Download Name

1
Name: ________________________________________ Homeroom: ____________
Chapter 10 – Earth’s Weather Patterns
Essential Question: What Makes up the Atmosphere?
The Atmosphere
The _______________, the layers that surround Earth are made up of
________________. The two main gases that make up the atmosphere are
_______________ and _______________. Another important gas found in the
atmosphere is _________________, a form of oxygen that helps protect Earth’s surface
from the dangerous effects of _________________ (UV) radiation.
The atmosphere consists of _______________ layers.
1. _________________ - The layer closest to the Earth’s surface.
o Most of the _________________ occurs in the troposphere. As the distance
from the Earth’s surface increases the air becomes _________________ and
_________________in the troposphere.
2. _________________ - As distance increases in the stratosphere the air becomes
_________________, while the temperature _________________.
3. _________________ - coldest layer of the atmosphere.
o Enough ________________ is caused in the mesosphere for
________________ to burn up. These chunks of ________________ move
through space at great speeds. On Earth we see them as meteors, or
_______________________________.
4. _________________ - extremely hot temperatures reaching 2200 F.
2
5. _________________ - Outermost layer of the atmosphere.
o There is not a true ________________ between the exosphere and space,
rather the air continues to become more ________________.
How the Sun Affects the Atmosphere
Since the _____________ heats the Earth’s atmosphere and _____________,
the temperature usually becomes _____________ at night.
The sun does not heat Earth’s surface _____________. The area over the
_____________ is warmest because the sunlight hits the Earth’s surface here almost
directly. The area at the poles is much _____________ because the indirect sunlight
spreads the sun’s _____________ out over a larger area.
The _____________ heating of the Earth forces the movement of large bodies of
air known as _____________. The movement of these air masses causes changes in
_____________.
Essential Question: What is Weather?
Air Masses
_____________ is the condition of the atmosphere at a particular time and place.
_____________ effect the weather of an area. An air mass is a large body of _______.
The _____________ and _____________, amount of water vapor in the air, is affected
by the area over where an air mass forms.
o _____________ air masses – humid – form over oceans.
o _____________ air masses – dry - form over land.
o _____________ air masses – warm – form over the tropics (near the equator)
3
o _____________ air masses – cold – form over Arctic areas (near the poles)
The air mass types can be combined such as an air mass over the northern parts of
Canada would be a ________________________________ (Arctic and land).
The unequal heating of the Earth causes differences in ____________________.
Air pressure is the weight of ___________ pressing down on a unit of area. A change
in air pressure indicates that a new air ____________ is moving into the area, causing a
change in the ____________________.
Air that is holding as much ___________ as possible has relative humidity of
100%. Relative humidity relies on two factors the ____________________ and the
amount of water vapor available.
Weather Fronts
The boundary between two air masses that collide is called a _____________.
Most often the collision of moving air masses occurs halfway between one of the poles
and the ______________. The front results in a change in ____________________.
o ________________ - warm air moves into an area of cooler air. A warm front
usually brings _________.
o _______________ - cold air moves into an area of warmer air. Cold fronts usually
bring precipitation, but quickly moving cold air masses often cause
______________________.
o __________________ - boundary between two air masses that are not moving
against one another. A stationary front often brings a __________ lasting
precipitation.
Types of Clouds
4
A cloud is a mass of tiny water droplets or ice crystals that can be seen in the
_______________. Clouds are classified by their ____________ and height above
sea level.
o ____________ - high clouds. Mostly ice crystals. Fair weather, may signal a
change in ____________. (cirrocumulus, cirrostratus)
o _________________ and _________________ - mid-level clouds. Made of water
droplets white to gray in color and produce light snow or drizzling rain at times.
o _________________ - low clouds. Made of water droplets. If rain is produced the
cloud is known as nimbostratus.
o _________________ - first stages of a developing cumulonimbus cloud. These
clouds bring ____________.
Global Wind Patterns
Wind is the movement of air from an area of higher pressure an area of
____________ pressure. _________________ winds are winds that blow across long
distance in predictable patterns.
o _________________ move cold air from both poles to the equator
o __________________________________ - blow towards the poles. Affect most of
the weather in the __________________________________ from west to east.
o _________________ - a band of very strong wind that blows from east to west
high in the atmosphere. Throughout the winter a jet stream will dip from
_________________ to the US bringing ___________ weather.
o _________________ - movement of warm air from the equator over the oceans,
cooling, dropping, and moving back towards the _________________.
5
Factors that Influence Climate
Climate is the average of all __________________ conditions in an area over a
period of time. Climate is influenced by different factors.
o __________________ - affect precipitation by moving air masses.
__________________ carries more moisture than cooler air. Similiarly winds that
blow over oceans carry more _____________ than winds that blow across land.
The inland areas of __________________ are often more dry because they are
not affected by winds carrying moisture near the __________________.
o __________________ - influence the temperature of an area. Warm ocean
currents ______________ the air above them, while cool currents __________ the
air.
o __________________ - the unusual warming of surface water in the central and
eastern Pacific Ocean. Warm water pushes energy and moisture into the
atmosphere, resulting in a change in __________________ and
__________________ patterns.
o __________________ - have built large cities and polluted ________ and
____________ resources.
Essential Question: How Can you Track Severe Storms?
Weather Forecasts
A forecast predicts the ______________ accurately up to __________ days into
the future. The weather is studied by ______________ who then provide forecasts.
Meteorologists use instruments to measure atmospheric conditions. A _____________
6
measures temperature, a ______________ measures air pressure, and a
______________ is used to measure wind speed.
As technological advances increase so does the ______________ of forecasts.
Satellite images are used to show how the weather of an area is ______________. A
weather ________ shows recent weather conditions across a large area.
Thunderstorms and Tornadoes
A thunderstorm is a strong storm with _________________________________.
A thunderstorm forms when ______________, humid air rises rapidly. Most
thunderstorms last less than one ______________. Once a thunderstorm is detected
meteorologists look for another severe weather event such as a ______________.
A tornado is a violently ______________ column of air that extends downward
from thunderclouds (cumulonimbus) and touches the ground. Every thunderstorm does
not produce a tornado, tornadoes actually only form in less than ______________ of
thunderstorms. The wins of a tornado can reach ______ miles per hour. Tornados can
last only a few minutes or a few hours. Tornadoes are more ______________ to
predict than other severe storms, however warnings are often given in enough time for
people to reach safety.
Hurricanes
A hurricane is a large, rotating _____________ storm system with winds speeds
of at least 74 miles per hour. At first the storm is called a _______________________,
if the _____________ reach a consistent speed of 39 miles per hour it is called a
__________________________ and given a _____________. Nearly half of the
tropical storms that form throughout the year develop into _____________.
7
The calm center of a hurricane is known as the _____________. A hurricane in
the Northwest Pacific Ocean is called a _____________.
Meteorologists are able to _____________ hurricanes; therefore people are
given warning if they need to _____________ their homes.
Blizzards
A winter storm with strong winds and large amounts of heavy, blowing ________
is a blizzard. The heavy snow should accumulate to at least _______ inches per hour
and the winds should blow for at least 3 hours at ________ miles per hour in order to
classify the storm as a blizzard. During a blizzard the ability to see often becomes less
than one quarter of a mile and is often near ______________.
Similar to other storms a blizzard forms because of differences in ___________.
The intense winds __________ falling snow and also pick up snow that has fallen to the
ground and blow that causing ______________ conditions making travel dangerous.
As a result of the extreme cold ______________, injury to the skin from freezing
and ______________, a condition where body temperature falls dangerously low can
affect anyone stranded during a blizzard.