Equatorial low
- Subpolar lows
- Overcast skies
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What makes the nature of winds more complex?
- Seasonal changes
- Distribution of continents and ocean
- Differences in heat capacity between continents and ocean
- ---Monsoon winds
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Weather
Conditions of atmosphere at particular time and place.
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Climate
Long-term average of weather
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Describe the behavior of Northern hemisphere winds
Moves in a counterclockwise (cyclonic) around a low pressure region
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Describe the behavior of Southern hemisphere winds
Moves in a clockwise (anticyclonic) around a low pressure region
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What causes coastal winds?
solar heating and different heat capacities of land and water.
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Sea breeze
- Behavior: Ocean ---> Land
- Day: Land heats air -> rises -> draws cooler ocean air onto coast
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Land breeze
- Behavior: Land ---> Ocean
- Night: warmer ocean water rises, draws cooler land air over coast
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Properties of Monsoons
- Arabic for seasonal
- Winds change direction seasonably causing extreme dry and wet season
- Occurs in Eastern and SEA, North America
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How are hurricanes caused by?
Release of energy (latent heat of condensation)
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Describe the latent heat of condensation when while it is forming a hurricane.
- Low pressure system breaks off equatorial low-pressure belt
- Surface winds feed moisture into storm
- Strong winds, torrential rain outside eye
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Describe the process of surface winds feeding moisture into a storm
- As water vapor condenses, heat released warms air
- Rising warm air draws in more moist air -> fueling cyclone
- Large rotating masses of low pressure with calm "eye" (< 25 mph winds)
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What affects the movement of hurricanes at low latitudes?
- Trade winds (moves it west)
- If curve towards right in North hemisphere -> cooler water, influenced by westerlies.
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If a hurricane were in the Northern hemisphere, what winds are it influenced by and what types of water would the hurricane encounter?
- Cool water
- influenced by westerlies
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What are hurricanes classified by?
Maximum sustained wind speed.
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What is the difference between a tropical storm and a hurricane?
- Maximum sustained wind speed
- Tropical storm = 39 to 73 MPH winds
- Hurricane = Above 74 MPH winds
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What scale is used to measure the intensity of hurricanes?
The Saffir-Simpson Scale
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What part of a the hurricane does the most destruction?
Storm surge
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What are the damaging properties of hurricanes?
- Fast winds
- Flooding from torrential rains
- Storm Surge
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