Download Atmosphere Notes

METEOROLOGY PART I
Name:
CHAPTER 17: Atmosphere
________________________ - layer of gases and tiny particles surrounding the earth
________________________ - general atmospheric conditions at a particular time and place
________________________ - general weather conditions over many years
Composition of the Atmosphere

Elements: _______________
_______________
_______________

Compounds: __________________
__________________
__________________
absorbs harmful _________________

Atmospheric Dust: _________________
_________________
_________________
_________________
ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE

Gravity that is _________________ particles ______________________________

Ratio of:

Measuring Device for Atmospheric Pressure: __________________________ (p.532)
air weight
.
surface area on which it presses
o Atm.Pressure measured in N/m2.
o 1 Atm = 760 mmHg

Δ Pressure: Higher altitude = __________ gases = _______________ pressure
Lower altitude = ___________ gases = _______________ pressure

Δ Temperature: Higher altitude = ___________ pressure = ___________ temperature
Lower altitude = ___________ pressure = ___________ temperature

Atmospheric Layering is caused by ___________________ differences.
Atmospheric Layers
(1) _________________________________
 Closest to earth
 Holds the most CO2 and H2O vapor
 All ______________ changes happen here
 Temperature ____ as altitude increases.
o Why?
(4) ________________________________
 From mesopause to outer space
 Temperature ____ as altitude increases.
o Why?

(2) __________________________________
 From tropopause to 50km in altitude
 Includes the _______________________
 Temperature ____ as altitude increases.
o Why?
(3) _________________________________
 From stratopause to 80km in altitude
 Coldest layer
 Temperature ____ as altitude increases.
o Why?
Two layers:
o __________________ - lower layer.
Holds electrically charged particles.
o __________________ - upper layer.
Holds light gases (helium/hydrogen).
 No clear boundary between
exosphere and space…
 Air gets thinner and thinner until
you’re in outer space.
Atmospheric Moisture
~Section 18.1~
3 forms of water: ________, ___________, or ________________ (most is in _________ form)
Phase Changes: __________ energy causes an _______________ in molecular motion.
*Motion causes molecular _________________ and energy transfer.

Evaporation: molecules speed up and change from a ____________ to _____________

Condensation: molecules slow down and change from a _________ to a _____________

Sublimation: ____________ change directly to a _________. (Ex: _________)

Deposition: _____________ change directly to a ____________. (Ex: _________)
Humidity = _______________________________________________________________

_______________________ = air contains all of the water vapor it can hold.

When saturated, __________ air can hold more water vapor than ___________ air.

Measuring Devices: _______________________ or __________________________
Specific Humidity = _______________ amount of moisture in the air. (Grams H 2O / kg air)
Relative Humidity = percent mass of water vapor compared to mass water vapor at saturation.
Ex: At 200 C, air contains 14.3g H2O / m3 air. Saturation point: 17.1 g/m3

Specific Humidity:_________________________

Relative Humidity:
Dew Point = ________________ to which the air must be cooled to reach saturation.

Depends on Relative Humidity.

When temp. is below Dew Point: ___________________ or __________________ occur
Temperature Changes occur in 3 ways:

_______________: Transfer of heat through
matter by molecular activity.

_______________: transfer of heat by mass
movement or circulation within a substance.

_______________: transfer of heat through
matter or a vacuum by electromagnetic waves.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cloud Terms
Cloud Formation = from _____________________ of water vapor over a large area of air.
STRATUS = sheetlike or layered
NIMBUS / NIMBO = rain
CUMULUS = piled or heaped
ALTO = middle altitude
CIRRO / CIRRUS = curly, high altitude
FOG = clouds near the Earth’s surface
-------------------------------------------------------------------------Land/Sea Breezes
Why does Winnipeg’s temperature vary
so much more than Vancouver’s?
How do clouds affect Earth’s
temperature during the day? Why?
How do clouds affect Earth’s
temperature during the night? Why?
PRECIPITATION
~18.3~Pages 520-522~
Types of Precipitation
***The type of precipitation that reaches Earth’s surface is determined
by the temperatures in the lowest few kilometers of the atmosphere.

Rain & Snow

Sleet = small particles of clear-to-translucent ice.

Glaze = A.K.A. “______________________” – rain is supercooled (below 0°C) & become
ice when they impact frozen objects.

Hail = small ice pellets grow as they impact supercooled water droplets as they fall
through a cloud. _______________ push them back up, so they can gain new ice layers.
PRESSURE CENTERS & WIND
~section 19.2~
Pressure Centers and Forecasting
- Most common features on any weather map & weather generalizations can be made using them
- Winds are influenced by pressure (pressure gradients) centers and the ______________effect
CYCLONE
TYPE
LOW
(___________)
HIGH
(Anti___________)
DIAGRAM
CHARACTERISTICS
(Northern hemisphere)
EXPECTED
WEATHER
AIR PRESSURE
* Winds blow
______________________
* ___________
conditions
* Net flow of air __________
* ____________
Pressure
_________ from
the outside towards
the center
* _______________ air
* Produces violent
________ if the
Low pressure
system is strong
enough
* Winds blow
______________________
* __________
weather
* Net flow of air __________
* ___________
skies
* ________________ air
Pressure
_________ from
the outside toward
the center
What goes in, must come out!!!!
When there is a converging air mass at the surface, it must be balanced by outflow
- a surface ________________ can be maintained if a ____________ occurs above the
low at the same rate as the inflow below and vice versa.
Air spreads out (diverges) above
surface cyclones and comes
together (converges) above
surface anticyclones
ISOBARS:
ISOTHERMS:
NOTES ABOUT ISOTHERM JANUARY AND JULY MAPS:
METEOROLOGY PART II
Name:
Convection & Global Winds
~Section 19.2~
Recall:

Warm Air ________, and Cool Air _________.

