Shared Flashcard Set

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Climatology
Climo test2
75
Meteorology
Undergraduate 4
11/08/2011

Additional Meteorology Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Causes Ocean Currents
Definition

 

friction from the wind. Differences in temperature and density.

 

Term

Difference between Surface currents and deep water currents

Definition
Deep water currents are called thermohaline circulation. Which means they are driven by salt and heat.
Term

 

Upwelling

 

Definition

 

upwelling is when water from deep down and causes. El Nino limits upwelling of cold nutrient rich water. Therefore, animals die.

 

Term
El Nino
Definition

 

El nino causes – wind usually travels strongly from east to west.  But El nino causes it to slow down and warming along the west coast of South America occurs. Temperatures warmer than normal in the central north US.  Cooler in Southeast and southwest. More rain in south of US and Peru leading to damage and flooding.  Wet winters in southeastern US, can last a year or more.  Usually occur every three to seven years. Drought in west pacific.    

 

Term

La nina

Definition

 

unusual cold in Pacific.  It means warmer than normal in the southeast and cooler than normal in the north west.  Impacts seen mainly at winter time.

 

Term

 

Southern Oscillation

 

Definition

 

 

Reversal of atmospheric circulation in tropical Pacific Ocean that triggers the development of an El Nino.

 

 

Term
Walker Circulation
Definition

East west circulation. [image]

Term

 

Volcanoes and their effect on climate

 

Definition

 

Increase albedo therefore decrease temperature.

 

Term

Changes in solar radiation

Definition
caused by sun spots and change in earth magnetic field
Term

sun spot cycle

Definition

 

cold spots on the sun.  Approximate 11 year cycle.  Solar sunspot inactivity is linked to “Little Ice Age”

 

Term

using C14 to determine past solar activity

Definition

 

higher solar activity means lower C14 production

 

Term

 

Climate Classification

 

Definition

 

A         Tropical rainy              coldest month>18C

 

            B          Tropical Dry                Evaporation >Precipitation No permanent streams orginate

 

            C          Mild temperate             coldest month 0C-18C

 

            D         cold snowforest           coldest month <0C, warmest > 10C

 

            E          Polar                            warmest month <10C

 

            M         Mountain

 

Subgroups of A, C, D

 

            f no dry season

 

            Af driest mo >6in (2.4cm)

 

            Cf driest >3in

 

 

 

Dry Winter       w

 

Aw       driest month <10 – r/25           r=annual precip in Cw

 

Dw and Cw > 70% of rain in summer climo or driest month is <.1 the wettest month.

 

 

 

Dry summer cs> 70% of rain in winter 6 months

 

                        Am – monsoon driest month between 6 cm and 10-r/25

 

 

 

Degree of dryness (B)

 

W arid or desert

 

Rr<((.44t – 8.5)/2)

 

t is average annual temperature

 

t = average annual temperature in F

 

s – semi arid or steppe

 

(.44t-8.5)/2 < r < (.44t -8.5)

 

 

 

If 70% of precip in warmer 6 months use 3 rather than 8.5

 

If 70% of precip in the colder 6 months use 14 rather than 8.5

 

 

 

Degree of Coldness (B)

 

h – hot average annual annual temperature >18 C (64.4)

 

k – cold aveage annual temp is <18C

 

Bsh

 

Bwh

 

Bsk

 

Bwk

 

 

 

Degrees of Coldness (E)

 

T tundra                       >0C

 

F perpetual frost          <0C

 

 

 

Degrees Coldness (C+D)

 

a – hot summer warmest month >22C

 

b – cool summer – warm month <22C

 

c – cool short summer <4 mo, >10C

 

d – cold winter, coldest mo <-38

 

d overrides a, b, c

 

 

 

w’ rain max in fall

 

w’’ 2 rain max with too dry between

 

i hat     annual temperature range <5C warmest mo to coldest

 

g          hottest month before summer solstice

 

n          frequent           Bwn, Bsn, CSn

 

 

 

A-    19.9%

 

B-     26.3

 

C-     15.5

 

D-    21.3

 

E-     17

 

