Vocabulary
Elements of Weather
What Influences Weather?
Climate
Climate Change
100
Fill in the Blank: Currents on the surface of the ocean are called _____________________.
Surface currents
100
What Instruments is used to measure and display temperatures?
Thermometer
100
Which air mass is denser? A cold air mass or a warm air mass?
cold air mass
100
What two factors determine climate?
Temperature and Precipitation
100
About how much Carbon Dioxide was in the air during the year 1995?
360
200
Fill in the Blank: The surface features of an area combine to form its ___________________.
Topography
200
Fill in the Blank: Saturated air as a relative humidity of _________________.
100%
200
Where do cold ocean currents flow from?
The poles.
200
What rarely takes place on land near large bodies of water?
Sudden/Extreme temp. changes.
200
What are two natural causes of climate change?
Mvt. of Tectonic Plates
Particles in Atmosphere/Volcanoes/Dust from Asteroid
300
A boundary, called a _____________, forms between two ___________________ which are large volumes of air.
front
air mass
300
What causes air pressure?
Force of air molecules pushing on area.
300
What do cool ocean currents do to coastal temperatures?
They lower coastal air temperatures.
300
What are the three major climate zones?
Temperate, Polar, Tropical.
300
What are the two changes in ocean temperature called that affect the Pacific Ocean.
El nino, La nina
400
Fill in the Blanks: ________________________ warm Earth's surface and lower atmosphere through the __________________________.
Greenhouse gases
Greenhouse effect
400
Name three ways to collect weather data as listed in the book.
ground station, weather buoy, airplane, satellite, ship
400
What happens in a low-pressure system?
Air rises and cools
400
What is the lower atmosphere mainly warmed by?
Earth's surface
400
What are the four major spheres on Earth?
Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Cryosphere, Biosphere
500
How is Relative Humidy related to humidity?
Relative Humidity: amount of water vapor in air compared to amount of water vapor needed to reach saturation
Humidity: amount of water vapor in the air
500
What type of clouds form in flat layers? They can block out the sun and produce steady drizzle or rain.
Stratus
500
Name the four types of fronts?
Cold Front, Warm Front, Stationary Front, Occluded Front
500
What 6 factors affect temperature and precipitation?
latitude, wind patterns, elevation, locations of mts., large bodies of water, nearness to ocean currents
500
What are some possible benefits from predicted climate change>
species may benefit from expanded habitats
lengthen growing season
deaths associated with extreme cold could decrease