Atmospheric Adventures
What happens to a weather balloon as it rises higher in the atmosphere?
The balloon expands because air pressure decreases with altitude.
Wispy, feathery clouds found high in the sky are known as what?
Cirrus clouds.
On a weather map, closely spaced isobars mean what about the wind?
Stronger or faster winds.
What process turns liquid water into vapor, driven by the Sun’s heat?
Evaporation.
What process removes carbon dioxide from the air and stores it in plants?
Photosynthesis.
What type of pressure system is usually linked to cloudy, rainy weather?
Low pressure system.
Which type of front forms when cold air pushes under warm air, forcing it upward?
A cold front.
If a city is experiencing low pressure, what kind of weather might it experience?
Cloudy skies or storms.
When water vapor cools and forms clouds, what process is happening?
Condensation.
Burning fossil fuels adds more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere — what’s one major effect of this?
Increased global temperatures.
What’s the main difference between climate and weather?
Climate is the long-term pattern of weather in a region; weather is short-term day-to-day conditions.
What type of front forms when warm and cold air masses meet but neither moves much?
Stationary front.
A city’s wind barb shows lines pointing to the northeast — which direction is the wind blowing toward?
Toward southwest
When precipitation seeps into the ground to refill aquifers, what is that called?
Infiltration.
What major reservoir stores carbon in both the water and carbon cycles?
The atmosphere.
As air pressure decreases with height, what effect does this have on temperature and density?
Both generally decrease.
What kind of front happens when a cold air mass overtakes a warm air mass?
Occluded front.
Which kind of front typically brings steady rain followed by warmer air?
A warm front.
Urban areas with more pavement experience what change in the water cycle?
Increased runoff, decreased groundwater recharge, and less permeability.
How is today’s carbon cycle different from the natural cycle before humans?
It’s faster and includes more carbon emissions from human activity.
What part of the atmosphere contains the ozone layer that protects Earth from UV radiation?
The stratosphere.
What kind of weather usually follows a cold front?
Cooler, drier air and clearer skies after storms.
Why does a cold front often cause thunderstorms?
Because the cold, dense air forces warm, moist air upward quickly, leading to condensation and storms.
Which process occurs in both the water cycle and the carbon cycle?
Respiration.
Why does melting ice make climate change worse?
Ice reflects sunlight; melting reduces reflection and raises sea levels.