preview

Essay about Meteorology Ch.1 review questions

Decent Essays

Caleb Clingan

ESCI 1123

1. Distinguish between weather and climate.

Weather is the state of the atmosphere at a particular place and time. Climate is a location's average weather conditions over a specific period of time. For example, Weather looks at what is happening right now. Climate however looks at what the weather as done in the past and projects what the weather should do. Like normally we get 20 inches of rain in the summer and it's safe to assume that we will receive close to that same amount of rain.

2. What is the advantage of describing the climate of locality in terms of both average weather plus extremes in weather?

The advantage is that farmers can know what crops can be grown and what the average …show more content…

5. What is an air mass? What governs the temperature and humidity of an air mass?

An air mass is a huge volume of air covering hundreds of thousands of square kilometers that has relatively uniform temperature and humidity properties in its horizontal extent. Fronts govern the temperature and humidity of an air mass.

6. Explain why clouds and precipitation are often associated with fronts.

Fronts form where contrasting air masses meet, and the associated air movements often give rise to cloudiness and precipitation.

7. Among weather satellites, distinguish between GOES and POES.

GOES orbit the Earth about 36,000 km above the planet's equator. A GOES satellite revolves around Earth at the same rate and in the same direction as the planet rotates so that the satellite is always positioned over the same spot on Earth's surface and its sensors have a consistent field of view.

POES travel about 800 to 1000 km above the Earth. The satellite's orbit traces out a plane in space while the planet continually rotates on its axis through the plane of the satellite's orbit. With each orbit, points on Earth's surface move eastward so that onboard sensors sweep out successive overlapping north/south strips.

8. What advantages does an infrared satellite image offer over a visible satellite image for monitoring the state of the atmosphere?

An infrared satellite can provide useful information at any time whereas visible weather

Get Access