REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR CH3- DAILY AND SEASONAL TEMPERATURES

1. what causes the seasons?
2. what does the earth's orbit look like?
3. when is the earth closest and furthest from the sun?
4. what two factors primarily determine the amount of solar radiation reaching the surface?
5. how does the atmosphere deplete incoming radiation? How does this depend on the sun angle?
6. how are the astronomical seasons determined?
7. why do seasonal temperatures lag behind the astronomical seasons?
8. how does the southern hemisphere average temperature versus time of the year plot differ from the N. hemisphere plot? What are the reason for the differences?
9. what does the earth's global energy balance look like? what acts to redistribute the heat?
10. what is the boundary layer and typically how deep is it?
11. what does the diurnal temperature variation look like? How is this variation related to the surface radiation budget?
12. what are other factors affecting the surface temps?
13. how is a radiation inversion formed?
14. what helps to create strong radiation inversions?
15. how do drainage flows form? why do farmers plant mid-way up a hill and not in the valley?
16. what are common crop-protecting methods against freezing?
17. what factors control the larger-scale temperature distribution and how do they do it?
18. how are heating and cooling-degree days defined?
19. what is the wind chill temp?
20. what are the different types of thermometers used in meteorology?
21. why is temperature not measured at ground level, but typically 2 meters above the ground?

last updated: 08/16/04 07:36 PM