Water Cycle
In what process does the sun change the state of water from a liquid to a gas?
Evaporation
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What powers the water cycle?
The sun
What is humidity?
Water vapor in the atmosphere.
What is the ultimate source of wind?
The sun
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Describe the difference between weather and climate.
Weather is the condition of Earth's atmosphere at a particular time and place, whereas climate is the characteristic weather in an area over a long period of time.
Water turning from vapor into rain droplets is an example of what process?
condensation
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List the steps of the water cycle.
Evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and accumulation
What is the movement of air caused by differences in air pressure?
Wind
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The pattern of temperature and precipitation over several decades describes what?
An area's climate
What heats faster during the day, the land or sea? why is this?
The land heats up faster. It is a better conductor, and water has a greater specific heat. This is why coastal areas have more consistent temperatures.
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Describe transpiration
The exhalation of water vapor through plant leaves.
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Rain, sleet, snow and hail are examples of what process?
precipitation
a pattern of temperature and precipitation over weeks, days or a year most likely describes what?
An area's weather
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The ground constantly radiates its absorbed energy back into the atmosphere. What is the result of this?
The land is hotter than the water when the sun is out. When the sun goes down at night, the temperature of the ground decreases significantly.
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What is a sea breeze?
a breeze that forms during the day when land heats up faster than water.
evaporation and precipitation are ______ in the atmosphere; if evaporation increases, precipitation _______.
balanced; increases
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As warm air rises, it expands and cools allowing the water vapor to condense. What is this?
How clouds form.
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Thunderstorms are common near the equator, what is the primary source of the movement that causes storms?
heating by energy from the sun
The sun's energy drives the _______, which determines precipitation. In this way, the sun influences climate of a given region.
water cycle.
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A map shows hurricane Andrew in May in Miami in 1992. Is it depicting the climate of Miami or the weather?
The weather condition of Miami because it shows the precipitation over a few days.
What processes put water vapor into the atmosphere?
evaporation and transpiration (humidity)
Describe precipitation and the types of precipitation that can occur and when?
moisture in the air from evaporation condenses and falls back to earth in the form of rain, sleet, snow or hail. When temperatures are below freezing, snow is likely to result.
The amount of water vapor in the atmosphere at any given point describes what?
humidity
Tropical zones along the equator tend to be humid, warm and have lots of precipitation. why is this?
They are exposed to more sunlight, causing warm water to evaporate and precipitate more frequently.
Who studies and reports weather and climate changes?
meteorologists
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