Atmosphere and Water Cycle
Most of the gas in the atmosphere is __________. In second place is ___________________
nitrogen, oxygen
The ozone layer protects us from........?
Ultraviolet rayzzzzzzzzz
What do we experience when a cloud touches the ground?
Fog! Hmmm, maybe hard to relate to in Tucson.
Um... what's wind?
High pressure meeting low pressure. WHOOOSH
Most weather is located in which layer?
The troposphere!
The air pressure ____________ as you get closer to the earth's surface. In one word, why?
increases! GRAVITY!
What are cirrus clouds made of? And where are they located?
They are made of tiny ice crystals, and are located high in the sky (relative to other clouds)
Ok, meteorologists--What do we associate high pressure systems with? And low pressure systems?
high pressure -- heat and clear skies
low pressure -- clouds and precipitation
Anything interesting about the mesophere?
Right in the middle. Meteors tend to burn up there. Temps drop drastically there as you continue up. This is where dragons fly.
The thermospere is pretty darn hot, but would it feel that way? Why or why not?
"Temperatures in the thermosphere are high because particles are moving quickly in the thermosphere. The thermosphere does not feel hot because it is not very dense, so particles cannot collide to transfer much thermal energy. "
In other words, molecules up there are too far apart!
In a practical sense, what does dew point mean for your daily life? What's a comfortable dew point?
High dew point means a feeling of sticky humidity. Around 50 is a dry, comfortable dew point.
What are three different forms of precipitation?
ice pellets, freezing rain, rain, hail, snow....
What's interesting about the stratosphere? Describe it!
It's above the troposphere. Planes fly there. At the top of the troposphere is the ozone layer.
Draw a diagram showing the general temperature changes as you go up through the layers of the atmosphere!
down UP down UP
What is the prefix for a low-lying cloud, a storm cloud, and the suffix for a storm cloud?
Strato-, nimbo-, nimbus
Tell us about the big ol' fluffy clouds. Full points for referencing the latin root!
Cumulus (latin -- an accumulation, heap, or pile). Usually mid-level, can often bring precipitation.
Give us the order of layers of atmosphere, bottom to top! (full credit if you include an excellent mnemonic device)
Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesophere, Thermosphere, Exosphere
Tell us about that magnificent water cycle. Looking for 4 marvelous keywords!
(the keywords are evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation)
How do thunderstorms form?
Usually from an intense low pressure system -- warm, moist air is forced upward quickly, it creates charges on the air molecules. This warm air condenses into a strom cloud, bringing rain.
Can you just.... please.... explain lightning?
Induction! Particles in the cloud are charged. Negative charge on the bottom of the cloud induces a positive charge on the ground. Negative and positive really really want to be together! KAPOW!