BIOL150 Study Guide - Final Guide: Atmospheric Pressure, Photosynthetically Active Radiation, Atmospheric Circulation
16 Dec 2016
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Key Terms
Science: testing of hypothesis to build theory → goals is to prove hypothesis falsifiable and
arrive at understanding
Basic research: curiosity of researcher, Universities and Government. Discovery based
Applied research: done to solve problem → relies on basic
Inductive reasoning: draws conclusions from observations. Specific → General. Generate but
not test hypotheses, one apple fell so all apples fall
Deductive reasoning: general premises to make specific predictions. General → Specific. Make
testable predictions (Scientific method), organisms made of cells, humans are organisms,
humans are made of cells
Supported hypothesis: additional tests of the hypothesis using original or new prediction
Not-supported hypothesis: change it in light of new data
Qualitaitve data: nominal → hair colours, ordinal → logical order like life cycle stage, binary →
presence or absence of species
Quantitative data: discrete → integers like # duckings, continuous → measurement tool like
height
Theory: broader than hypothesis, large body of evidence
Ecology: study of the relationships b/w organisms and their environments
Environment: the abiotic and biological conditions that affect one organism
Intraspecific: interactions with members of the same species
Interspecific: interactions between members of other species
4 laws: everything is connected, everything must go somewhere → needs origin and end place,
systems find own equilibrium, everything costs something → trade off decisions
Organismal ecology: morphological, physiological, behavioural adaptations that allow
individuals to live and reproduce in their environment
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Population ecology: same species in same area at the same time. How numbers of individuals
in population change over time. Birth, mortality, survival
Ecosystem ecology: all the living and non-living components of habitat. How nutrients and
energy move between organisms → algal blooms on lakes tested with bottle experiments
Nutrification: nutrient pollution
Weather: at specific place and time
Climate: long term pattern of weather
Shortwave radiation: from hotter objects (sun onto Earth)
Longwave radiation: from cooler objects (Earth)
Solar constant: radiation reaching Earths atmosphere → only 51% makes it
Insolation: the 51% that makes it to the Earths surface
Visible light: 380-740nm, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) → plants use it
Short wavelengths: UV - hazardous but causes mutations leading to evolution
Long wavelengths: infrared radiation – near (flowering) and far (thermal)
Seasons: aused Earth’s tilt, ore diretl heisphere is faes the su, the arer it is
Altitude: distae aoe Earth’s surfae
Elevation: distance above sea level
Atmospheric air pressure: force that the 5 x 1018 kg of air surrounding Earth exerts over a given
area of Earth’s surfae
Kinetic energy: air molecules move faster in areas of higher pressure causing the KE to increase
which means it is warmer
Adiabatic cooling: decrease in air temp through expansion rather than heat loss → rate
depends on humidity (desert air cools fast b/c dry)
Coriolis effect: as Earth spins the air moving to a greater circumference deflects in the direction
opposite of the spin. Air moving to a lesser circumference deflects in the direction of the spin.
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Caused by prevailing winds (Westerlies for us) and influences ocean currents. Ocean spins
faster at the equator
Gyres: Coriolis effect on ocean current → when the current hits a coast. Giant circular water
motions. Clockwise in N, c.clockwise in S
Latent heat: energy released or absorbed/g during state change
Saturated air: evaporation and condensation rates are equal
Vapour pressure: pressure that water exerts independent of the pressure of dry air. Pa.
Saturation vapour pressure: water content of air if saturated → condensation occurs if
exceeded, vapour pressure declines. Increases with temp b/c warmer air holds more water.
When VP exceeds SVP. Clouds are formed and water or ice gets heavy, causing precipitation
Relative humidity: amount of water expressed as a percent of its SVP. Water vapour content
of air at specific temperature. Max possible
Absolute humidity: amount of water vapour in the air, irrelevant of temp. Number of grams
Rain shadows: mountains cause regional climate effects and produce extremes in precipitation.
Moist air blows from the Pacific, hits a mountain, rises and cools, drops water. Air comes down
on the other side of the mountain where it warms and leaves the Earth dry
Dew point temperature: temp at which SVP is achieved → temp drops and relative humidity
rises. Water condenses and dew forms, lowers water content of air. The sun warms the air and
water capacity increases so dew evaporated and increases the VP
Hadley cell: warm air rises and cools, dropping rain. Cool air is pushed to the poles. Warm air
descends and absorbs moisture
Ferrel cell: mirror image of Hadley cell, generated by friction
Polar high: cold air moves down
Subpolar lows: warm air rises, b/w polar and ferrel cell
Subtropical highs: cold air sinks and warms, b/w ferrel cell and Hadley cell
Equatorial low: warm air rises, b/w Hadley cells
Lake effect: moderate temp, winter lows, summer highs, frost, increased precipitation,
westerlies and snowbell
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Science: testing of hypothesis to build theory goals is to prove hypothesis falsifiable and arrive at understanding. Basic research: curiosity of researcher, universities and government. Applied research: done to solve problem relies on basic. Generate but not test hypotheses, one apple fell so all apples fall. Deductive reasoning: general premises to make specific predictions. Make testable predictions (scientific method), organisms made of cells, humans are organisms, humans are made of cells. Supported hypothesis: additional tests of the hypothesis using original or new prediction. Not-supported hypothesis: change it in light of new data. Qualitaitve data: nominal hair colours, ordinal logical order like life cycle stage, binary presence or absence of species. Quantitative data: discrete integers like # duckings, continuous measurement tool like height. Theory: broader than hypothesis, large body of evidence. Ecology: study of the relationships b/w organisms and their environments. Environment: the abiotic and biological conditions that affect one organism. Intraspecific: interactions with members of the same species.
