Exam 2 Horizontal Variation in Air Pressure o Thermal air pressuretemp increases, air molecules expand, same area density

y lessens o Dynamic pressureearths rotation pushes high pressure to low pressure area, vice versa Main factors controlling wind speed o Pressure gradientssteeper the gradient, the stronger the wind o Frictionresistance between winds, slows wind down o Earths rotation, wind turns to left from poles b/c of rotation Wind always blows from high to low pressure Four global pressure belts o Equatorial low, subtropical high, subpolar low, polar high o Air molecules expand, move away from equatorequitorial low thermal o Pushes that air up, to subtropical high Dynamic Trade Belt winds o Strongest global surface wind belt 25deg N and S Subtropical high is at same deg, so wind blows to equatorial low Huge variation of air pressure, therefore very strong o NE tradeblows from NE, subtropical high to equatorial low o SE tradeblows from SE Land-Sea winds o Daily reversing wind systems o Land breezecold air to land, hot air to sea o Sea breezehot air to land, cold air to sea o Warmer land (low pressure), cold sea air (high pressure), sea-landsea breeze o Night, land temp colder (H), sea temp higher (L), land-sealand breeze Monsoons o Seasonal reversing wind system o Summer and Winter monsoons o Summerocean to land, b/c land hotter than ocean (HL) o Winterland to ocean b/c sea hotter than land (HL) o India best monsoons because climate mimics this idea the best El Nio o Warm ocean currents flow to asia then to America, creates warm ocean currents o Temp warmer, more precipitation Wind speed controls o Pressure gradient Steeper the gradient, faster and stronger the wind

Friction Reduces wind speed, rubbing action of wind on land/ocean Stronger on ocean because less friction Isobarlines connecting equal air pressure Wind direction controls o Earths rotation-N: wind turns to right, S: wind turns to right o Air pressure gradients HL o Frictional resistance slows change due to rotation Local winds o Temperature changes pressure o Land and sea breezes: daily reversing wind system in coastal area o Sea breezes, day: land:low and warm; sea: high and cool, Sealand o Land breeze, night: land:high and cool; sea: low and warm, Landsea o Monsoon: seasonal reversing wind system, same concept Mountain and valley breezes o Daytime, valley:cool and high pressure, mtn warm and low, wind blows from valley to mtn (Valley breeze) o NightL valley warm and low, mtn cool and high windblows from mtn to valley (Mountain breeze) Chinook winds/Foehn winds o Rocky mountain air o Air from Pacific Ocean, Cool, moist, warm o Goes up mtn, higher, therefore gas changes to liquid, forming clouds with precipitation o Air continues over mountain, eastern slope, compression makes air drier and warmer Pressure belts o Equatorial low o Subtropical high 25-35deg o Subpolar low 55-70 o polar high wind belts o trade wind is the most important, strongest global surface wind belt because subtropical high is above equatorial low, therefore very steep pressure gradients on trade wind belt. Therefore wind is the strongest o Comes from east (SE or NE) toward the equator and westward Because of pressure and coriolis effect Upper level winds o Jet streamstrongest upper level wind Much weaker friction, stronger than trade wind Warm ocean currents flow from SE asia to America, change weather patterns

Atmospheric Moisture Phase change of water

Solidliquidgas Lowhigh, must absorb E o GLSw HL, must release E o Evaporation and condensation E: absorbs to higher phase C: release to lower phase E is dominant? o Melting and Freezing M: absorb to higher phase F: release to lower phase o Sublimation Direct change from solid to gas Absorbs massive amts of E Can also refer to change from gas to solid Hydrological cycle o Circulation of water from one part of the general earth system to another o Ocean water evaporates, then condenses forming clouds o Liquid water falls as rain (80%) back into oceans o 20% of cloud transfers to land as moisture o Precipitation o Streams flow to oceans (Run-off) Clouds and fog o Clouds are basis of precipitation o Clouds and fog are liquid or solid, gas is invisible o Difference is elevationclouds @ ground are fog Precipitation o Formation Water droplets become larger and larger by touching each other This is called coalescence Bergeron is coalescence of ice crystals, leads to snow o Forms Rain >0.5mm Drizzle0.5mm water droplets Freezing rainreally cold rain Sleetmixture of liquid and solid Snowsolid Hailbig ass ice crystals (largest 6) Distribution of Precipitation o The equatorial zone Largest annual precipitation b/c H pressure

