Download File - Science with Ms. C

Weather Benchmark Study Guide
6.E.2A.1: Layers of the Atmosphere
Use the above images to answer the following questions.
1. List the layers in order starting with the layer closest to Earth.
Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, Exosphere
2. In what layer of the atmosphere is the Ozone layer found?
Stratosphere
3. What gas makes up the ozone layer?
Ozone (Oxygen/O3)
4. What are the two most abundant gases in the atmosphere?
Nitrogen and Oxygen
5. How does air pressure change as altitude increases?
Air pressure decreases as altitude increase
6. How does the gravitational pull change as altitude increases?
Gravitational pull decreases as altitude increases
Using the image to the right answer the following
questions.
7. Write a short explanation of what happens to
the temperature as altitude increases.
Temperature decreases as it moves through the
troposphere
Temperature increases when moving through the
stratosphere
Temperature decreases to -180◦F in the mesosphere
Temperature increases to more than 150◦F in the
Thermosphere
8. What is the coldest layer in the atmosphere?
Mesosphere
9. What is the warmest layer in the atmosphere?
Thermosphere
6.E.2A.2: Greenhouse Effect
Using the image above answer the following questions:
10. What is the greenhouse effect and how does it impact the Earth?
Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere absorb and retain radiated energy. This regulates surface temperature and
keeps it habitable
11. Why is the greenhouse effect beneficial for Earth?
Regulates temperature and keeps it habitable
12. How do greenhouse gases play a role in the greenhouse effect?
They absorb and retain the heat radiated from the land and ocean surfaces
13. List the different greenhouse gases.
Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Nitrous Oxide
14. What would happen if there were no greenhouse
gases?
There would be no gases to trap the heat in the
atmosphere making it inhabitable
15. What happens if the amount of greenhouse gases
in the atmosphere increases? Why?
If the amount of greenhouse gases increases than the
greenhouse effect can be enhanced. This increases the
amount of heat that is trapped in the atmosphere
increasing the surface temperature of the Earth.
16. How do humans contribute to the increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere?
We contribute to the increase of greenhouse gases by burning fossil fuels, using aerosol sprays and
clearing/burning trees
17. How can humans change to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases we put into the atmosphere?
We can reduce the amount of greenhouse gases we put into the atmosphere by using environmentally friendly
cars, planting trees, and using alternative produces that do not require aerosol sprays.
6.E.2A.3: Water Cycle
18. What role does sunlight play in the water cycle? How does it influence evaporation and transpiration?
Thermal energy warms the plants and water causing the water to become water vapor and rise into the
atmosphere
19. What role does gravity play in the water cycle? How does it influence precipitation and runoff?
Gravity is the driving force for the downhill flow of water on land.
20. What are the different types of precipitation? What influences the different types of precipitation?
Temperature influences the different types of precipitation.
The different types are rain, sleet, snow, hail and freezing rain.
21. Explain the different states of matter through the water cycle starting with evaporation/ transpiration.
Evaporation/ Transpiration: liquid to a gas (water vapor)
Condensation: gas (water vapor) to a liquid
Precipitation: Can be a solid or liquid depending on temperature
22. Compare and contrast evaporation and transpiration.
Evaporation comes from bodies of water such as oceans and lakes whereas transpiration is water evaporated
from plants.
23. What two characteristics must be present for water to be able to sink into the ground?
1. Porous
2. Space to hold the water in the soil
24. What happens to the water if those two characteristics are not present?
The water will remain on the surface
25. When it rains, where does water always attempt to move back to?
Water attempts to move back toward sea level
26. What is the difference between dew and frost?
Dew: water vapor condenses directly onto a surface
Frost: water vapor changes from a gas to ice crystals (temperature must be at or below the freezing point)
6.E.2B.1: Weather Tools
27.
What types of instrument is pictured to the left?
Anemometer
28.
What does this instrument measure?
Wind speed
29.
What does the information it provides tell us about the weather
conditions?
Indicates change in atmospheric flow patters
30. What types of instrument is pictured to the right?
Thermometer
31. What does this instrument measure?
Temperature
32. What does the information it provides tell us about the weather
conditions? Change in air masses
33.
What does this instrument measure?
Humidity
34. What does the information it provides tell us about the weather
conditions?
Increase in humidity indicates an increase in precipitation
35. What type of instrument is pictured to the right?
Wind vane/ weather vane
36. What does this instrument measure?
Wind direction
37. What does the information it provides tell us about the weather
conditions?
The direction of advancing air masses
38.
What type of instrument is pictured to the left?
Barometer
39.
What does this instrument measure?
Air pressure
40. What does the information it provides tell us about the weather
conditions?
Fair or stormy weather conditions
41.
Looking at map to the left, what information is
being displayed?
Air pressure, warm and cold fronts and high/low pressure
systems
42.
What are the black lines with the numbers called?
Isobars
43.
What does this information tell you about the
weather in an area? The type of weather that can be expected
based on air pressure
44. What do the different colors on this map represent?
The different temperatures
45. What is the term associated with these trends?
Isotherms
46. What information does the weather map to the right
provide?
Fronts, pressure systems and weather forecast
47. How does fronts influence the weather in an area?
Fronts and low pressure systems can cause rain or storms
48. The image to the right was taken with a satellite. What is this
image showing?
Hurricane
49. How can this type of technology be used to observe and track
weather/storms?
Used to see cloud patterns and movements
50. This is a radar image. What does this image show?
Rain bands
51. How can this type of technology be used to observe and track
weather/storms?
Detect cloud cover/ movements, rainfall, and storm intensity/location
A.
B.
C.
What type of clouds are pictured about and what type of weather is associated with each type?
A.
Cumulus- Fair weather
B.
Cirrus- fair weather or an approaching warm front
C.
Stratus- long periods of precipitation
D.
Cumulonimbus- thunderstorms
D.
Answer the following questions using the above image of various station models:
52. What is the temperature in Dallas? 19
53. What is the wind direction and speed in Casper? N at 5 mph
54. What is the cloud cover in Phoenix? 50% or 75%
55. What is the dew point in El Paso? -3
56. What is the current weather in Casper? Heavy rain
57. How are station models used to represent the weather in the area?
The tell the dew point, weather conditions, temperature, air pressure and cloud cover for an area.
Used to predict weather patterns.
6.E.2B.2: Air Masses, Fronts and Storms
This map shows different types of air masses. What do each
of the following symbols in the image to the left mean?
mP: __Maritime Polar______________________
mT: __Maritime Tropical ___________________
cP: ___Continental Polar____________________
cT: ___Continental Tropical_________________
What temperature and conditions are associated with each type of air mass?
mP: __moist and cold______________
mT: __moist and warm_____________
cP: ___dry and cold _______________
cT: ___dry and warm_______________
What is the difference between maritime and continental air masses?
Maritime forms over water and Continental forms over land
What is the difference between polar and tropical air masses?
Polar comes from the north carrying cold temperatures and Tropical carries warm temperatures
What type of front is displayed in the image to
the left?
Warm front
What evidence do you have to support your
claim?
Warm air is approaching cooler air and rising
over the cooler air
What weather is associated with this particular type of front?
Long periods of precipitation and warmer temperatures
What type of front is displayed in the image to the
right?
Cold Front
What evidence do you have to support your claim?
Cold air approaching warm air. Cold air is sinking
pushing the warm air up.
What weather is associated with this particular type of
front?
Thunderstorms or tornadoes and cooler temperatures
What type of front is displayed in the image to the left?
Occluded Front
What evidence do you have to support your claim?
Cold air pushes warm air into a cooler air mass. Warm air
mass is pushed up above the cooler air masses.
What weather is associated with this particular type of front?
Long periods of precipitation
What type of front is displayed in the image to the
right?
Stationary
What evidence do you have to support your claim?
Cold and warm air masses are at a boundary and not
moving
What weather is associated with this particular type of front?
Long periods of precipitation
What information does the image to the
right provide?
Pressure systems and fronts
What is a high pressure system and what
weather is associated with it?
Circulates clockwise and is associated with
fair weather
What is a low pressure system and what
weather is associated with it?
Circulates counterclockwise and is associated with rainy/stormy weather
What causes high/low pressure systems?
Warm air rising and cold air sinking combined with the spinning of Earth causing the air to spin
Type of Storm
Image
Characteristics



