Under Pressure
Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot
Dew the Math
The Ultimate Storm
Between a Rock & A Hard Place
100

Why does wind happen?

  • Uneven Heating: The sun warms certain parts of the Earth more than others. Warm air becomes less dense and rises into the atmosphere.
  • Pressure Changes: As the warm air rises, it leaves behind an area of lower pressure. Meanwhile, heavier, cooler air sinks and moves in to fill the empty space, creating an area of high pressure. 
  • Airflow: Nature constantly strives to balance out these pressure differences. As a result, air rushes from high-pressure zones to low-pressure zones. This rushing air is what we feel as wind.
100

This type of heat transfer is how the sun's energy travels through the vacuum of space to warm the Earth.

Radiation

100

What is dew point?

The temperature at which air becomes saturated and water vapor begins to condense.

100

For a hurricane to form and maintain its strength, the surface temperature of the ocean water needs to be at least this warm in Fahrenheit.

80°F

100

If two continental plates crash into each other at a convergent boundary, neither sinks; instead, they crumple upward to build this specific type of massive geographic feature.

Mountain ranges

200

What are isobars & what do they tell us? (List 2 things)

These are lines on a weather map that connect places with the same air pressure. They help meteorologists identify areas of high and low pressure and predict wind speed and direction.

1. They show areas of equal air pressure

2. Indicate wind conditions (closely spaced isobars = stronger winds)

200

This type of heat transfer occurs when warm air rises and cool air sinks.

Convection

200

What is relative humidity?

Tells us how much water vapor is in the air compared to the maximum amount the air can hold at that temperature.

200

If the storm forms in the West Pacific or the Indian Ocean (near Australia or India), it drops the other names entirely and is simply called by this generic term.

Typhoon

200

What plate boundary/feature forms when two continental plates separate? What if its two oceanic plates?

Continental-Continental Divergent; Rift Valley

Continental-Continental Divergent; Ridge

300

How is air moving differently in a high vs. low pressure system?

  • High-pressure system: Air sinks and moves outward from the center.
  • Low-pressure system: Air rises and moves inward toward the center.
300

Land heats up faster than water because it absorbs solar energy more quickly through this process.

Radiation

300

If the air temperature is much higher than the dew point, the relative humidity is generally high or low?

Low

300

This specific type of vertical wind dynamic—defined as a change in wind speed or direction with altitude—is absolutely critical for tilting a thunderstorm and keeping its downdraft from choking out its updraft.

wind shear

300

What can be created when two oceanic plates converge?

Volcanic Island Arc, Trenches

400

Why is high pressure related to clear skies, but low pressure is related to stormy weather?

In a high-pressure system, sinking air prevents clouds from forming. In a low-pressure system, rising air cools and condenses, forming clouds and precipitation.

  • High pressure: Air sinks, warms, and dries out, making it difficult for clouds to form, leading to clear skies.
  • Low pressure: Air rises, cools, and condenses into clouds, often producing rain, snow, and storms.
400

This type of heat transfer occurs when energy is transferred through direct contact between substances.

Conduction

400

What happens when the air temperature is equal to the dew point ?

Results in 100% relative humidity. If the temperature drops any further or more moisture is added, the air cannot hold the water as a gas, causing the excess vapor to condense into liquid water or ice

400

If the storm forms in the South Pacific or the Indian Ocean (near Australia or India), it drops the other names entirely and is simply called by this generic term.

Cyclone

400
What type of plate boundary/feature is when two plates slip past one another?

Transform; Fault

500

Because of the natural laws of physics, air always attempts to equalize itself by blowing in this specific direction between pressure systems.

What is from High to Low? (Air naturally rushes out of high-pressure zones to fill in low-pressure zones.)

500

This single process drives winds, ocean currents, weather patterns, and many of Earth's climate systems by causing unequal heating of Earth's surface.


The uneven heating of Earth by the Sun

500

Two cities have the same air temperature. City A has a dew point of 5°C and City B has a dew point of 20°C. This city has more moisture in the air.

B

500

Normal rain showers are caused by gentle atmospheric lifting, but severe weather requires this highly unstable situation, where the air near the ground is incredibly warm and humid, while the air high above is extremely cold.

Atmospheric Instability

500

Why will Iceland never break apart, though it's on a divergent boundary, but the East African Rift Valley will?

celand is not a fixed continent, but a volcanic landmass constantly "born" from magma. It will never permanently break apart because its magma supply fills the rift faster than the plates separate. Conversely, the East African Rift Valley sits on thick continental crust, which must thin out before eventually splitting to form an ocean

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