GGR214H5 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Lithosphere, Hydrosphere, Cryosphere
Document Summary
Meteorology: the study of atmospheric process responsible for weather. Weather: the state of the atmosphere at a given place and time. Elements of climate include: latitude, altitude, proximity to bodies of water, prevailing winds and mountain ranges. Microclimate: the climate of small area at earth"s surface. Global warming: the increase in earth"s temperature caused by increasing concentration of greenhouse gases associated with human activities. The four major parts of the earth atmosphere system: Atmostphere: a mixture of gas molecules, microscopically small suspended particles of solid and liquid, and falling precipitation. Feedback effect: mechanism that operates within a system to either amplify or lessen an initial change (positive feedback destabilizing and negative feedback stabilizing) Pressure decreases with height in the atmosphere because pressure results from the weight of the overlying atmosphere. Density decrease with height in the atmosphere because air is compressible. Heated from absorbing shortest wavelength of solar radiation.
