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Unit 3: Weather
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5.
What is the source of all energy in our atmosphere? Sun
List the solids that could be found in the atmosphere?
Dust, pollen, salt
Define atmosphere.
An atmosphere is a thin layer of
air that forms a protective covering around the planet.
Which layer of the atmosphere contains the highest
concentration of ozone? Stratosphere
List 4 characteristics of the troposphere. (What can I find
in this layer?)
Lowest layer; contains 99% of the water
vapor; contains 75% of the atmospheric gases; Rain,
snow, & clouds occur here.
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6. What is the job of the ozone layer?
Protects us from harmful
UV radiation from the sun
7. What are the two major gases (with %) in the atmosphere?
Nitrogen=78%; Oxygen=21%
8. On a hot summer day, you are lying on the beach and feel the
sun’s warmth even though you cannot touch the sun. Which
method of heat transfer is responsible for the warmth you feel?
Radiation
* Air Pressure/Air Masses/ Fronts
9. Why does cold air have high pressure? Why does warm air have
low pressure?
Cold air has high pressure because the
particles pack together resulting in high density pressing down.
Warm air has low pressure because the particles are spread
apart resulting in low density.
10. Explain wind formation. (Describe the movement of air.)
Wind results when two air masses collide that have a difference
in pressure; the movement of air from an area of high pressure
to an area of low pressure.
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11. Explain how warm fronts form.
Warm air is less
dense than cold air; therefore, when a warm air mass
moves into a cold air mass the warm air mass slides up
and over the cold air leading to gentle rain or light snow.
12. Explain how a cold front occurs.
Cold air is denser
than warm air; therefore, when a cold air mass pushes
under a worm air mass, forcing the warm air mass to rise.
Explain how a stationary front occurs.
Forms when
warm and cold air meet and neither has the force to
move the other...a standoff happens
13. Currents in the Atlantic Ocean flow from the equator
where they are warmed towards areas to the Arctic Ocean
where they are cooled. As they flow back towards the
equator, what is the effect on the nearby land?
The air
over the nearby land is cooled by the cooler water as it
flows nearby
Storms
14. Define a hurricane.
A tropical cyclone that forms
over warm ocean water as a low pressure system; may
last a week or more; loses strength as it crosses land
15. In a thunderstorm, which happens first, thunder or
lightning?
Lightning
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16. Name the large, dark clouds that produce
different types of severe weather such as
thunderstorms and tornadoes.
Cumulonimbus
17. Define tornadoes.
Rapidly whirling, funnelshaped cloud, reaching from the storm cloud to the
ground; winds at different heights in cumulonimbus
clouds
Global Winds
18. Which global wind system is responsible for
moving weather across North America? Prevailing
Westerlies
19. What is the Coriolis effect? Coriolis Effect: When
the rotation of Earth on its axis causes moving air
and water to appear to turn to the right (clockwise)
North of the equator and to the left (counter
clockwise) South of the equator.
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