Download Meteorology SOL E.S 11a-d, 12a-d Essential Questions: Describe

Meteorology
SOL E.S 11a-d, 12a-d
Essential Questions:
 Describe how geological and biological processes affect the origin and evolution of the atmosphere
 How can humans and geologic processes change the atmosphere and affect climate?
 Summarize some processes that would explain how the transfer of energy interacts to create weather
patterns
 How can technology, meteorological instruments, models, charts, and imagery be used to forecast the
weather?
 How did early life affect the chemical make-up of the atmosphere?
 How does scientific evidence support the theory that the atmosphere changes over time?
Composition/Structure of Earth’s Atmosphere:
Earth’s atmosphere creates a unique balance between the energy received and lost from the sun. Compare
Earth’s atmosphere to that of other planets:
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Earth has water in all three states of matter… therefore Earth has life.
The Earth’s atmosphere is composed of: 78% ______________, 21% ______________, small
percentages of _________________, and other gases
The atmosphere on Mars is very thin and mostly carbon dioxide. Mars does not have life but it has
water in the frozen state
There is no evidence of life on Venus. Venus is 95% carbon dioxide and very dense. There is
_____________ ___________ in the atmosphere.
There is no life on Earth’s moon. The moon has no atmosphere. There is no evidence that the Moon
ever had water.
Mercury has no atmosphere. No evidence that it ever had water, either.
The Earth’s atmosphere can be divided into layers based on temperature:
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The ____________________ is the layer of the atmosphere that is closest to the ground. It is heated by
the Earth’s surface. Temperatures decrease as _______________ increases. ____________________
occurs here. The upper limit is called the tropopause.
The ____________________ lies above the troposphere. It contains the ozone layer, the temperatures
increase as altitude _______________. This layer is where jets fly.
The ____________________ lies above the stratosphere. Temperatures decrease with altitude. This is
the coldest layer.
The ____________________ is the last layer. Temperatures increase with altitude. It can be divided
into two parts:
o Ionosphere: radio waves bounce around and back to Earth
o Exosphere: upper part with no definite end… satellites and space shuttles orbit the Earth here.
It is the warmest layer.
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Atmospheric Mechanisms:
Three things can happen when the Earth receives energy from the sun:
1. ________________- occurs when energy is reflected back into space
2. _________________ ________________- energy is absorbed by the atmosphere
3. _______/__________ _______________- energy is absorbed by the surface/ the land heats and cools
more rapidly than the ocean—the ocean stores heat.
Energy transfer by radiation, conduction, and convection:
 __________________ is the transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves. We experience this as heat
and light on Earth. The ______________ layer absorbs UV radiation. Smog and pollution keep some
energy from being reflected, making areas hotter.
 _________________ is the transfer of heat through direct contact. You see this all the time… like when
a pan gets hot on the stove.
 _________________ is transfer of heat by the flow of a heated material. Heat rises, cold falls, creating
_______________ _______________. Deep water currents, plate tectonics, and air masses work this
way.
Weather Patterns:
_____________ is the present state of the atmosphere. Factors that could affect weather include: air
pressure, wind, and temperature. _____________ is the average of the weather over a long period of time in a
certain area. Latitude, large bodies of water, elevation, and seasons, can all affect climate.
___________ affects climate and how energy is received from the sun. Near the poles, the sun’s energy is
spread thinly over a large area. Near the equator, the sun’s energy is spread out less.
Large bodies of water can cause sea breezes which create warm summers and colder winters.
The presence of mountains will create a different climate. Temperature drops as you get higher in
______________. The windward side of a mountain is usually wetter. The leeward side of a mountain has no
wind and is dry.
There is less ______________ in winter, and more in the summer. This can affect climate, as well.
Precipitation can come in many forms:
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Humidity can be affected by many factors:
_______________ _______________ is a measure of the amount of water vapor in the air compared to the
total amount of water that the air can hold at the given temperature.
Saturated air has 100% humidity
The __________ __________ is the temperature at which the air is saturated and condensation can occur
(meaning it can precipitate).
