Download Layers of the Atmosphere

Weather Final Assessment Study Guide
Test on wednesday
Layers of the Atmosphere
Troposphere-Layer that we live in, weather happens here, planes fly
Stratosphere-blocks uv rays
Mesosphere-very cold, meteors get destroyed
Thermosphere-very hot, satellites are here
Weather tools
Anemometer-measures wind speed
Barometer-measures air pressure
Wind vane-measures wind direction
Thermometer- measures temperature
Rain gauge-measures the amount of precipitation that has fallen
Weather
Weather is the conditions in the atmosphere at one location at one specific
time. It can change daily.
Cold fronts bring big storms that are over quickly. They happen when a cold
air mass runs into a warm air mass and pushes it up and out of the way.
They leave colder air behind.
Warm fronts bring light rain and snow that may last for a long time. They
happen when a warm air mass slides over a cold air mass. They leave warmer
air behind.
High pressure systems happen when air cools down, becomes heavy, and
sinks. It causes dry, fair weather.
Low pressure systems happen when air heats up and rises. It brings rainy,
stormy weather.
Water cycle
Evaporation-water molecules get heated up by the sun which causes them to
turn to water vapor and rise up.
Condensation-water vapor molecules cool down as they rise up, causing them
to contract and join with other molecules turning them back into a liquid. This
is what causes clouds.
Precipitation-when a cloud gets too full of water molecules and it can’t hold
them anymore it dumps them back to the ground. This could be in the form of
rain, snow, sleet or hail.
Run off-any water that gets precipitated onto the ground that does not soak
into the soil. Instead, it finds its way into streams, lakes, and rivers, which
eventually run back into the ocean.
Transpiration-water that gets sent back into the air as water vapor when it
comes out of the tiny holes on the leaves of a plant.
Climate zones
Climate-a pattern of weather over a long period of time like a month or a year.
Climate can change, but it happens very, very slowly. Climate is what the
weather is usually like.
Polar zone-cold winters and cold summers. Found near the poles of the earth.
Temperate zone-it has all four seasons. It has cold winters and hot summers.
We live in the temperate zone.
Mild zone-it has warm winters and hot summers.
Desert zone-always located within a mild zone. They get very little precipitation
so it is very dry and not much plant life can grow.
Tropical zone-located near the equator. Hot summers and hot winters. The
water cycle is highly active here due to the hot temperatures causing water to
evaporate quickly. This causes a lot of rain showers.