Download Climate Change (Greenhouse effect)

Thunderstorms
STORMS
Life cycle of a thunderstorm
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

Cum_____ulus stage
air rises (updraft) forming a cumulus cloud
updraft keeps precipitation from reaching the ground
Mat______ure stage
eventually precipitation is heavy enough to fall thru updraft & hit ground, producing a
downdraft
Dissip____ating stage
downdraft weakens the updraft, cutting off moist air rising to the cloud
cloud begins to evaporate
Thunderstorms form mainly along ________ – may last for days
Lightning: discharge of electricity from a:
______________________ to the ground,
from _________ to cloud,
or ______________ the cloud
Lightning – Inside
1. Avoid contact with corded phones
2. Avoid contact with electrical equipment or cords. If you plan to unplug any
electronic equipment, do so well before the storm arrives.
3. Avoid contact with plumbing. Do not wash your hands, do not take a shower, do
not wash dishes, and do not do laundry.
4. Stay away from windows and doors, and stay off porches.
5. Do not lie on concrete floors and do not lean against concrete walls.
Lightning – Outside
1. Stay away from metal objects, such as fences, poles and backpacks. Metal is an
excellent conductor. The current from a lightning flash will easily travel for long
distances
2. Do NOT seek shelter under tall isolated trees! The tree may help you stay dry but
will significantly increase your risk of being struck by lightning. Rain will not kill
you, but the lightning can!
3. Do NOT seek shelter under partially enclosed buildings
4. Stay away from tall, isolated objects. Lightning typically strikes the tallest object.
That may be you in an open field or clearing.
Tornadoes
Tornado: violently rotating column of air that usually touches the ground
Formation
 _________________ updraft of air can rotate
 _________________: spinning column formed by rotating updraft
 eventually, mesocyclone can touch ground & make ______________
Tornado Fujita Scale


______ – weakest, causes minor damage
______ – most violent, can lift & transport sturdy buildings
Predicting
 Conventional _________ can show ‘hooks’ of precipitation within_________
______________, but sometimes only shows hook once tornado hits ground – TOO LATE!
 ___________radar can show rotation within the clouds giving up to ____ minutes warning
before tornado forms.
Tornado: Watch & Warning

_________ _________indicates that conditions are right for a tornado to develop and
that the sky should be watched. Be alert to changing weather conditions!
when there is a CHANCE of severe weather

___________________ indicates a tornado has been sighted or that radar indicates one
has developed or could develop within minutes. Warnings will give the location of the tornado
and the area immediately affected by the warning. When a warning is issued, move quickly to
shelter!
when there is severe weather currently happening
What do I do?
Inside:
 Move to an interior room, preferably underground or on the bottom floor
 Protect your head & neck from flying debris
Outside:
 Move inside if possible
 If in a car, get OUT of the car & lie down flat on the ground, preferably in a ditch away from the
car & anything that might fall on you.
Hurricanes
________________: large rotating storm of tropical origin with sustained winds of at least 119
km/hr or 74 mph; usually occur in late summer, early fall. They lose energy when they travel over
land and have a very LOW pressure system
Formation


_____: extremely low pressure center of the hurricane; ____ ______here, so no clouds &
_______ ________.
_____ _____: ring of violent _______________ around the eye; ___________
_______& rain are here.
Characteristics
Hurricane classified by_______ _________, from tropical depression to tropical storm to
hurricane
Effects
 Storm surge: large wave of water caused by a low-pressure system
 High winds create large waves to damage coast & cause flooding
 Worst damage happens to right of hurricane in N hemp, because wind blows counterclockwise
around the low, so the strongest winds are on the right
Saffir/Simpson Scale


Category 1: minor hurricane, 74-95 mph wind, minimal damage
Category 5: catastrophic hurricane, >155 mph wind, buildings destroyed & full evacuation,
catastrophic damage
What do I do?

If there is an evacuation order, EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY!

Cover windows with plywood to protect them from flying debris

Secure all outside furniture

Danger is in high winds & flooding
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Beware of the calm at the eye. The storm isn’t over yet!
Winter storms
Blizzard________: winter storm with winds of ________ or more with considerable falling or
blowing snow causing _______________________.
Categorizing a blizzard:

_____________winds of _____ mph

Must last for at least ____ hours

Winds can become high enough to create _______________ conditions which means
visibility is less than a ____ of a mile

Blizzards usually happen after there’s been a ___________ (long) period of cold weather.

Blizzards are _______ common in the northern _________ _________.
What do I do?
If a blizzard is predicted, purchase supplies ahead of time to last at least a week.
Once the storm starts, STAY INSIDE! You can survive without food & melt snow
for water. You cannot survive without shelter.
Don’t go outside for any reason. Visibility is often so low you’ll get lost between
your front door & the car.
Nor’easter
N_____or’easter: ____
system along __________________ that blows
strong winds from the _______________; not cold enough for a blizzard usually, but very strong
winds & damage
HUMAN’S EFFECTS ON THE CLIMATE/ATMOSPHERE
Climate Change (Greenhouse effect)
1. Greenhouse gasses like
__________________,methane &
water vapor are produced by
_______________
2. High-energy radiation from the sun
enters the atmosphere, but low-energy
radiation leaving Earth is trapped by the
greenhouse gases, keeping the heat in &
_______________ average global temperatures.
Ozone Layer
1. Located in the __________________ & protects us from __________________
2. Chemicals from aerosols & air conditioners, called ___________________ (CFCs) are lowdensity, so float up to the ozone layer, reacting with it, allowing UV radiation through to Earth’s
surface