Cooler temperatures usually have less humidity
Higher temperatures usually have more humidity (water vapor cannot condense in the clouds due to faster
motion of the molecules)
Air that stays in one location for a long time takes on the weather of that area. Air ___________ are large
bodies of air that have the same characteristics as the surface over which it developed. There are 5 basic types
of air masses:
1. _____________ _________ (cA) air masses come from very high latitudes and are extremely cold and
dry
2. _____________ _________ (cP) air masses come from land areas that are at high latitudes and are cold
and dry
3. Maritime Polar (mP) comes from cold oceans and are cold and humid
4. ____________ _________ (cT) comes from warm land areas and are hot and dry
5. ____________ _________ (mT) comes from warm seas and are warm and humid
A _______________ is the boundary between two air masses. There are 4 types of fronts. On a weather map,
the symbols for the front are pointed in the direction the air mass is moving.
Pressure systems occur when masses of air molecules push down from above. ___________ pressure is when
air descends, making it difficult for clouds to form… the weather is usually nice. _________ pressure is when
air rises and clouds form. This usually creates bad weather.
© Unterman 2015
Cloud types:
If air movement is mainly horizontal, clouds form in layers. These are called ____________ clouds. If air
movement is vertical, clouds grow upward in great piles, called _____________________ clouds. A
____________ cloud is a feathery cloud. They are so high that they are always made of ice crystals.
Wind is caused by an uneven heating of Earth’s atmosphere causing pressure differences. Air always moves
from high to low pressure creating a circulation.
The ______________ ____________ causes a change in wind direction. It causes cold moving air from the
poles to move toward the west. The CE is the effect of the Earth’s rotation on the movement of air masses.
North of the equator, wind deflects to the right. South of the equator, wind deflects to the left.
Winds:
___________ ____________ are narrow belts of strong winds that
blow near the top of the troposphere. There is one on each side of the
prevailing westerlies in both hemispheres. They have an average speed
of 97-185kph. The position changes in latitude day to day and season
to season. They Jet Streams affect weather patterns and air travel.
© Unterman 2015
Severe Weather Occurrences:
___________________ develop at warm moist air masses along fast moving cold fronts. Cumulonimbus clouds
are key indicators of these storms.
___________________ : violent, whirling wind moving over a narrow path of land (water spout if it occurs
over water) form along fronts with wind up to 500km per hour. Their strength is classified by their wind
speeds using the ___________ ___________ ________ (EF): EF0 is weakest; EF5 is strongest.
_______________: large, swirling, low pressure system form over tropical oceans. The winds must be at least
120km/hour to be considered a hurricane. Their strength is measured on the wind speed using the
______________-_______________ scale. Category 1 is weakest, 5 is the strongest.
Instruments and Forecasting:
___________________ study weather. ____________ ______________ are a combination of symbols used to
show current weather conditions.
 _______________ are lines connecting points of equal
temperature
 _______________ are lines connecting points of equal
pressure
Meteorologists use various instruments to measure weather data…
 _____________________ is used to measure humidity
 Barometer- atmospheric pressure
 Thermometer- air temperature
 _________________- wind speed
 Weather vane- wind direction
 Rain gauge- amount of precipitation
Effects of Human and Geologic Activity:
Human activities such as burning fossil fuels have increased carbon
dioxide levels. High carbon dioxide levels produce the
_______________ ___________. CFC’s are decreasing the ozone
levels of the upper atmosphere. ______________ blocks harmful UV
radiation.
SAMPLE SOL QUESTIONS
1. Moist air from the Pacific Ocean rises and cools as it passes from west to east over the Sierra Nevada
Mountains. Once it is over the mountain range, the air descends and warms on the other side. What is
the result of the air ascending, then descending over the mountains?
a. Desert on the west side of the mountains and heavy rains on the east side
b. Heavy rains on the west side of the mountains and desert on the east side
c. Heavy rains on the west side and year-round snow on the east side
d. Desert on the east and west sides and heavy rains on the top
© Unterman 2015
2. Which of the following was primarily responsible for the development of life outside the oceans?
a. Decrease in atmospheric hydrogen
b. Decrease in atmospheric carbon dioxide
c. Increase in atmospheric oxygen
d. Increase in atmospheric nitrogen
3. On weather maps, there are lines with tiny triangles on one side. This represents—
a. Cold air moving in the direction the triangles point
b. Cold air moving opposite the direction the triangles point
c. Warm air moving in the direction the triangles point
d. Warm air moving opposite the direction the triangles point
4. An “L” on a map indicates?
a. Temperatures
b. Pressures
c. Altitudes
d. Rainfall
5. Which of these is likely to occur after moist air is cooled below its dewpoint?
a. Water condenses
b. Evaporation increases
c. Ice crystals melt
d. Wind is generated
© Unterman 2015