Term
Koeppen
Definition

Tropical rainforest climate (Af)

Tropical monsoon climate (Am

Tropical wet and dry or savanna climate (Aw)

BW (desert climate)

BS (steppe climate)

h to mean that the coldest month has an average temperature that is above 0 °C (32 °F), with k denoting that at least one month averages below 0 °C

Dry-summer subtropical or Mediterranean climates (Csa, Csb)

dry-summer subtropical (Csb)

Humid subtropical climates (Cfa, Cwa)

Maritime Temperate climates or Oceanic climates (Cfb, Cwb, Cfc)

temperate climate with dry winters (Cwb)
Maritime Subarctic climates or Subpolar Oceanic climates (Cfc)

Hot Summer Continental climates (Dfa, Dwa, Dsa)

Warm Summer Continental or Hemiboreal climates (Dfb, Dwb, Dsb)

Continental Subarctic or Boreal (taiga) climates (Dfc, Dwc, Dsc)

Continental Subarctic climates with extremely severe winters (Dfd, Dwd)

Tundra climate (ET)

Ice Cap climate (EF)

Term
Treartha
Definition
  • Group A

This the tropical climate realm

  • Group B

BW and BS mean the same as in the Köppen scheme

  • Group C

In the Trewartha scheme this category encompasses subtropical realm climates only (8 or more months above 10 °C).

  • Group D

This group represents cold continental realms (4 to 7 months above 10 °C). Maritime temperate climates

  • Group E

This represents Ice realms, defined the same as in Köppen's scheme (1 to 3 months with average temperatures of 10 °C or above; Köppen Cfc, Dfc, Dwc, Dsc, Dfd, Dwd

  • Group F
This is the polar climate group, split into FT (Köppen ET) and FI (Köppen EF).
  • Group H

Highland climates, in which altitude plays a role in determining climate classification.[

 

 

 

i— severely hot: Mean monthly temperature 35 °C (95 °F) or higher
h — very hot: 28 to 34.9 °C (82 to 95 °F)
a — hot: 23 to 27.9 °C (73 to 82 °F)
b — warm: 18 to 22.9 °C (64 to 73 °F)
l — mild: 10 to 17.9 °C (50 to 64 °F)
k — cool: 0.1 to 9.9 °C (32 to 50 °F)
o — cold: -9.9 to 0 °C (14 to 32 °F)
c — very cold: -24.9 to -10 °C (-13 to 14 °F)
d — severely cold: -39.9 to -25 °C (-40 to -13 °F)
e — excessively cold: −40 °C (−40 °F) or below.

Term
Potential Evapotranspiration
Definition
Use as a substitution for temperature
Term
Moisture Index (Index of Humidity)
Definition
Ih = (precip - PE)/PE*100   (p>PE)
Term
Water surplus and deficit
Definition
Understand graphs
Term
Index of Aridity (Ia)
Definition
Ia = (PE-AE)/PE    (PE> p)
Term
Terjung's Comfort Index
Definition
Term
Index of Aridity
Definition
Budyko
Term
Strahler Genetic Systems
Definition
  • mT maritime tropical
  • mE maritime equatorial
  • cT continental tropical
  • mP maritime polar
  • cP continental polar
  • cA continental arctic
  • cAA continental antarctic

low latitudes dominated by equatorial and tropical. ITCZ converging MT+E. Desrt CT. Wet -Dry combingation of 1 and 2.  Wet tropical aka east coast MT. Dry tropical west caost MTs (stable)

 

Term

 

Determining Past Climate and What it was like

 

Definition
Ice cores, pollen records, fossils, tree records.
Term
Radioactive Dating
Definition
Carbon 14 has a half life of about 5700 years and the daughter product is Nitrogen.
Term

Palynology

 

Definition

study of climatole using polen found in sedimients and peat bogs.

it shows a younger dryas period of a cool down

Term
dendrochronology
Definition
study of the climate using tree rings.
Term
varves
Definition

examination of bottom deposits fo lakes which freeze in winter

in summer only large particles can deposite on lake bottom due to wind moving water around therefore sediments have light color

