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Name: _______________________________________________ Date: ________________ Period: _______________
Storm Study Guide (Lessons 1-7)
You will also need to study all readings, labs, and journal material
Lesson 2:
What is a vortex? (reading pg. 18-19)
Spiral circulation of liquid or gas
What are the characteristics of tornados and hurricanes (how they are measured, speeds, size)? (reading pgs. 20-25)
Tornadoes:
Winds can be faster than 217 mph, while the tornado as a whole can move faster than 62 mph over land; they are
100 and 600 meters in diameter. Most form in the spring and summer months in tornado alley. They are measured
on the Fujita scale.
Hurricanes:
Hurricanes have wind speeds of 74-155 mph and travel over land at 5-15 mph; they are about 342 miles in
diameter. Hurricanes can last a week or longer and multiple hurricanes may form at once. They are measured on
the Saffir-Simpson Scale.
Explain how tornados form.
Tornado Watch vs. Warning (teal reading pg. 17)
Occur when warm, moist air hits cool dry air head on.
Explain how hurricanes form.
Occur when warm, moist air rises over tropical waters. Warm water is the fuel for hurricanes so they usually start
to die out as they head over land.
Diagram a tornado and a hurricane.
Tornado
Hurricane
On the map below, color and label where you think tornadoes form and where you think hurricanes form. Below, explain
why you chose these locations:
Explain:___________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Lesson 3:
How does the uneven heating of the earth’s affect the heating and cooling rates of soil and water? (reading pg. 31-33)
Soil/Land heats and cools faster because darker colors heat and cool faster, than lighter ones.
Water heats slower, but holds heat longer because of its lighter color and properties as a liquid.
Why do seasons occur? (reading pg. 31-33)
Because of the tilt of the earth on its axis. When titled towards the sun and area experiences summer, (more direct
light) and when an area is tilted away from the sun it experiences winter (light reaches earth at more of an angle –
less solar radiation is received).
Lesson 4:
What are air masses? (teal reading pg. 49)
Air with the same temperature and humidity
What happens to the air above cool surfaces (speed and direction of movement)?
The air becomes colder and moves more slowly, cold air sinks
What happens to the air above hot/warm surfaces (speed and direction of movement)?
The air becomes warmer and moves more quickly, warm air rises
Warm air rises (does what?)
Cold air sinks (does what?)
Define radiation:
Heat and light energy carried by electromagnetic waves
Give one example of radiation on earth: Sun’s light and heat energy travels through the vacuum of space reaches
earth by radiation
Define conduction:
Heat energy moving within a material
Give one example of conduction on earth:
Land and water conduct heat to the air above them
Define convection:
Heat transfer by material moving from one place to another
Give one example of convection on earth:
Convection currents form in the air and water as warm air/water rises and cold air/water cools and sinks
transporting heat from one place to another
Lesson 5:
What creates wind? (reading pgs. 59-62)
Winds form because of the uneven heating of the Earth, as the earth’s surface transfers heat to the air above it,
warm air rises, cold air sinks and convection currents form in the atmosphere. This circulating flow of air due to
temperature differences causes the wind to blow.
Describe how a land breeze forms:
Land breezes form at night when the ocean is warmer than the land. The ocean warms the air above it, the warm
air rises and cold air sinks over land. The wind blows from land to sea.
Describe how a sea breeze forms:
Sea breezes form during the day when the land is warmer than the ocean. The land warms the air above it, the
warm air rises and cold air sinks over land. The wind blows from sea to land.
Draw and label a land and a sea breeze:
Lesson 6:
Be able to read a weather map (maps pg. 70)
What is the symbol for warm/cold/occluded weather fronts?
What is the symbol for high/low pressure systems?
What does the direction of the triangle/bump indicate?
The direction the front is moving
What are the “ingredients” in cloud formation?
Heat, evaporated water (water vapor) and dust
Explain the steps of cloud formation.
Warm water evaporates and rises into the atmosphere, as it rises it cools (loses heat) and condenses (turns back
into liquid water). When water condenses in the atmosphere it condenses onto dust particles forming clouds.
.
What type of weather is associated with high pressure?
Calm, clear less rain
What type of weather is associated with low pressure?
Cloudy, windy, rainy
Be able to draw and label the parts of the water cycle.
Explain the water cycle and how it relates to storms (teal reading pg. 72)
Warm water provides an almost endless supply of energy for hurricanes, massive storm clouds form from warm
evaporating water near the equator and then winds move the storm along its path
Lesson 7:
How does temperature affect the way water moves?
Warm water near the equator rises and flows over the surface towards the poles, when it reaches the poles it
becomes cold and sinks then moves back towards the equator.
What is upwelling and how is it formed?
Trade winds blow surface water aside, allowing cold water from the bottom of the ocean to rise to the surface.
How does wind affect surface currents?
The direction of the wind dictates the direction of the surface currents, wind blowing along the ocean’s surface
pushes the water in the same direction.
How does water move on earth (general patterns?
Warm currents flow toward the poles, cold currents flow towards the equator. Currents flow clockwise in the
Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere, while they flow straight near the poles.
Explain El Nino and its effects:
Trade winds weaken so surface waters are not blown aside, instead they stay at the surface and continue to warm
while cold waters are trapped below. There are less fish and other marine animals in the water, North and South
America experience rains and flooding, while other parts of the world experience drought