weather (27)
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Created by:
studynowsleeplater on March 22, 2010
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Description:
2009
physical science honors
chapter 27, weather
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37 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 radiation | the process of emitting radiant energy |
| radiant energy | another term for electromagnetic energy which is emitted by the sun and absorbed by the atmosphere |
| conduction | the transfer of thermal energy by the direct contact of particles of matter (pot on the stove gets at the bottom first then the heat transfers to the top) |
| convection | the transfer of thermal energy by the actual motion of a fluid in the form of currents (fan in your furnace blowing warm air into your room) |
| latent hear | the heat used to melt, boil, or evaporate a substance and released when a substance condenses or freezes |
| specific heat | a property of a substance that tells us how much heat is needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram by 1 °C |
| latitude | these lines measure distance starting at the equator, run parallel to the equator, and are labeled in degrees north or degrees south |
| longitude | these lines measure distance starting at the prime meridian, run parallel to the prime meridian, and are labeled in degrees east or degrees west |
| coriolis effect | the bending of air currents due to the earth's rotation |
| trade winds | surface winds that move between 30° latitude north and south; travel northeast to southwest in the northern hemisphere, and southeast to northwest in the southern hemisphere |
| polar easterlies | surface winds that move between poles to 60° latitude north and south; travel northeast to southwest in the northern hemisphere, and southeast to northwest in the southern hemisphere |
| prevailing westerlies | surface winds that move between the equator to 30° latitude north and south; air bends right, and moves northward from high to low pressure. |
| jet stream | high-speed bands of wind located near tropopause at latitude 30°N and 30°S; speeds, sizes, positions, and shapes vary from day to day, and season to season |
| air masses | large bodies of air that have the same temperature and humidity throughout, center has higher pressure and will sink to earth (changes by the surface it covers, temperature and humidity slowly change as it moves) |
| source region | where air masses form, large uniform surfaces |
| maritime air mass | air mass that forms over an ocean (humid) |
| continental air mass | air mass that forms over land (dry) |
| polar air mass | air mass that forms near the poles (cold) |
| tropical air mass | air mass that forms near the horse latitudes (warm) |
| maritime tropical air mass | warm and humid (hot, humid weather in the summer) |
| maritime polar air mass | cold and humid (water that falls as snow on the rocky mtns) |
| continental tropical air mass | warm and dry (warm, dry weather to the southwestern US) |
| continental polar air mass | cold and dry (cold spells in North America during winter) |
| front | boundary between two air masses |
| warm front | warmer mass replaces a cooler mass; warm is lifted over cooler high clouds may have rain (cirrus) |
| cold front | cooler replaces warmer; cold air sinks under warm air. Moves faster than warm front (cumulus) |
| stationary front | doesn't move for a time; two air masses stop moving and move sideways, acts as a warm front, overcast skies and rain |
| occluded front | cold front catches up to warm front |
| polar front | at 60° latitude the polar easterlies meet the polar westerlies creating this front. dense polar air forces the warmer westerly air up: warmer air flows toward the poles, some air flows back toward 30°, this completes the middle global wind cell, warm air from equator meets cold air from poles. |
| ocean currents | cause large circular currents called gyres |
| gyres | move clockwise in northern hemisphere, and counterclockwise in southern hemisphere |
| deep ocean currents | thermaline currents, slower than surface, driven by density and temperature, surface and thermaline currents work together to move large masses of water around globe |
| absolute humidity | measure of amount of water vapor in air, measured in grams per cubic meters (g/m³) |
| relative humidity | amount of water vapor in air compared to maximum amount air can hold |
| psychrometer | measures relative humidity: 2 thermometers, 1 wet-bulb (wet cloth), 1 dry-bulb |
| wet bulb | water evaporates from cloth shows ↓ cloth |
| dry bulb | temperature doesn't change |
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