 

winter lake freezes so small particles and organic matter can deposit and it gives it a dark layer

Term

oxygen ratio

Definition
When it is cold O16 evaporates faster than O18 (it has less neutrons than isotopes O18), therefore
when it is colder there is a higher ratio of O18 to O16 (O18/O16)

Positive δ18O means O18 is enriched
• Negative δ18O means O18 is depleted
Term
fossils
Definition
How many and what animals in what kind of areas found in sediment.
Term

glaciers

Definition
ice cores
Term

drift ice

Definition
recorded history like glaciar
Term

 

Continental drift

 

Definition
Tectonic plates
Term
plate margins
Definition
divergent, convergent, subduction, and shear zones.
Term

 

Earth’s magnetic field

 

Definition
know the graph
Term

 

T test

 

Definition

 

t-test =  (X-M)/S/sqrt(n-1) = (X-M) *sqrt(n-1)/S

 

degrees of freedom = n-1

 

t = (X1-X2)/sqrt(S1^2 + S2^2)/sqrt(n-1)

 

Term
hydrologic cycle
Definition
water evaporates out of ocean lakes and rivers or goes through evapotranspiration. condenses into clouds. precipitation occurs, then it goes through the same process.
Term

 

uplift weathering

 

Definition
The higher the land is the closer the land is to the precipitation which causes more of the rocks to react with water and weathering.
Term

polar positioning hypothesis

Definition

ice sheets should appear on continents when they are located at polar near polar latitudes

no ice sould appear anywhere on earth if no continents exist anywehere near the poles

Term
spreading rate
Definition
faster seafloor spreading more carbon dioxide in the air. 50% faster 100 million years ago than today and there was more CO2 in atmosphere than today.
Term
Potential evapotranspiration
Definition

 

Potential evapotranspiration –The amount of evapotranspiration when soil is at field capacity.

 

Term
Field Capacity
Definition

 

Field Capacity-Amount of water a field can hold against gravity.

 

Term
Actual evapotranspiration
Definition

 

Actual evapotranspiration-The measured value.

 

Term
Evap
Definition

 

Evaporation can be caused by sunlight, humidity, wind, and temperature.

 

Term
Evapotranspiration
Definition

 

Evapotranspiration is the sum of evaporation and transpiration.

 

Term
Transpiration
Definition

 

Transpiration-Water vapor given off by plants.

 

Term

Palmer Index

Definition

if it’s not enough to grow what you’re used to growing, it’s a drought.

 

PE peaks in July, PE starts exceeding the AE in May and does through early October.

 

Term
Desertification
Definition

 

Desertification-Can be caused by deforestation, overgrazing, improper use of the land, crop growing, irrigation, and salization-salting the earth. Dust in the air can create a permanent inversion preventing rainfall-as the wind blows across the desert, dust is picked up.

 

Term

 

General Circulation of the Atmosphere

 

Definition

 

Low Pressure around 60 degrees N in the winter

 

Subtropical highs at 30 degrees in the winter

 

Term
Ferrel's model
Definition

 

Farrel’s model didn’t work because it would give a westerly wind at the surface and an easterly wind aloft.

 

Term
Rossby Waves
Definition

 

Rossby waves-Rossby came up with waves that oscillate north and south to describe the polar jet stream.

 

Term
Meridional flow
Definition

 

Meridional flow-has big dips north and south-big temperature gradients

 

Term
Zonal Flow
Definition

 

Zonal flow-more circular-better mixing of air reducing gradients

 

Term
What does ITCZ and subtropical highs do in summer and winter?
Definition

 

Subtropical highs and the ITCZ shift north in the summer and south in the winter.

 

Term
Mediterreanean climate
Definition

 

Mediterranean climate-wet winter, dry summer

 

Term
Monsoons
Definition

 

Climate where the wind shifts on an annual basis at least 120 degrees.

 

Africa gets southern monsoons in the summer.

 

Indonesia is always wet.

 

 

 

Term
Sahel
Definition

 

Drought in Sahel-Middle nation in Africa that sometimes gets rain and sometimes doesn’t because the northward shift of the ITCZ varies from year to year.

