nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, water vapors, and other gases
100
Where does most of the water vapor in our atmosphere come from?
evaporation from the oceans
100
What are air masses?
large areas of air with nearly the same temperature and moisture
100
Where do most air masses form?
in the tropics and polar regions
100
What will an air mass be like that forms over water in the Gulf of Mexico?
Warm and moist
200
What will the air be like that forms over land near the North Pole?
cold and dry
200
What is a front?
a boundary where air masses meet that have different temperature
200
How do front affect the weather?
they usually bring changes in the weather
200
What is a warm front?
Warm air pushes into a cold air mass. The warm front slides up and over the cold air, usually causes light rain. Afterward, the weather usually becomes warmer in that area.
200
What is a cold front?
Cold air pushes into an area of warm air. It pushes under the warm air, forcing it upward quickly, often causing violent weather. Since cold fronts move faster than warm fronts, the storms pass quickly.
300
What are boundaries between air masses that don't move called?
stationary front
300
What direction does weather move across the U.S.?
west to east
300
What are 3 kinds of information shown on a weather map?
location of fronts
wind direction
temperature and air pressure
300
What kind of weather might you predict if you see areas of high pressure and low pressure on a weather map?
Since areas of high pressure move to areas of low pressure, you can predict windy weather in those areas.
300
What is the difference between weather and climate?
Weather is the daily condition of the atmosphere. Climate is the average weather in a place over a long period of time.
400
What is a climate zone?
a large area with a similar climate (same temperature, precipitation, humidity, prevailing winds)
400
What 6 factors affect climate?
latitude, large bodies of water, mountains, altitude, winds, El Nino
400
What is the greenhouse effect?
Carbon dioxide and other gases in the atmosphere trap solar energy and warm the Earth's surface.
400
How might people be affecting Earth's temperature?
By adding more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) and cutting down forests.
400
What type of cloud form high in the atmosphere from ice crystals?
cirrus cloud
500
What type of cloud forms in low layers near Earth?
stratus clouds
500
What are puffy clouds rising from a flat bottom called?