Geology 104--Earth Science
Exam #3 Study Guide
What are the principal permanent and variable gases in Earth’s atmosphere? Understand how both temperature and pressure change in the troposphere with increasing elevation and altitude.
How is solar declination defined? How does solar declination vary throughout the year? Understand the Earth-Sun relationships that give rise to the seasons and to solstices and equinoxes. On the June solstice, how does day length vary as one moves north or south from the equator? On the December solstice, how does day length vary as one moves north or south from the equator?
What’s the difference between temperature and heat? Be able to explain the difference between sensible and latent heat. Be able to explain the concepts of adiabatic cooling and warming. Be familiar with the heat transfer mechanisms we discussed in class, including electromagnetic radiation, conduction, and convection.
Be familiar with the temperature controls we discussed in class. Which of these is typically most important in determining the temperature at a given location?
How is relative humidity defined? How does relative humidity vary with temperature if the moisture content of an air mass remains constant?
Describe the lifting mechanisms that allow atmospheric water vapor to adiabatically cool and condense.
What is the Coriolis effect? What causes it? How does it influence wind direction in the northern and southern hemispheres?
Be able to draw an idealized, global model of Earth’s belted pressure zones and wind patterns, including polar highs, subtropical highs, subpolar lows & polar fronts, equatorial low, NE & SE trades, westerlies, polar easterlies, intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ), and Hadley cells.
Be able to describe the forces acting on a moving air mass (i.e., blowing wind). Which forces control the speed and direction of the wind? Be able to describe local winds, including land & sea breezes, mountain & valley breezes, and Santa Ana winds.
Important vocabulary (not exhaustive):
| permanent vs variable atmospheric gases | NE & SE tradewinds |
| pressure | westerlies |
| solar declination | polar easterlies |
| equinox | intertropical convergence zone |
| solstice | Hadley cells |
| temperature | land vs sea breezes |
| heat | mountain vs valley breezes |
| sensible heat | Santa Ana winds |
| latent heat | belted pressure zones |
| adiabatic vs non-adiabatic heating/cooling | polar high |
| radiation | subtropical high |
| conduction | polar front |
| convection | subpolar low |
| temperature controls | equatorial low |
| relative humidity | Coriolis effect |