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Chapter 3 Study Guide: Weather
Know your vocabulary terms:
water cycle, water vapor, evaporation, condensation, current,
weather, humidity, precipitation, meteorology, barometer,
anemometer, hygrometer, air mass, front, climate
Most of Earth’s water, about 97%, is located in the oceans.
About 75%, or three-fourths, of the Earth’s surface is covered
with water.
About 3% of Earth’s water is fresh water.
Most of the fresh water is located in frozen ice caps and
glaciers, or huge sheets of ice.
Know the processes that make up the water cycle.
Condensation: PROCESS by which a gas changes into a liquid.
Evaporation: PROCESS by which a liquid changes into a gas.
Precipitation: Water that falls from the atmosphere to the
Earth’s surface. It can fall as rain, sleet, hail, and snow.
Understand that when water forms on the outside of your glass,
it is water from the air around the glass that is condensing on
the glass.
Understand that El Nino brings warm, wet weather to the west
Coast of North America.
Know three types of clouds: cirrus, stratus, cumulus
Cirrus: Form high in the atmosphere, where the air is very cold.
Made mostly of ice crystals
Stratus: Form low in the atmosphere. Usually cover the sky (like a
blanket). Can have moderate rainfall or snow, but not heavy
precipitation.
Cumulus: Puffy white clouds. Indicate fair weather, but as they
grow, rani can develop.
Fog: a stratus like cloud that forms when water droplets
condense near the ground.
Meteorologists: Scientists that study the weather using weather
instruments. They make forecasts, or predictions of future
weather based on data collected.
Know a rising barometer means lower humidity and less
chance of rain. A falling barometer means warmer, more
humid are and a greater chance of rain.
Know the instruments used to collect data about weather.
Understand the cold air masses and warm air masses. See
following model.
Air masses take on the characteristics of the region over which
they formed. Changing air masses produce wind.
When two air masses meet is called a front. Most weather
changes occur along the front line. There are two main fronts:
cold fronts and warm fronts.
Cold Front: Forms when a cold air mass moves UNDER a warm
air mass.
Warm Front: Forms when a warm air mass moves OVER a cold
air mass.
Cold Fronts: Usually move quickly, can have heavy rain,
thunderstorms, or snow that does not last too long.
Warm Fronts: Stratus clouds from ahead of the fronts and
steady rain and snow can occur and last for hours.
Understand the symbols and meanings on a weather map and
what kind of weather can be expected.
Know:
H- High pressure system, can expect fair weather, clearer skies
L- Low pressure system, can expect rain, clouds
This map show occluded and stationary fronts, this is extra
information not covered in the text, but it was introduced and
discussed in class. Need to know the cold/warm front.