Atmosphere
Where is most of the gas in the atmosphere found?
It is found near Earth's surface due to gravity.
What do we call the process when molecules of liquid water heat up, move faster and collide more often escaping the liquid and moving into the air.
Evaporation.
Describe a general air mass.
An air mass is a huge body of air that has similar temperature, humidity, and air pressure at any given height.
Compare and contrast a warm and cold front.
Cold front: cold air mass runs into a warm air mass.
Warm front: fast moving warm air mas overtakes a slower-moving cold air mass
Both have cold and warm air masses involved.
If the Gulf Stream is a warm ocean current, how does it affect the temperature on the East Coast?
How might particles that are suspended in Earth's atmosphere affect life on Earth?
They might block out the sun's rays, affecting plant life and making the Earth cooler.
Explain the difference between humidity and relative humidity.
Humidity is a measure of the amount of water vapor in the air, but relative humidity is the percent of water vapor in the air compared to the max amount of water vapor the air can hold at a particular temperature.
Explain the difference between the prevailing westerlies and jet streams.
The prevailing westerlies are major wind belts over the U.S. The jet stream is a band of high-speed winds about 6-14km above Earth's surface. Both push winds west to east.
Explain an occluded front and what weather results from it.
When a warm air mass gets stuck between two cold air masses. Cooler air masses more dense so they push up the warm mass. Weather: clouds, rain or snow.
How are isobars and isotherms alike? How are they different?
Both isobars and isotherms are curved lines on a map joining places that have similar conditions. Isobars show are pressure, while isotherms show temperature.
How does altitude affect air pressure?
As altitude increases, air pressure decreases.
What do we call the temperature at which condensation begins? If this temperature is below freezing what will happen?
dew point. The droplets will change directly to ice crystals called frost.
Maritime tropical, continental tropical, maritime polar and continental polar.
Explain a stationary front and the weather it may bring.
A stationary front is where warm and cold air masses meet, but neither can move the other. They just sit over the land. Weather could be many days of clouds and precipitation.
How can meteorologist use global patterns show on a satellite image to predict local weather?
Satellites show cloud coverage, which could then be used to predict the amount of rain an area may receive.
How does heat in the atmosphere get distributed more evenly around Earth?
Warm air and cooler air are constantly mixing through convection.
Give the 4 types of freezing precipitation and tell the difference between them.
Hail (round pellet of ice that jumps around in the updrafts to get bigger), freezing rain (rain that freezes when it hits a cold surface), sleet (rain that falls through a layer of air below zero), snow (water vapor converted directly to ice crystals)
What is the air like in a tropical air mass?
Warm with low pressure.
How do cyclones and anticyclones differ?
Cyclones are areas of low pressure, with winds spiraling into the center. Anticyclones are areas of high pressure with winds spiraling out from the center.
What role has technology played in weather forecasting?
Tech improvements in gathering weather data have improved the accuracy of weather forecasts.
Why is the atmosphere heated unequally by the sun?
Solar energy from the sun hits some areas more directly because of Earth's tilt, and these areas are heated more than others.
What factor determines whether precipitation falls as liquid or solid?
Air temperature.
How would acold air mass that formed over Canada be classified?
continental polar because the mass is cold and forms over land.
What causes a front to turn into a cyclone or anticyclone?
When air masses collide and the front then becomes distorted by a surface feature such a mountains, or strong winds like the jet stream. Air begins to swirl and low-pressure center forms.
What does a meteorologist do?
They study and predict weather.