Physical Geography 2

The ocean is 70% of the earths surface

The hydrologic cycle is an open system

What is the driving force, or input, of the hydrologic system?

Water in the atmosphere is found in lowest ________ of the troposphere

Which region has more water vapor??

More energy equals more....

What happens to the energy that is taken in by water during the phase change from liquid to gas?

Stored energy is released when water vapor condenses

When humidity has reached 100% it is at the....

Humidity is constant

Which type of humidity measures the mass of water vapor per unit volume of air?

Which type of humidity does not change molecule count?

Absolute humidity varies as air expands and contracts

As air temperature increases __________ decreases.

Relative humidity is highest when it is hot.

Warmer air can hold less water

Windy days can keep saturation from occurring, and dryer air more energy is taken

How does water get into the atmosphere?

The higher the relative humidity, less evaporation will occur

What is Potential Evapotranspiration?

_______ occurs when air is cooled beyond the dew point

Small particles or aerosols that water vapor attaches to initiate condensation are________________.

when radiative cooling of surface at night;low surface air conductively cooled... what happens?

10 degrees C/1000M describes which Rate?

What describes the ALR?

When an air parcel is cooler than its surrounding environment describes a UNSTABLE environment

which two describe a Collision-Coalescence Process?

Super cooled water freezes onto ice crystals describes a Bergeron Process

What are necessary factors for precipitation?

Warm air that rises is ________.

Air that converges and spiral upwards in a low pressure system is cyclonic and convergence

The hydrologic system is not exceedingly dynamic

a warm water countercurrent replaces normally cold costal waters, and in winter is wet and cold. What does this describe?

Trade winds intensify and our winters are usually dry and warm due to La Nina

NAO has relationship what _______ & ________

The east to west, seesaw motion of the Icelandic low and the Azores high control the strength of the westerly winds and the direction of storm tracks across the North Atlantic

With El Nino the Walker increases

Mixing of air masses creates what?

In the USA we have Cyclones

When cold air mass is the aggressor__________.

Shallow, steady slope with slower uplift, and less abrupt changes in temp & pressure, and less violent weather describe a ______

A cyclone in an area of low pressure with counterclockwise rotation in the northern hemisphere

Occlusions are usually accompanied by rain and are the major process by which middle-latitude cyclones dissipate.

When a wave like kink develops along the polar front, this is the initial step in the formation of a fully grown ____________.

The _______ scale is for reading damage (intensity) caused by tornados, and the ________ scale classifies Hurricane intensity.

Why do Hurricanes not last long on land?

________ are most common is lower latitudes during the warmer months of the year with warmer hours of the day.

A tornado is a cyclonic storm of very low pressure, violent updrafts, and converging winds of enormous contrast.

Which is the longest know orbital cycle? ( this cycle is a 100,000 yr. variation in the shape of the earth's orbit around the sun)

The obliquity cycle has been recognized with a periodicity of 21,000 years.

The coldest years on record were recorded after ________

Global Warming is only because of humans

Carbon Dioxide acts as a Greenhouse gas

Surface oceanic currents are driven mostly by winds, but a much slower current deep below the surface moves large volumes of water between the oceans. The main driving force appears to be the differences in water buoyancy caused by differences in salinity.

If the temperature rises above the dew point, then condensation will occur