• Weather and clouds occur in this layer
• Water vapor and carbon dioxide are also found in this layer and are important in the weather conditions in the layer
• As altitude increases temperature decreases
• Extends from the surface of the earth up to 6-20km high
What is troposphere?
100
Rain, snow, freezing rain, sleet, or hail, depending upon weather conditions
What is Precipitation?
100
Predict the weather by analyzing and interpreting data from observations and tools such as current weather conditions, weather maps, satellites, and radar images.
What are meteorologists?
100
Huge bodies of air that form over water or land in tropical or polar regions.
What are air masses?
100
The driving energy source for heating of Earth
What is solar energy?
200
Most common gases in the atmosphere
What are Nitrogen and Oxygen?
200
As water vapor rises in the atmosphere it can turn into water droplets or ice crystals which results in cloud formation.
What is Condensation/Crystallization?
200
Measured using an anemometer and indicates a change in atmospheric flow patterns
What is wind speed?
200
Form at the boundaries between the air masses.
What are fronts?
200
Set up in the atmosphere because of the unequal heating of Earth’s surfaces.
What are global convection currents?
300
• the coldest layer
• extends from 50km up to 85km
What is Mesosphere?
300
Water enters the atmosphere as water vapor
What is Evaporation/Transpiration?
300
Can be measured with sling psychrometers or hygrometers. Is a measure of the percentage of water vapor in the air.
What is humidity?
300
When a cold air mass collides and slides under a warm air mass.
What is cold front?
300
Fast moving ribbons of air that move from west to east in the Northern hemisphere.
What are jet streams?
400
• Where the ozone layer is contained
• Ozone is a form of oxygen that is found in this layer
• Cold except in its upper region where ozone is located
• Extends from 20 km up to 50km
What is Stratosphere?
400
Forms when water vapor condenses directly onto a surface
What is dew?
400
Can be used to detect cloud cover, rainfall, storm location or intensity, and cloud movement, as well as the potential for severe weather (for example, hurricanes or tornadoes).
What is radar?
400
Usually signal more fair weather with winds circulating around the system in a clockwise direction.
What is a high pressure system?
400
Circulate warm and cold ocean waters in convection patterns and influence the weather and climates of the landmasses nearby.
What are ocean surface currents?
500
Absorb and retain the energy radiated from land and ocean surfaces, thereby regulating Earth’s average surface temperature and keeping it habitable
What are greenhouse gases?
500
The driving force for downhill flow of water on land.
What is gravity?
500
______ clouds are spread over a large area and are layered. As these clouds thicken long periods of precipitation can occur over the area where the clouds are located.
What is Stratus?
500
Low pressure tropical storm that forms over warm ocean water; winds form a spinning circular pattern around the center, or eye, of the storm; the lower the air pressure at the center, the faster the winds blow toward the center of the storm.