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Trade wind zones East coast, lots of precip b/c of conflicting winds West not so much Subtropical high pressure zones Very dry area Westerlies Zones Frequent storms, lots of precip High latitudes smallest annual precip (driest)

Global Climate Climate Classification System o Geographic distribution Location o Temperature and moisture o Reasons Climate Regions o Humid tropical climate regions Tropical rainforest climate Along equator, b/t 10deg N and S Surface heating, active evaporation Low pressure forms precipitation, almost no wind Tropical monsoon climate India, SE asia Controlled by monsoon system, so summer has more precip Seasonal change of moisture Tropical savanna climate 5-20deg N/S Winter much drier than summer b/c of shape and movement of equatorial low and subtropical high belt Summer is wetter than winter B/C subtropical high retreats, equatorial low moves in o Arid climate regions Desert climate Inland of large continent, and valleys are dry Steppe climate Surrounding area of desert Still dry, but not as dry as desert Humid mesothermal climate regions Mediteranean climate

o 30-40deg N/S, west coast side o Subtropical high pressure beltsdry summer, wetter winter o California Humid subtropical climate o East coast, 30-40 deg o Summer is hot and humid, winter is moist and mild Marine west coast climate o 40-65 deg n/s, close to ocean o Large seasonal temp change Humid continental hot summer climate o 35-45degN, 4 seasons, climate region of our area o Conflict zone between subtropical warm air and subpolar cold air o Summer, subtropical moves in; winter subpolar moves in Humid continental mild summer climate o Latitude higher, still 4 seasons, cooler summer Summer arctic o 50-70degN, cold and long winter, northern portion of Asia o Largest annual T range Highland climate o Elevation cools temp

SOILS o Organic material, air, water, etc o Size of individual soil particules is TEXTURE o Development of soil o Rock material o Organic activity (more the better) o Climate Temp and moisture Best combo is high temp and larger moisture o Steep slopes have poor soil o 1 inch per century EARTH MATERIAL LITHOSPHERE AND PLATE TECTONICS Rocks o Igneous rocks Directly formed from solidification of molten rock, produced by tectonic activity o Sedimentary rocks Material transported by water, ice, wind, or gravity and deposited as a new type of rock Covers the largest surface of earth o Metamorphic rocks Altered from original form by enormous heat and pressure Rock Cycle o If the environment changes, rock can change from one type to another

o Long term, rocks can change types Earths planetary structure o CoreT and pressure are extremely high 12,423deg @ core Inner Core is solid b/c of pressure, Outer core is liquid Outer is only part of inner earth that is liquid o Mantlelargest volume, 4/5 of earth V Lower Mantlesolid state Asthenospheresoft plastic-like state Lithospherefloats on top of asthenosphere o Crustvery thin layer at top Surface, pressure very low, lowest density material Oceanic crustcloser to center, higher pressure/density Continental crust (discontinuous) Continental drift o 1912, proposed that all continents were Pangea, supercontinent o After millions of years, drifts and forms todays map o Grooves in continents fit nicely, but if rocks are similar then this is definite It is Plate Tectonics o Sea floor spreading Lava goes to surface, spreads to both sides o Tectonic plate movement Plate divergence Movement of plates away from each other Transform movement Slide against each other side by side, makes faults Plate convergence Plates crashing against each other Subduction o One layer goes downward and is destroyed Oceanic collision (one subducted, but who knows which) Oceanic and continental collision (oceanic always subducted) Two continental plates (squish to build mountains) Hot Spots Areas of high tectonic activity

TYPES OF SOILS o Entisol o Steep slope, so poor kind, no structure

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inceptisol o Cold weather, so not good, subpolar areas Histosol o River deltas, a lot of water so good soil, but least volume Andisol o Good quality, produced by volcanic ash Gelisol o Area which cycles between freezing/melting; not good Aridisol o Dry kind in desert Vertisol o Clay rich type of soil, in low latitude and dry climate (texture good, poor agriculture) Mottisol o Very important to agriculture, NE China, SE Russia, middle America Alfisol o Middle latitudes, fine soil Spodosol o Not good, lots of salt, high latitude needle leaf forest Alfisol o Good, in humid subtropic area Oxisol o Pretty good, most chemically developed soil, tropical rain forest