Ch 19 Air Pressure and Wind Study Guide
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Created by:
gingerstar10 on May 31, 2011
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50 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 air pressure | is the force exerted by the weight of air above |
| What is exerted upward, downward, and sideways ? | air pressure |
| What pushes down on an object and exactly balances it pushing up on the object? | air pressure |
| What flows from areas of higher pressure to areas of lower pressure? | air pressure |
| sea level pressure | this standard is 1013.2 millibars |
| mercury barometer | when air pressure increases, the mercury in the tube rises; invented by Torricelli |
| isobars | lines on a map that connect points of equal pressure |
| wind | the principal cause for variations in air pressure from place to place |
| What is the ultimate energy source for most wind? | solar radiation |
| What is the force that generates winds? | pressure differences |
| The Corolis effect, friction, and pressure gradients(differences) all influence or control what? | wind |
| steep pressure gradient | produces strong winds |
| Coriolis effect | influences wind direction, the stronger the wind, the greater the deflection of |
| What causes the deflection of wind due to it is strongest at the poles? | Coriolis effect |
| jet streams | high-altitude, high-velocity"rivers" of air |
| low-pressure systems - N.Hemisphere | winds blow counterclockwise toward the center |
| low-pressure systems - S. Hemisphere | winds blow clockwise toward the center. |
| low-pressure systems | general movement across the US is from west to east |
| high-pressure systems | Northern Hemisphere - the winds blow clockwise outward from the center |
| Air subsides in the center of this | high-pressure systems |
| What is associated with descending air, clear weather, & relatively dry conditions? | high-pressure systems |
| continuous pressure belt | located in the Southern Hemisphere because there are no landmasses to interrupt it |
| cyclones | centers of low pressure |
| anticyclones | value of the isobars increase from the outside toward the center; centers of high pressure |
| friction | causes a net flow of air inward around a cyclone and outward around an anticyclone |
| monsoons | seasonal changes in wind direction associated with large landmasses and adjacent water bodies; occur during summer in India |
| subtropical high | an example of this is the deserts of the Sahara and the deserts of Australia |
| equilateral low | a pressure zone associated with rising air near the equator |
| How are winds labeled? | they are labeled according to the direction from which they blow |
| local winds | caused by topographical or variations in surface composition in the immediate area |
| valley breeze | generated because the warmer air on the mountains is less dense and glides up along the slope generating a breeze |
| mountain breeze | examples of local winds; after sunset in mountainous areas, cold air moves downslope into the valley |
| sea breeze | usually originates during the day and flows toward the land |
| What is most intense during mid to late afternoon? | sea breezes |
| land breeze | usually originates during the evening and flows toward the water |
| prevailing winds | winds that consistently blow more often from one direction than from any other |
| prevailing westerlies | move weather across the US from west to east |
| anemometer | instrument that is used to measure wind speed |
| La Niña | phenomenon associated with surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific that are colder than average |
| El Niño | phenomenon associated with surface temperature in the eastern Pacific that are warmer than average |
| Closely spaced "what" indicate high winds? | isobars |
| Widely spaced "what" indicates light winds? | isobars |
| What deflects all free- moving objects to the right of their path of motion in the Northern Hemisphere? | Coriolis effect |
| If the Earth didn't rotate then the air at the equator would rise and move toward the poles. What is this called? | equatorial low |
| Where does the land heat up more during the daylight hours than does the adjacent body of water? | In coastal areas during the summer |
| What can impact the fishing industry, climate and the farming industry? | El Niño |
| What is the opposite of El Niño | La Niña |
| What happens at irregular intervals of 3 to 7 years? | El Niño |
| What is the weather that accompanies a drop in barometric pressure? | bad weather |
| What is the weather that accompanies a rise in barometric pressure? | good weather |
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