Atmosphere
What two main gases make up 99% of Earth’s atmosphere?
Nitrogen (78%) and Oxygen (21%)
Why is the air at the equator less dense than the air at the poles?
warm air during equator and cool air in the poles
What do cumulus clouds look like?
they look like cotton candy!
What is the most common type of storm?
The thunderstorm
What is the function of the ozone layer?
The ozone layer protects life on Earth by absorbing and filtering out harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.
What happens to the energy that reaches Earth from the sun?
30% is reflected back into space, 20% is absorbed by the atmosphere and 50% is absorbed by Earth’s land and water surfaces.
What is the dew point?
The dew point is the temperature at which air becomes fully saturated
How is thunder formed?
heating air around lighting makes a sounds
Explain why water boils at different temperatures depending on altitude.
Boiling point changes with atmospheric pressure becuase they have to equal each other.
What causes a convection current?
when warm, less dense air rises and is replaced by cooler
How are clouds formed?
when water vapor condense around gas and pollution
How do tornadoes form?
warm air rises fast during storm causing rotating winds
What kind of weather is generally associated with high-pressure systems? Low-pressure systems?
High-pressure systems: Warm, dry, and clear weather.
Low-pressure systems: Cooler, more humid conditions, often bringing rain or snow.
What are jet streams, and where do they occur?
fast-moving wind found at the top of the troposphere, flowing from west to east.
What happens in a cold and warm front?
cold front - cool air and warm air meet causing thunderstorms and cumus clouds
warm front - they meet causing light rain and sitrus clouds
What makes hurricanes so powerful?
warm air on water feuls the hurricane
Using the formula provided, how much colder would it be at 9,000 feet than at sea level?
Temperature drops 3.5°F for every 1,000 feet.
9 × 3.5 = 31.5°F colder
What is the Coriolis effect?
Air movement is affected due Earth rotation.
What causes most precipitation?
Precipitation is caused by air cooling and condensing, often due warm air rising
What happens to a hurricane when it reaches land?
It weakens because it no longer has access to warm air