Flashcards: Understanding Weather and Light Phenomena — 18 cards

Chaotic weather systems — definition?

Unpredictable systems sensitive to initial conditions.

Weather as a chaotic system — nature?

Highly sensitive and unpredictable over time.

Folklore in weather prediction — role?

Traditional, unreliable weather forecasting methods.

Richardson's 1922 formula — workers needed?

64,000 workers.

Computer's impact on weather modeling?

Simplified and improved accuracy.

Barometer — function?

Measures atmospheric air pressure.

Barometer — weather prediction?

Rising pressure indicates fair weather.

Telegraph — invention year?

1887.

Telegraph — role?

Shared weather info instantly across regions.

Light scattering — causes?

Particles and molecules disperse light.

Blue sky — cause?

Scattering of blue light by molecules.

Dispersion — process?

Separation of white light into colors.

White light — components?

All visible spectrum colors.

Wavelength — color difference?

Shorter for blue, longer for red.

Atmospheric molecules — main types?

Nitrogen and oxygen.

Blue light — scattering?

Scatters more due to shorter wavelength.

Ocean color — reason?

Reflects sky, absorbs other wavelengths.

Ocean volume — percentage of Earth?

70% of surface, 97% of water.