Low pressure
tropical storm
Forms over
warm water
Form a spinning
circular pattern
6.E.2B.3: Convection Currents/ Winds



Rapidly whirling,
funnel shaped cloud
Low pressure system
Strong winds



Thunder, lightning,
heavy rain and strong
winds
Cumulonimbus clouds
Along cold fronts
This image shows both a land a sea breeze. Write a short
explanation describing what causes these convection winds
to occur.
In the day, when the sun is up, the land heats up very
quickly and the air above it warms up a lot more than the
air over the water. The warm air over the land is less dense
and begins to rise. Low pressure is created.
The air pressure over the water is higher with cold dense
air, which moves to occupy the space created over the land.
The cool air that comes along is called a sea breeze. In the
night, the reverse happens.
The land quickly loses its’ heat whiles the water retains its’
warmth. This means the air over the water is warmer, less dense and begins to
rise. Low pressure is created over the water. Cold and dense air over the land
begins to move to the water surface to replace the warmer rising air. The cool
breeze from the land is called a land breeze.
What is the main cause of global convection currents?
Unequal heating of Earth’s surfaces
The image to the right displays the three atmospheric
climate zones that influence the climate regions on
Earth.
How does their latitude placement impact the
weather in each location? Why?
Closer to the equator the warmer the area.
Temperature decreases as you move away from the
equator.
What is a jet stream?
Fast moving ribbons of air moving from west to east
What is the difference between a polar jet stream and a subtropical jet
stream?
Polar brings down cold polar conditions while a subtropical jet stream
brings warm conditions.
How do westerlies and trade winds impact weather systems?
Effect the direction of tropical weather systems (hurricanes)
How does the California current influence the western Pacific shoreline?
By bringing cold, moist air
How does the Gulf Stream current influence the eastern Atlantic shoreline?
By bringing warm, moist air
Why do global wind belts occur between climate regions?
Due to the characteristics of the convection currents in those areas
What causes them to impact weather conditions?
The direction of the global winds
6.E.2B.4
Discuss how each of the following factors determine climate in an area:

Latitude
o Regions near equator are warmer
o As you move away from the equator temperature decreases

Elevation
o As altitude increases, temperature decreases

Shape of the Land (topography)
o Mountains and valleys affect the movement of air masses

Distance from water
o Land and sea breezes influence temperature

Global Winds
o Predictable pattern for air movement

Ocean Currents
o Circulates heat energy
o Air masses form over regions and move with currents