Download Ch 11/12/13 Earth`s Atmosphere Study Guide

Ch 11/12/13 Earth’s Atmosphere
Study Guide
Name: ______________________________ Date: ___________ Period: ____
Lesson 1 and Reinforcement 1 (Tour of the Atmosphere)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
What is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere? ______ By what percent? _______
The second most? ______ By what percent? ___________
Why does water vapor in the atmosphere vary? (Think of the desert vs. a rain forest!)
__________________________________________________________________
What is the importance of the following substances in the atmosphere…
a. oxygen ______________________________________________________
b. carbon dioxide ________________________________________________
c. water vapor __________________________________________________
d. water and ice _________________________________________________
e. dust, volcanic ash, & salt ________________________________________
Briefly describe the 5 layers of the atmosphere? What is found in each?
a. ____________________________________________________________
b. ____________________________________________________________
c. ____________________________________________________________
d. ____________________________________________________________
e. ____________________________________________________________
Why is the ozone layer it so important to life on Earth? _______________________
By what property are layers of the atmosphere divided? _______________________
Why is the thermosphere said to be the hottest layer when it feels so cold up there?
__________________________________________________________________
How much of the sun’s energy does Earth’s surface absorb? _______ What happens to
the rest of it? ______________________________________________________
Gases in the Atmosphere
Temperature of the Atmospheric Layers
Lesson 2 and Lab Lesson 2 (Dew Point & Relative Humidity)
1.
What is the freezing point/boiling point of water in Celsius ____________________
and Fahrenheit ______________________?
2. Which water-cycle process creates rain? __________________________________
3. Does air become more / less dense as one moves through the layers of the atmosphere?
4. Review temperature, density, pressure relationships:
a. Air in which the temperature has decreased (cold air) will have high / low
pressure. Therefore, cold air is more / less dense and will sink / rise.
5.
6.
7.
8.
b. Air in which the temperature has increased (warm air) will have high / low
pressure. Therefore, warm air is more / less dense and will sink / rise.
What is dew point? ___________________________________________________
What is relative humidity? _____________________________________________
How can relative humidity be determined using a wet/dry bulb thermometer & a
relative humidity chart? (List the steps and calculate this!)
a. ____________________________________________________________
b. ____________________________________________________________
c. ____________________________________________________________
How does wind form? _________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
What causes wind? ___________________________________________________
Lesson 3 with Cloud Observation (if done)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
What are the 3 ways that clouds can form.? ________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
What is the lifted condensation level? Where is it located?
__________________________________________________________________
What is orographic lifting?
__________________________________________________________________
When a warm air mass and a cold air mass meet, which one rises? ________________
Why? _____________________________________________________________
How high are the following types of clouds? (In meters and approximate feet & miles)
a. cirro- ______________________________________________________
b. alto- _______________________________________________________
c. strato- ______________________________________________________
What do the following words mean in Latin?
a. cirrus - ____________________
stratus - ____________________
b. nimbus - ____________________
cumulus - ___________________
Which types of clouds GENERALLY indicate…?
a. Fair (good) weather?
_______________________________
b. An approaching front?
_______________________________
c. A strong storm?
_______________________________
d. Constant rain or snow?
_______________________________
e. Fog?
______________________________
Cloud Formation by…
Convection
Orographic Lifting
Lesson 4 (Air Masses and Global Wind Systems)
1.
What do the following terms mean?
a. meteorology - ________________________________________________
b. weather - ___________________________________________________
c. climate - ____________________________________________________
d. air mass - ___________________________________________________
2. What is the abbreviation, characteristics (temp/water content), and location
(land/water) of the 5 major air masses that affect the weather of the USA?
a. Continental tropical ____________________________________________
b. Maritime tropical
____________________________________________
c. Continental polar
____________________________________________
d. Maritime polar
____________________________________________
e. Arctic
____________________________________________
3. What is the location (by latitude) & origin of wind direction of the each of the global
wind systems? Which wind system moves most weather systems across the USA?
a. Polar easterlies - ______________________________________________
b. Prevailing westerlies - ___________________________________________
c. Trade winds - _________________________________________________
4. What happens at the Intertropical Convergence Zone? ________________________
a. Where is it located? ____________________________________________
b. What is it also called? __________________________
c. What is usually missing in this zone? ________________
Air Masses of N.America
Global Wind Systems
Lesson 5 and Reinforcement 5 (Fronts & USA Weather Map) …
1.
Describe the 2 types of pressure systems. Recognize the symbol for each. What kind
of weather conditions is associated with each?
a. High pressure - _______________________________________________
b. Low pressure - ________________________________________________
High Pressure System (5)
Low Pressure System (5)
2.
