The Sun's Energy
What is the main source of energy that drives all weather and ocean movement on Earth
The Sun
In convection what happens to warm air or water?
It rises
What are large streams of moving ocean water called?
Ocean Currents
What process changes liquid water into water vapor?
Evaporation
What causes sea breeze and land breezes?
Differences in heating and cooling between land and water
Why is earth heated unevenly by the sun?
Sunlight hits different latitudes at different angles.
What happens to the density of water when it gets colder?
It increases
What causes surface currents?
Wind
Condensation
In a sea breeze, where does the air come from and go to?
From the ocean toward the land
What happens to air when it is heated?
It becomes less dense and it rises
Why do convection currents form in oceans and the atmosphere.
Because of uneven heating and density differences.
What two factors cause deep ocean currents?
Temperature and Salinity
What force causes precipitation to fall and water to flow downhill?
Gravity!
What effect causes wind and currents to curve because of Earth's rotation?
The Coriolis effect
What type of heat transfer occurs when warm air rises and cool air sinks?
What is one example of convection in the atmosphere that we feel every day?
Wind
How does the Gulf Stream affect the climate of Western Europe?
It makes it Warner and more humid
What are two processes that return water vapor to the atmosphere?
Evaporation and transpiration
Which direction do winds and currents curve in the Northern Hemisphere?
To the right
How does solar energy help start the water cycle?
It causes evaporation
In an experiment with warm and cold colored water, which color would stay at the bottom and why?
Blue/ cold water
What would happen to global ocean circulation if polar ice melted and reduced salinity?
It would slow down because the water would become less dense
Why is the water cycle called a closed system?
The total amount of water on earth stays the same, it just changes form.
What global pattern moves air between the equator and the poles?
Global convection cells or global atmospheric circulation