Geography Unit 3- The Atmosphere

Troposphere, Tropopause, Stratosphere, Stratopause, Mesoshpere, Mesopause, Inosphere, Magnetosphere, Magnetopause

A way to categorize the earth's climate based on vegetation and soil.

Tropical (A) Dry (B) Temperate (C) Cold (D) Polar (E)

They distinguish specific seasonal characteristics of temperature and percipitation.

Eccentricity: describes the shape of the earth's orbit, when variations occur-amount of solar radiation changes affecting climate Obliquity: describes the tilt of the earth's axis-tilt more towards sun=extreme winter and summer Precession: describes earth's rotational axis, affects the direction of earth's axis-caused by wobble of earth and turning around ellipticle orbit of earth-affects extremes in opposing hemispheres

Rotation: -earth rotates onits axis(W-E) -Causes changes in heat, light, & humidity -Has influence on air & water movements Revolution:-path followed by earth is 'plane of orbit' -effects seasons & variations in length of day -duration describes amount of daylight a place receives -intensity refers to variations in the angle at which the sun's ray strike the earth's surface

-Latitude: closer to poles= colder, less percip. -Ocean Currents: warm currents rise temp. along coast (especially in winter) & create wet climates, or drier climates -Prevailing Winds: when they move from water to land, they moderate temp, and bring percip. & when they move of large land areas they bring extreme temp.and drier conditions -Elevation: higher=cooler, more percip. -Relief Barriers: block winds/air masses so temp. from oneside to the other are diff. -windward areas(facing ocean) are wet and force to rise and cool, releasing moisture -Large Water Bodies: temp. moderated by ocean-winds move off ocean inland, percip. higher near oceans

-an atmosphere circulation pattern that begins w/o air rising at the surface -air divides & flows toward both poles -as air cools, it descends & flows back along earth towards equator

-bodies of air that develop over large areas of earth's surface -continental air masses form over land and are dry -maritime air masses form over water & have high moisture & opposite temp. as surrounding area

-air must stay over the source region for a long period of time so it can take on characteristics of that region -air must be stable

-prevailing winds & earth's rotation move air masses from a place, when 2 air masses collide=front -can cause change in temp., increased winds, and percip. -warm and cold air mass hit and warm air rises creating percip.

-heated air mass rises and expands becoming less dense -the air mass cools causing larger volumes w/ same amount of heat

-cooling air mass sinks & compresses becoming denser -heat in sinking air mass doesn`t change causing temp. rises and smaller volume

-amount of solar radiation a place receives -determined by amount of daylight & angle at which sun`s rays hit the surface

-lines on maps that join places with equal temperatures