Describe the four types of fronts, What is the symbol for each, what kind of weather
does each cause? What happens to the temperature of an area after each passes?
a. Cold - _______________________________________________________
b. Warm - ______________________________________________________
c. Stationary - __________________________________________________
d. Occluded - ___________________________________________________
Fronts – Draw movement, clouds, symbols
Cold
Warm
Stationary
Occluded
Lesson 6 and Geolab 6 (Weather Map)…
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Know the data collected by the following weather instruments –
a. thermometer __________________ d. hygrometer ___________________
b. ceilometer ____________________ e. barometer ___________________
c. anemometer ____________________
What type of data do radiosondes collect – in general _________________________
and specifically? _____________________________________________________
What is radar used for? _______________________________________________
What does the word stand for? __________________________________________
What is Doppler radar used for? ________________________________________
What is an isobar? ___________________ _______________________________
What is an isotherm? How is it drawn on a map? _____________________________
Draw a station model in the margin. (There will be a station model on your test!)
What is a digital forecast? _____________________________________________
What is an analog forecast? ____________________________________________
Lesson 7 Thunderstorms and Severe Weather (with Tornado Occurrence
Map, if assigned)
1.
2.
Where do the majority of thunderstorms occur in the USA? ____________________
What causes thunderstorms?
_________________________________________________________________________
3. What is lightning? ___________________________________________________
How does it form? Use terms stepped leader, return stroke, channel, & lightning.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4. Where is the safest place to be during a thunderstorm? _______________________
5. What causes tornados? _______________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
6. What is a supercell? __________________________________________________
7. Where is Tornado Alley? ______________________________________________
Which two air masses create the conditions for tornados to form in this area?
__________________________________________________________________
8. During which month are tornados most likely to occur? _________________________
9. Review the Enhanced Fujita Scale. What does it measure? _____________________
When and how does it measure? _________________________________________
Which tornados are most common? __________ Which are least common? ______
Which are strongest, last the longest, and go the farthest? __________________
10. Where is the safest place to be in during a tornado? _________________________
Draw a picture in the margin of yourself hunkered in a basement during a tornado 
Lesson 8 – Tropical Cyclones (with Hurricane Tracking Map, if assigned)…
1. What is a tropical cyclone? __________________________________________
2. Where do cyclones derive their energy? ________________________________
What causes them to lose strength? ___________________________________
3. Which direction do hurricanes spin and which way do they usually move in the N.
hemisphere? _____________________________________________________
Which wind system pushes them back to the east? _________________________
4. Do winds increase or decrease as a hurricane strengthens? __________________
What about pressure? ________________________
5. Know the stages of hurricane development… Particularly, wind speed.
a. Tropical disturbance _________________________________________
b. Tropical depression __________________________________________
c. Tropical storm ______________________________________________
d. Tropical cyclone (hurricane) ____________________________________
6. Is a hurricane a high or low pressure system? What type of pressure is found in the
eye of the hurricane? _______________
7. Know the Saffir-Simpson Scale. What does it classify? ____________________
What are 4 characteristics of a hurricane it describes?
_______________________________________________________________
What categories does it include? ______________________________________
8. Hurricane Hazards…
a. Where are the strongest winds in a hurricane? _____________________
b. What is a storm surge? _______________________________________
c. What kills 9 out of 10 people who die in hurricanes? _________________
d. Which branch of NOAA tracks and forecasts hurricanes? _____________
9. Where is the safest place to be during a hurricane? ________________________
Draw picture below of yourself evacuating a beach house before a hurricane…
Tornado Alley & Air Masses (7)
Hurricane Movement Across Atlantic (8)
Recurring Weather (Get these definitions from your vocabulary or the glossary.) …
1.
Describe the following weather patterns. What causes each? What type of
damage or threat to human life does each one cause? (p. 347)
a. (H or L) Flood
_________________________________________________________
b. (H or L) Drought
_________________________________________________________
c. (H or L) Heat wave
_________________________________________________________
d. (H or L) Cold wave
_________________________________________________________
2. Which weather events are caused by high pressure? (Circle the ‘H’ by their names
above.) Low pressure? (Circle the ‘L’ by their names above.)
Lesson 9 Human Impact on Air Quality …
1.
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3.
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5.
What is smog? __________________________________________________________
a. What causes it? ___________________________________________________
b. What is the major chemical in smog and why is it harmful? ___________________
What is particulate (solid) pollution? _________________________________________
Why is it harmful to people and animals? _______________________________________
What is global warming? ___________________________________________________
a. What human activities do some think causes it? ____________________________
a. What gas is released when fossil fuels are burned? _________________________
b. Many scientists believe the _______________ has a bigger role in climate change.
b. For your NC Final, let’s just pretend that CO2 IS actually warming the atmosphere…
How might carbon dioxide levels be reduced? _____________________________
What molecules are thought to destroy ozone molecules? ___________________________
CFC’s are completely manmade. What type of products are (were) they found in?
__________________________________________________________________
What is acid precipitation (rain)? ___________________________________________
a. How does acid precipitation form? _____________________________________
b. Where do nitrous oxide (NO) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) come from?
_______________________________________________________________
c. What type of acid precipitation has received the most attention in the USA?
_______________________________________________________________
How might acid precipitation be prevented from this source? ________________