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Weather The most awesome stuff ever! Temperature The sun’s rays give molecules energy. – The more energy the faster molecules move. This causes the temperature to be higher. – The less energy the slower molecules move. This causes the temperature to be lower. Fast moving molecules transfer energy by bumping into slow moving molecules. – This is called conduction. Warm air rises and cool air sinks. – This is called convection and is how heat is transferred throughout the atmosphere. Humidity Humidity: The amount of water vapor in the air. Relative Humidity: the measure of the amount of water vapor that is in the air compared to the amount that COULD be in the air (%) When the temperature is warmer evaporation occurs more rapidly and more water vapor can be added to the air. – When air is completely saturated with water vapor condensation can occur. The temperature in which this occurs is called the dew point. Clouds Clouds form when air rises, cools to its dew point, and becomes saturated. Clouds can be made of small water droplets or small ice crystals depending on the temperature. Clouds are classified according to the altitude that they form in (low, middle, high) When “Nimbus” is attached to a cloud name it means it is producing precipitation. Low Clouds 2,000 m or less in altitude Include: – Cumulus (puffy cotton balls where care bears live) – Stratus (dull gray sheets) Middle Clouds 2,000 m-8,000 m in altitude Often have the prefix “alto” such as altostratus and alto cumulus. Made up of a mixture of liquid water and ice crystals High Clouds Occur in air so cold that they are made up of ice crystals. Cirrus (wispy and feathery) Cirrostratus (high layered clouds that can cover the whole sky) Vertical Clouds Vertical clouds extend through many altitude layers. Cumulonimbus (thunderstorm) Wind Molecules that have been heated up move more and become less dense and spread out. – The causes a region of low air pressure Molecules that are cool move slower and closer together becoming more dense and sink. – This causes a region of high air pressure *Typically air moves from high pressure areas towards low pressure areas -The greater the pressure difference the stronger the wind will be. Fronts A Front is a boundary that is created between two air masses of different temperatures meet. Four main types: Cold, Warm, Stationary, and Occluded. Cold Front Cold air is more dense than warm air. As a cold air mass approaches a warm air mass the cold air moves under the warm air mass and pushes it up. Violent storms can develop. Warm Front Warm air mass approaches cold mass. The warm air moves over the cold air mass because it is less dense. A wide are of precipitation occurs, but not severe weather. Stationary & Occluded Fronts Stationary Front: when a warm air mass and cold air mass meet, but neither of them advances. – Can stay in place for several days Occluded Front: A fast moving cold front overtakes a slower moving warm front or when a warm front overtakes a cold front (less common) High and Low Pressure Centers High Pressure: – Air sinks – Clockwise (Northern Hemisphere) – Moisture can’t rise, so no precipitation Low Pressure: – Air rises and cools – Counterclockwise (Northern Hemisphere) – Clouds form with precipitation