Download Coriolis Effect

Weather Dynamics
https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits-habit2.php
Let’s begin with what ‘essential’
questions that you will need to be able
to answer at the end of the unit.
#1. Explain the make up and
organization of the hydrosphere.
In other words….
Where is the earths water located? Is it salt water
or fresh water? Amounts / percentages of each?
#2. Describe the structure and
organization of the atmosphere.
In other words….
What are the layers of the atmosphere? What
order are they layered? Which layers are
significant with respect to our Earth’s weather?
#3. Explain the factors that
control incoming and outgoing
radiation in Earth’s atmosphere.
In other words….
What happens to the Sun’s energy when it reaches
the Earth’s atmosphere? How do clouds affect the
solar radiation that reaches Earth? How does
where we live affect how much radiation reaches
Earth? What is albedo?
#4. Explain the effects of heat transfer within
the atmosphere and hydrosphere on the
development of wind and ocean currents.
In other words….
What are ways that heat can be transferred? How
does the transfer of heat result in different
weather conditions? What is the coriolis effect?
#5. Explain the formation of selected
severe weather phenomena.
In other words….
How are thunderstorms (tornadoes, blizzards,
hurricanes, cyclones,etc) formed?
What do the symbols on a weather map mean?
#6. Analyze weather data related
to a severe weather event.
In other words….
Describe some of the technology used by
meteorologists? Explain the severe weather
watch/warning system?
#7. What are the social, economic, and
environmental impacts of a recent severe
weather event?
In other words….
What are some of the costs involved when a giant blizzard
hits Winnipeg? What costs were / are associated with the
storm in Buffalo? What costs are / will be associated with
the typhoon that hit the Philippines?
#8. Investigate that climate change can
occur naturally and could be influenced by
human activities.
In other words….
How do human activities influence climate change?
#9. Describe the potential
consequences of climate change.
In other words….
How will changes in climate affect our daily lives?
12 Vocabulary terms
(to be put in your 3 point approach vocabulary booklet)
•Weather
•Climate
•Radiation
•Convection
•Conduction
•Meteorology
•Air mass
•Front
•Prevailing winds
•Weather system
•Coriolis effect
•Albedo
Our first question was….
#1. Explain the make up and organization of the
hydrosphere.
•The hydrosphere is made up of salt water, fresh water,
and polar ice caps and glaciers.
•Most of the water on Earth is salt water. Our oceans
hold almost 98% of the worlds water.
•Canada’s lakes, rivers and glaciers hold almost 10% of
the world’s freshwater supply.
Our second question was…
#2. Describe the structure and organization of the atmosphere
There are several layers of the atmosphere above the Earth’s
surface. The troposphere and the stratosphere are responsible
for our weather systems.
The layer that lies closest to the Earth is called the
troposphere. This is the layer where our weather occurs.
Weather can be defined as the condition of the atmosphere at a
particular time and place.
(sunny/cloudy/raining/snowing/cold/windy /etc )
The gases present in the air near the Earth’s surface are nitrogen
(78%), oxygen (21%), and other gases such as water vapour, argon,
and carbon dioxide (1%)
The stratosphere lies above the troposphere and contains the
ozone layer. Ozone is a compound made up of 3 oxygen atoms
which shields us against the Sun’s ultraviolet rays.
The stratosphere lies above the troposphere and contains the
ozone layer. Ozone is a compound made up of 3 oxygen atoms
which shields us against the Sun’s ultraviolet rays.
Heat Transfer Website for assignment
Earth's Radiation Budget - NASA
4:30min
Albedo is a measure of the amount of light an object reflects
The greater the reflection, the higher the albedo
LONGITUDE:
imaginary lines that
run across the
Earth from North
to South
measured in
degrees East or
West of the Prime
Meridian
imaginary line
that passes
through
Greenwich,
England
LATITUDE
imaginary lines that
run across the Earth
from East to West
measure distance (in
degrees) north or
south of the
equator
imaginary line
around the
middle of the
Earth
EFFECTS OF A SPHERICAL EARTH
the spherical shape of the Earth influences the
climate of different regions
The surface of the Earth absorbs the most
energy from the Suns rays when they strike the
Earth at right angles (head-on)
As the Suns rays strike other regions of the
Earth, the rays get ‘spread out’
the same amount of energy is spread across a much
larger area
THE FOUR SEASONS
• the seasons change
because the Earth is
tilted
23.5 from vertical
• as the Earth revolves around
the Sun, different regions of
the planet lie at right angles to
the Suns rays
• different regions of the world
receive more ‘concentrated’
energy from the Sun
During our summer:
the Suns rays strike directly (at right angles) at
23.5 North of the Equator
we receive more direct energy from the Sun
During our winter:
the Suns rays strike directly (at right angles) at
23.5 South of the Equator
we receive less direct energy from the Sun
CIRCLES & ZONES
zones between
23.5 and 66.5
are called
temperate
zones
the Suns rays are
never
perpendicular to
these zones
Which way do you usually look in Winnipeg to
see if there’s any “weather coming”?
WORLDWIDE WIND CURRENTS
3 fundamental processes affect the wind currents
on Earth:
1. Convection
2. Coriolis effect
3. Jet Streams
CONVECTION
• Air tends to heat up near
the equator
• this warm air rises and is
replaced with colder air
from the polar regions
• if the Earth was a small
planet these kinds of wind
currents would dominate
HOWEVER:
• the warm air that rose
near the equator tends to
cool off before it reaches
the North or South pole
• 3 mini-convection patterns
result because of this
Coriolis Effect
•the rotation of the earth causing a change of direction of the prevailing winds
(and major ocean currents)
Prevailing winds are the major winds affecting large geographical areas
•caused by a combination of convection currents in air and the earth’s rotation
(coriolis effect)
•between 30 and 60 degrees latitude winds tend to blow from west to east (called
the prevailing westerlies)
Coriolis Effect Demonstration - playground equipment
Coriolis Effect - IDTIMWYTIM
JET STREAMS
• jet streams are ribbons of extremely fast moving air (between 100
- 300km/hr)
• they are thousands of km long, a few hundred km wide and 2 or 3
km thick
• they are caused by contact between cold and warm air
• found at the boundaries between polar and temperate zones
• run across northern Canada where the polar easterlies meet the
prevailing westerlies
The jet streams constantly meander north or south.
During our winter:
Polar jet stream dips south to the 40th parallel
During our summer:
Polar jet stream lies north of the 60th parallel
Tsunami Part 1 (11 minutes)
Tsunami Part 2 (11 min)
Tornado - Elie, Manitoba (8 minutes)