 

Term
Cause of Mediterreanean climate
Definition

 

Subtropical high in the eastern Pacific is offshore of northern California in the summer bringing cooler, drier, northerly winds.

 

Subtropical high in the eastern Pacific is offshore of southern California in the winter bringing a west southwest wind and abundant moisture to the state.

 

East side of subtropical highs have divergence, northerly winds, and dry air.

 

West side of subtropical highs have convergence, southerly winds, and rain.

 

More coriolis force on the north side of subtropical highs and weaker velocities.

 

Less coriolis force on the south side of subtropical highs and stronger velocities.

 

Term
Potential Evapotranspiration
Definition
Surface water balance depends largely on the circulation of PE. I tis an energy term that represents the climatic demand for water from the landscape driven by the amount of insolation at the surface.  The maximum amount of evapotranspiration that would occur at a place over a given time if water were not a limiting factor.  Maximum amount of PE you can get for a given set of weather parameters.
Term
Actual Evapotranspiation (AE)
Definition
The quantity of water that is actually removed from a surface dueto the processes of evaporation and transpiration.
Term
Monsoons
Definition

 

Africa gets monsoons from the southwest , African monsoon varies from year to year. India gets a lot of rain because the monsoon moisture goes well into the Himalayan mountains .

 

Term
Always wet and always dry
Definition

 

Malaya is always wet

 

Arabia is always dry

 

Term
Empirical vs. Genetic
Definition

 

Empirical vs. Genetic-Empirical is the effect on climate –temp  and rainfall.

 

Genetic is the cause for a type of climate.

 

Term
Thornthwaite
Definition

Thornthwaite-Rather than looking at temp, you’re looking at evapotranspiration. Look at both Actual Evapotranspiration and Potential Evapotranspiration

Term
Landsberg-winds
Definition

 

Landsberg-winds-He divided wind patterns into anti cyclones and trade winds, then looked at areas that may alternate between those 2. The causative factor for climate is winds.

 

Term
Mountain Building Hypothesis
Definition

 

Mountain Building Hypothesis –If you increase Mountains, you get an increase in weathering which removes carbon from the atmosphere and causes cooling-very slow process.

 

Term
Changes in Solar Radiation
Definition

 

Changes in solar radiation-Solar radiation varies which likely caused the little ice age. Main factor that looks at these changes is carbon 14 in trees, how old the carbon is tells how much should have decayed-low carbon 14 amounts lead to high solar activity, high carbon 14 amounts lead to low solar activity.

 

Term
causes of drought
Definition

 

Causes of drought- Persistent high pressure, cold or warm water currents can stall a high pressure system, sometimes gulf winds are not carried far enough north which causes Midwest drought, monsoon winds sometimes go north-south instead of east-west which leads to drought in India, leeward side of mountains gives a rain shadow effect.

 

Term
Subtropical Jet
Definition

 

Subtropical Jet- Caused by winds accelerating from the equator to 30 degrees due to concentration of angular momentum.

 

Term
Influences of east and west coast at high and low latitudes.
Definition

 

Influence of oceans on east and west coast at high and low latitudes-Stamm says he wants this answered in terms of latitudes such as north and south latitudes, NOT elevation. He said an example is Northern British Columbia into Alaska.

 

Term
Drought in Rajasthan Desert
Definition

 

Drought in Rajasthan Desert-Overgrazing causing a constant elevated dust level which makes the air stable by reflecting and absorbing sunlight.

 

Term
Subtropical and Temperate Deserts
Definition

 

Subtropical and Temperate deserts- subtropical is caused by subtropical highs, temperate are caused by rain shadows.

 

Term
Terjung's Comfort index
Definition

 

Terjung’s Comfort Index-Looked at temps and what is the typical temp in the summer and the typical temp in the winter; he also looked at moisture and determined that hot and dry was more comfortable than hot and moist.

 

Term
Polar Easterlies
Definition

 

Polar Easterlies-Just like there are easterlies in the tropics, there are easterlies in the polar regions as well due to the polar cell, but they are weaker. Polar is a more vertical circulation.

 

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