Weather & Atmosphere Study Guide 1. Draw a simple water cycle diagram using the following words: Precipitation, Evaporation, Condensation, Transpiration 2. In your own words, explain the difference between weather and climate. Weather is a snapshot of a certain time, while climate shows the pattern of weather in a given area over time. 3. List two reasons why we need the Atmosphere (p.505) a. Oceans would not exist b. To keep Earth warm 4. Define Altitude (p.506): The distance above sea level 5. Define Density (p.506): The amount of mass in a given volume of a substance 6. Label the pie chart based on Earth s atmospheric compositions (p.507)
7. Sudden changes in Earth s Atmosphere (p.510) a. Volcanic eruptions: Volcanoes shoot gases and huge amounts of ash into the atmosphere Certain gases produce a haze that may affect the air for many months and lower temperatures worldwide. b. Forest fires: When forests burn the carbon that makes up each tree combines with oxygen and enters the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. Wood ash also enters the atmosphere. c. Dust storms: Wind, water, or drought can loosen soil. Powerful windstorms may then raise clouds of this eroded soil as in the second picture above. These storms add huge amounts of particles the air for a time. 8. Solar Radiation (p.513) a. 5% of solar energy is reflected by Earth s surface b. 25% of solar energy is reflected by clouds and Earth s atmosphere. c. 20% of solar energy is absorbed by clouds and the atmosphere. d. 50% of solar energy is absorbed by Earth s surface. 9. Define & give one example of Radiation: Energy that travels across certain distances as types of waves. 10. Define & give one example of Conduction: The transfer of heat energy from one substance to another through direct contact. 11. Define & give one example of Convection: The transfer of energy from place to place by the motion of heated gas or liquid. 12. Label this line with the four layers of the atmosphere (p. 516) Order from bottom to top: Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere. 13. Explain why the Ozone layer is important to life on Earth. (p.519) Because it absorbs harmful UV radiation from the sub 14. List the four most common Greenhouse Gases (p.520) a. Carbon Dioxide b. Methane c. Water Vapor d. Nitrous Oxide 15. Define Air Pressure: (p.539-540) a. The greater the force the higher the air pressure. b. Draw air particles in the box below to represent the air pressure at different altitudes.
16. Label the three arrows to describe how wind forms (p.544) Wind moves from an area of high pressure toward an area of low pressure 1. Low pressure. Warm air rises 3. Wind moves across surfaces 2. High Pressure. Cool air sinks. 17. Define the Coriolis Effect: (p.545) The influence of Earth s rotation on objects that move over Earth. a. Draw & label the rotation of winds: Northern Hemisphere Southern Hemisphere 18. Label the following winds on a map of the Earth: Trade Winds Prevailing Westerlies Polar Easterlies Doldrums 19. Define Jet Stream (p.538) A wind that flows in the upper troposphere from west to east over vast distances at great spaces 20. Sea Breeze & Land Breeze (p.549) a. Sea breezes and land breezes occur near the shoreline. During the day, land heats up faster than water. The air over the land rises and expands. Denser ocean air moves into the area of low pressure, producing a sea breeze. As the illustration shows, this pattern is reversed at night when land cools faster than water. Warm air rises over the ocean, and cooler air flows in, producing a land breeze. 21. What causes monsoons? (p. 550) The different heating and cooling rates of land and sea. 22. Define Humidity: (p.554) The amount of water vapor in the air.
23. Types of Precipitation Define each (p.565) a. Rain & Drizzle: Forms from water droplets or ice crystals that melt as they fall. b. Freezing Rain: Rain that freezes when it hits the ground or other surfaces. c. Sleet: Rain that freezes into ice pellets while falling through cold air. d. Snow: Forms from ice crystals that merge in clouds. e. Hail: Forms when ice pellets move up and down in clouds, growing larger as they gain layers of ice. 24. Describe the four Air Masses (p.576) a. Continental forms over land b. Maritime forms over water c. Tropical forms near the equator d. Polar forms far from the equator (poles) 25. Fronts define & draw each map symbol(no color) (p.579) a. Cold Front Forms when a cold air mass pushes a warm air mass and forces the warm air to rise. b. Warm Front Forms when a warm air mass pushes a cold air mass. The warm air mass rises over the cold air mass. c. Stationary Front Occurs when two air masses push against each other without moving. It will become a warm or cold air mass when one advances over the other. 26. Define a high-pressure system: (p.580) Formed when air moves all the way around a high pressure system. Associated with HAPPY weather. 27. Define a low-pressure system: (p.581) A large weather system that surrounds a center of low pressure. Associated with LOUSY weather. 28. Severe Weather (p.583-592)
Type How it forms Describe Effects Thunderstorm Tornado Hurricane Blizzard