Download Moisture in the atmosphere

Moisture in the atmosphere
SWBAT explain how clouds are
formed; identify the basic
characteristics of different cloud
groups; describe the water cycle.
Cloud Formation
How do clouds form?
When warm moist air rises, expands, and cools
in a convection current, it reaches its dew point
and the water vapor collects around a
condensation nuclei. When millions of these
droplets collect a cloud forms.
When wind encounters a mountain and has
nowhere to go but up, the effect is the same
with the air rising and cooling.
When air masses of differing temperatures
collide, warm air rises and cools and
condenses into a cloud
Cloud Formation
Condensation nuclei
Small particles in the atmosphere around which
cloud droplets can form
Orographic lifting
When air hits a mountain and rises to form a
cloud
Stability
The ability of an air mass to resist rising
Latent heat
The stored energy from the transfer of water
into a gaseous state
Types of Clouds
Cirrus
Wispy stringy clouds
Cumulus
Puffy, lumpy looking clouds
Stratus
Sheets
Nimbus
Low, gray rain clouds
Types of Clouds
Cirrus
High clouds
Bases start above 6000 m
Alto
Middle clouds
Bases between 2000 m to 6000 m
Strato
Low clouds
Bases below 2000 m
Precipitation
Coalescence
When cloud droplets collide and join together to
form a larger droplet
Precipitation
All forms of water that fall from the clouds
Water cycle
The constant movement of water between the
atmosphere and Earth’s surface
Evaporation
When liquid turns to gas
The Water Cycle
Describe the water cycle.
Water from Earth’s surface heats up and
evaporates, turning into gas and rising
into the atmosphere. When it cools it
condenses, or collects, around a
condensation nuclei, creating a cloud.
The droplets then coalesce and gravity
pulls them back to earth as precipitation.
Precipitation is either soaked into the
ground and becomes groundwater or
runs off into a body of water where the
process begins again.
In 2’s or 3’s
Answer questions 1-5 on page 291.
Be sure to answer in complete
sentences.
If you don’t finish in class you must
finish it for homework.
Get your lab notebooks
In your lab groups complete the mini
lab on page 290.
Send one person to gather your
supplies
Read through ALL of the instruction
before you begin
While waiting to observe, create a
water cycle poster in your groups