Download Water in Atmosphere

Water in Atmosphere
6th grade
D.S.Q.
February 1, 2016
• 1. How would you define the word weather?
• 2. How would you define the word climate?
• 3. What is the major difference between
weather and climate?
• 4. Why is the phrase “Snow tomorrow”
placed in Weather?
• 5. Why is “Rain” placed in both?
Answers for Questions 3-5
• 3. Weather refers to the conditions of a specific
place over a short period of time, usually 24
hours. Climate refers to the average atmospheric
conditions over relatively long periods of time,
usually 30 years.
• 4. Short-term event
• 5. It doesn’t have a time associated with it and it
is part of both weather and climate statistics.
DSQ
February 2, 2016
• 1. Name some mountain ranges in the United
States.
• 2. Seattle, Washington, is sometimes called the
Rain City. Why do you think the Seattle area gets
so much rain?
• 3. The major mountain range that runs through
both Washington and Oregon State is the
Cascades. What are the Cascades known for?
• 4. What effect could the mountains have on the
climate in Washington and Oregon?
• 1. Name some mountain ranges in the United States.
• Rocky Mountains, Appalachian Mountains, Cascade Mountains,
Sierra Nevada
• 2. Seattle, Washington, is sometimes called the Rain City. Why do
you think the Seattle area gets so much rain?
• By the Pacific Ocean
• 3. The major mountain range that runs through both Washington
and Oregon State is the Cascades. What are the Cascades known
for?
• Volcanoes because it is between two different mountains
• 4. What effect could the mountains have on the climate in
Washington and Oregon?
• It is colder in the upper reaches of the mountains
Landforms
• Landforms affect the amount of moisture in
the atmosphere
• A rain shadow is a dry region that is behind a
mountain. This area behind the mountain
does not get winds that the other side of the
mountain gets.
• On the front side of the mountain (called the
windward side), the moist air rises to the top,
and the air becomes cooler
Landforms Continued
• When the air cools, it cannot hold as much
moisture, so the water vapor condenses as
rain or snow and falls on the windward side
of the mountain.
• As the air continues over the mountain, it has
lost most of its moisture and very little rain
or snow falls on the backside (called the
leeward side) of the mountain, creating a rain
shadow
Ocean Currents
• Ocean currents drive weather patterns.
• Currents are movements of ocean water in a
continuous flow.
• Ocean currents affect the weather along
coastal areas by sending warm water and rain
from the equator toward the poles and cold
water from the poles back to the equator.
Air
• Air is matter
• The more matter present in an area, the higher
the air pressure.
• The less matter present in an area, the lower the
air pressure.
• As heated air rises, an area of low pressure
forms.
• When cooler air up in the atmosphere sinks, air
is pushed down in an area, creating an area of
high pressure.
DSQ
Feb. 4, 2016
• 1. What is air made of?
• 2. What force keeps the atmosphere around
Earth?
• 3. Does the mass of the atmosphere affect us?
How?
• 4. How does our body handle air pressure?
• 5. What happens when air is heated?
• 6. What happens when air is cooled?
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1. Matter
2. Gravity
3. Yes by pushing us down (air pressure)
4. If we change atmospheric pressures (such as
being on an airplane) our ears pop
• 5. The molecules contained in it expand, causing
the air to become less dense and rise
• 6. The molecules contained in it contract,
causing the air to become more dense and sink.
Wind
• Wind is a result of temperature and pressure
differences.
• Wind results when air moves from a HIGH
pressure area toward a LOW pressure area.
Weather forecasting
• Weather forecasting is a prediction of what
the weather will be like in an hour,
tomorrow, or next week.
• Meteorologists use the various components of
the weather (air pressure, movement of air
masses, movement of the jet stream, and
knowledge of weather at frontal boundaries)
to forecast the weather.
• 1. Name some mountain ranges in the United States.
• 1. Rocky Mountains, Appalachian Mountains, Cascade Mountains,
Sierra Nevada
• 2. Seattle, Washington, is sometimes called the Rain City. Why do
you think the Seattle area gets so much rain?
• 2. It is close to the Pacific Ocean.
• 3. The major mountain range that runs through both Washington
and Oregon State is the Cascades. What are the Cascades known
for?
• 3. Volcanoes - Mt. St. Helen and Mt. Rainier are both in this range.
• 4. What effect could the mountains have on the climate in
Washington and Oregon?
• 4. It is colder in the upper reaches of the mountains
DSQ
February 3, 2016
• 1. How does being close to an ocean affect the
weather?
• 2. How does being far away from an ocean
affect the weather?
DSQ
February 4, 2016
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What is air made of?
Matter
Does air have mass and volume?
Yes
What force keeps the atmosphere around Earth?
Gravity
How far does the atmosphere extend from Earth’s surface?
600 km or 375 miles
Does the mass of the atmosphere affect us?
Yes, it pushes down on us.
What is this called?
Air pressure
How does our body handle air pressure?
Human bodies are able to handle air pressure, although the only time you might notice it is when your ears pop as
they adjust to a change in atmospheric pressure. Your body self-regulates to the different weights of the air above
you.
What happens when air is heated?
The molecules contained in it expand, causing the air to become less dense and rise.
What happens when air is cooled?
The molecules contained in it contract, causing the air to become more dense and sink.