The Atmosphere
Where does most of the energy on Earth come from?
The sun
________ air rises
warm
Briefly describe the Greenhouse Effect.
The warming of the atmosphere by Greenhouse gases.
What is the study of weather called?
Meteorology
How are air masses described? (2 factors)
Moisture and temperature
Which layer of the atmosphere is the ozone layer located?
The Stratosphere
_________ air sinks
cold
What are three of the Greenhouse gases?
Carbon Dioxide, water vapor, Methane
All weather occurs in what layer of the atmosphere?
Troposphere
What tells you if an air mass formed near the equator or a pole?
Temperature
List the layers of the atmosphere from lowest to highest.
Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, Exosphere
What kind of pressure system is created from warm air rising?
Low pressure
Where does some heat radiate from that is released into the atmosphere?
The ground
What do meteorologists use to see multiple elements of weather in one place?
Weather Station Models
What tells you if an air mass formed over land or the ocean?
Moisture
Air density and pressure _____________ with increasing altitude.
decrease
What kind of pressure system is created from cool air sinking?
High pressure
What is one of the causes of a human-enhanced Greenhouse effect?
Pollution creating more gases
What do scientists use to send instruments into the atmosphere that measure temperature, air pressure, humidity, etc.?
Weather Balloons
What are the four major types of air masses?
Maritime Tropical
Maritime Polar
Continental Tropical
Continental Polar
What two elements make up 99% of the atmosphere?
How many major convection cells does the atmosphere have?
6
How do Greenhouse gases warm the atmosphere?
By trapping heat.
What is the difference between weather and climate?
Weather changes daily; weather is the condition of the atmosphere at a given time; climate changes slowly over time
What are the four types of fronts?
Cold fronts
Warm fronts
Occluded
Stationary