Atmosphere
The main gases in the atmosphere
What are nitrogen and oxygen
A large body of air that has nearly uniform temperature and humidity throughout
What is an air mass
The reason why there are different types of weather in different seasons of the year
What is the tilted axis of Earth relative to Earth's position in its orbit around the sun
An object that is moving freely over Earth's surface has a tendency to curve away from its path of travel
What is the Coriolis Effect
The gradual increase in Earth's average temperature that scientists agree is caused by human behavior
What is climate change
The layer of atmosphere in which most weather occurs
What is the troposphere
A boundary that separates opposing air masses
What is a front
A low-pressure system is spinning counter-clockwise in the
What is the Northern Hemisphere
A discharge of electricity that heats up air, causing it to expand explosively, resulting in the sound of thunder
What is lightning
Greenhouse gases trap radiation from the sun in the atmosphere causing the Earth to warm. The burning of fossil fuels in factories or transportation by humans releases carbon dioxide which is a greenhouse gas
What is the greenhouse effect
Increasing altitude in the troposphere affects the temperature by causing it to _________.
What is decrease (gets colder)
A front that lingers
What is a stationary front
Cloud formation, fog, and frost are a result of condensation, which occurs at
What is dew point
Huge storms that originate in the tropics above warm ocean water
What is a hurricane
Specific consequences of climate change include
What are: more extreme weather patterns, rising sea levels and flooding, polar ice caps melting, droughts that can affect food sources, disappearance of habitats and extinction of species
Air flows from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure, causing _______.
What is wind
The type of weather that could happen at a cold front in which cold, polar air meets warm, tropical air
What are thunderstorms
Rain, sleet, snow, and hail occur when these droplets and ice crystals in clouds become too heavy and fall; this is an example of _____.
What is precipitation
Low altitude winds blowing at a different speed and direction that winds above may result in a violent rotating air column
What is a tornado
Refute the following statement "My town just had the largest snowfall on record in the past 100 years, so obviously global warming is a joke."
This person is confusing weather with climate-just because there is a spike in cold weather or snow for a few days does not mean that the annual temperatures around the globe are not rising.
What usually happens when the barometric pressure drops?
What direction does the jet stream move?
What is west to east?
Clouds that produce thunderstorms
What are cumulus (or cumulonimbus)
Charleston, SC has a very humid climate in the summer. What is the most logical explanation for this?
What is Charleston is close to a large body of water
The current state of the atmosphere versus the average weather of an area over a long period of time is the difference between _______ and _______.
What is the difference between weather and climate