Clouds
Earth's Water
Water & Air
Air Masses
Weather Instruments
100
Describe stratus clouds.
clouds close to the ground that often bring rain or snow
100
How much of the Earth's surface is water?
1/3
100
What is humidity?
the amount of water in the air
100
How is air on top of a mountain different from the air at the base of the mountain?
Air pressure will be lower at the top of the mountain.
100
What instrument measures air pressure?
barometer
200
Why do you often see clouds along a cold front?
The water vapor in the warm air mass cools and condenses into clouds.
200
Why is the Baltic Sea less salty than other seas?
Many rivers flow into the Baltic Sea.
200
Describe air.
the gases that surround Earth's surface
200
What happens to air when there is an area of lower pressure nearby?
The air moves toward the area of low pressure.
200
What do curving lines on a weather map show?
fronts and how they are moving
300
What type of front is approaching if you see cirrus clouds in the sky?
A warm front; the cold air mass and the altitude chill the warm air as it rises. The water vapor in it becomes the ice crystals that form cirrus clouds.
300
Explain and describe the water cycle.
The water cycle is the movement of water between Earth's surface and the atmosphere. The sun evaporates water on Earth. When the air cools, the water drops back to Earth as rain or snow.
300
What are examples of precipitation?
Rain, snow, hail
300
Describe what happens when a cold air mass meets a warm air mass that is not moving.
A cold air mass that meets a warm air mass will create a cold front. The cold air sinks, and the warm air pushes upward, which makes it cooler. The water vapor in the air condenses into clouds.
300
How can a weather forecaster gather information using instruments to measure air pressure and wind?
The weather forecaster can use a barometer to measure air pressure and an anemometer to measure wind speed. She gathers information about what the weather has been like and what it is like now by using these and other instruments. She uses weather radar to see how the weather is changing. Weather radar pictures are taken several hours apart and show how weather changes over time. Weather radar tracks precipitation and helps predict where and when it will fall.
400
List three clouds.
cirrus, stratus, cumulus
400
Where is most of Earth's water?
in the oceans
400
Would the temperature near a ceiling be warmer or cooler than the temperature near the floor? Explain.
It would be warmer near the ceiling because the cool air is more dense and sinks to the floor.
400
What type of weather does a cold front usually bring?
Strong winds and heavy precipitation
400
How does a weather map help forecast the weather?
A weather map shows daily weather conditions and how they are changing. This helps predict upcoming weather.
500
You see stratus clouds in the sky. What type of weather could you expect?
Stratus clouds might show that rain or snow will fall.
500
Where does the salt found in oceans come from?
Ocean salts come from material dissolved from rocks and soil as water flows over the land.
500
How does the Sun create wind?
The sun warms Earth. Air above Earth gets warmer and air particles move farther apart, so air pressure is lower. Air from a cooler, high pressure area moves toward the area of lower pressure. The moving air is called wind.
500
What kind of weather might accompany a warm front?
Steady precipitation that lasts a long time
500
What does it mean on a hot summer day if the temperature is "milder at the coast"?
Temperature is not as hot near the water.
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