Download Minerals

Mrs. Giorgianni/Physical Setting Earth Science
UNIT VII:
WEATHER/CLIMATE
Main Concepts/Ideas:







Weather is the day to day changes in atmospheric variables.
Factors that affect weather are: Temperature, air pressure, wind and atmospheric transparency
Climate is the overall condition of the weather over an extended period of time.
Factors affecting climate are primarily temperature and humidity as they relate to latitude, altitude, mountains,
coasts, prevailing winds, and ocean currents.
Low pressure systems have counterclockwise winds and the air will rise, expand, cool and condense causing
precipitation and bad weather.
High pressure systems have clockwise winds and the air will sink, compress, heat and evaporate causing dry,
clear weather.
Weather generally travels from west to east across the United States.
Key Questions:
 What are the differences between high and low pressure systems?
 Explain the relationship between air temperature and dew point temperature.
 How do you draw isotherms and isobars?
 Be able to read and interpret pages 12 and 13 in your ESRT.
 What is meant by the term wet bulb depression?
 Why is there a difference between coastal and continental climates?
 Differentiate the differences between the leeward and windward side of a mountain.
Vocabulary:
Vocab #1 ~ April 28
Air Mass
Barometer
Climate
Dewpoint temperature
Front
Vocab #2 ~ May 5
Insolation
Isobar
Maritime Air Mass
Specific Heat
Station Model
Vocab #3 ~ May 12
Condensation Nuclei
Leeward
Windward
Depression
High Pressure System
Vocab #4 ~ May 19
Low-Pressure System
Synoptic Weather Map
Radiative Balance
Weather
Intensity
Homework Assignments:


Castle Learning Week #34/Vocab #1, Due April 28
Castle Learning Week #35/Vocab #2, Due May 5


Castle Learning Week #36/Vocab #3, Due May 12
Castle Learning Week #37/Vocab #4, Due May 19
Lab Activities:



Coastal and Continental Temperature Ranges
Earth’s Heat Budget
Climate Patterns


Dewpoint and Cloud Formation
Weather Patterns
Quizzes/Unit Test:


Vocab quiz will be given at the end of the unit, prior to Unit Test
Topic Quizzes may be given after each sub-unit

Weather/Climate Unit Test
o 25 Multiple choice questions – BRING A PENCIL
o 5 Short answer questions
Giorgianni Unit VII: Climate/Weather
WEATHER/CLIMATE REVIEW
Weather
1. High pressure systems spin clockwise and outward, away from the high pressure in the center. Highpressure weather is clear and cold and dry.
2. Low pressure systems spin counterclockwise and inward, with low pressure in the center. Lows bring
rain, with the CLASSIC cold front down from north to south, warm front across from east to west. Cold
air is more dense, lifting warm, moist air up, which causes condensation and rain!
3. Dry air is HEAVIER and has higher pressure than humid air.
4. When air temperature and dew point temperature meet IT RAINS!
5. WARM, LOW PRESSURE air rises, expands, cools, and condenses. When dew point is reached, clouds
form. Fog is a cloud on the ground!
6. Station models have numbers all around them, and you can figure out what’s what using ESRT.
7. ESRT also has charts for dew point and relative humidity. Remember to take the DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN WET AND DRY BULB TEMPS!
8. ESRT also has charts to convert temperature from Celsius to Fahrenheit, and pressure from millibars to
inches of mercury.
9. Front symbols are on ESRT, as are the codes cP, mT, etc. C does NOT stand for cold, but for continental,
which means dry. M is for maritime, meaning the air mass formed over an ocean.
10. Lake effect snow occurs when moist air masses flow west over Lake Erie or Ontario, hit the colder
ground, and dump SNOW!
11. Wind always blows from high to low pressure. This is the basis for Sea breezes during the day (Cooler,
high pressure air over the water into the land) and land breezes at night (Cooler, high pressure air over the
land toward the water.)
Climate
12. SOIL HEATS FASTER THAN WATER, causing coastal climates to have warmer winters and cooler
summers. Dark and rough surfaces absorb more than light and smooth. If a surface absorbs heat easily, it
radiates heat easily.
13. Most weather moves from the southwest to the northeast, on the prevailing winds, which occur globally,
See ESRT.
14. The greater the angle of insolation, the higher the temperature.
15. Air rises over a mountain, causing the windward side to receive more precipitation.
16. Latitude, Altitude, Mountains, Coasts, Prevailing Winds, and ocean Currents all affect Climate.
17. The Greenhouse Effect is intensified by large amounts of CO2.
18. Acid rain can be carried by prevailing winds.
19. Nearness to water keeps climate from changing too much; keeps it warmer in winter and cooler in
summer.
20. Windward side of a mountain tends to be cool and wet while the leeward side is warm and dry.
Giorgianni Unit VII: Climate/Weather