At low altitudes, air pressure is _________. At high altitudes, air pressure is _________.
So….. in a giant convection cell…
1.
At the equator, air becomes ___________ and _______ to an area of _______ pressure.
2.
The _____ pressure causes the air to ____________, moving it toward the __________.
3.
Next, the air __________ and ___________ back to the earth.
4.
Finally, the air will move toward the _______________, where the cycle begins again.
Why doesn’t the air actually move this way?
______________________________________________________________
The resulting wind movement is called the _________________________.
HOW DO THESE CONVECTION CELLS
RELATE TO BIOMES?
**NOTE: ---Wind speed is measured using an ________________
---Wind direction is measured using a _______________
JET STREAMS!!

Wind caused by ____________________ and _______________ differences

Jet Stream: narrow bands of FAST, high-ALTITUDE, WESTERLY winds.
o Speed: up to 185 km/hr
o Altitude: 10.7 km to 12.2 km

Resemble JETS of WATER

2 types:
* ____________ = stronger of the two
* _____________ = controls much of
the weather in the US
Air Masses
~Section 20.1~
AIR MASSES: an immense body of ___________ that is characterized by similar ___________
& __________. Can be _____ km or more across… take several _____ to move over an area
- When an air mass moves out of the region over which it formed, it carries its ______ & moisture
- The characteristics of an air mass __________ as it moves and so does the weather in that area
- Air masses are classified according to the _______________over which they form
FRONTS
~section 20.2~
 Front: ________________________________________________________________________
 Air masses collide forming ___________. Fronts can cause dramatic _____________ in weather.
 4 Types: __________ , ___________, _________________, and ____________________
1) COLD FRONT

Cold, dense air displaces ______________ air, forcing the warm air ________.

Warm air _________, cools, and _______________

Forms _____________, ____________________, and sometimes _______________________

__________ temperature change: air gets ______________.

Advance more ________________ than a warm front.

SYMBOL: Color? Direction of Movement?
2) WARM FRONT

Advancing ___________ air displaces ___________ air, and the warm air rises above the cold air.

Extensive ___________________ and ________________________

____________ temperature change: air gets __________________.

SYMBOL: Color? Direction of Movement?
3) STATIONARY FRONT

Warm and Cold air meet, but neither moves into the other’s territory, which __________ the front.

They stall because the _____________________ and ___________________ gradients are small.

SYMBOL: Color? Direction of Movement?
4) OCCLUDED FRONT

A cold air mass moves so rapidly that it _____________________________________________.

The cold air masses collide, pushing the warm air ________________.

Causes __________________________________________________.

SYMBOL: Color? Direction of Movement?
BEFORE
AFTER
Severe Storms
~section 20.3~
THUNDERSTORM
TORNADO
LIGHTNING
A
B
C
HURRICANE
Anticipation Guide: 20.3 (Severe Storms)
Using pages 57-577, identify if the following sentences are true or false. Place a  next to the sentences
that are true and provide the page number and paragraph where you found the information to support it
(i.e. 571- for page 571, paragraph ). Leave the line blank if the sentence is false, and below it, place the
page number and paragraph where you found the information to support it AND provide a correction. Do
not add words “not” or cross out information to make the statement true; make an effort to find the
accurate information.
Thunderstorms:
____ 1. A thunderstorm is associated with a nimbostratus cloud.
____ 2. The greatest number of t-storms occurs in the tropics since cold air exists below warm air.
____ 3. In order for a t-storm to occur, there must be plenty of heat and moisture.
____ 4. The strongest stage of a t-storm is the dissipating stage.
____ 5. Updrafts dominate the cumulus stage.
____ 6. The updrafts die down in the mature stage because of the lightning and thunder.
Tornadoes:
____ 7. There can only be one vortex in a tornado.
____ 8. More tornadoes form in the winter months than in any other season.
____ 9. All mesocyclones develop into tornadoes.
____ 10. Downdrafts cause the winds to roll into a mesocyclone.
____ 11. The pressure gets higher as you move to the center of a tornado.
____ 12. The scale used to rate the tornado’s intensity is called the Saffir-Simpson scale.
Hurricanes:
____ 13. Hurricanes must have a minimum wind speed to be classified as a hurricane. The stage below a hurricane
is a tropical depression.
____ 14. Hurricanes are becoming a growing threat because the storms are getting stronger.
____ 15. Hurricanes will frequently form near the poles.
____ 16. Hurricanes often develop in the spring.
____ 17. The eye wall of the hurricane has the strongest winds and heaviest rains.
____ 18. The eye of the hurricane is the hottest part of the storm because of the rising air.
____ 19. Hurricanes weaken over land because of lack of warm water and more friction.
____ 20. Hurricanes are rated using the Fujita Scale.