Weather Basics
What process is performed by plants that produces oxygen?
Photosynthesis
What season is occurring when the sun’s rays are at a low angle?
Winter
At which latitude lines do low pressure belts form?
Equator (0°) and 60° N/S
What occurs when the surface soil is saturated and precipitation increases?
Flooding or runoff
How does proximity to a large body of water influence local climate?
Water moderates temperature, reducing extremes
What atmospheric zone contains the ozone layer?
Stratosphere
What season is occurring when the sun’s rays are at a high angle?
Summer
Does wind move towards or away from high pressure belts/centers?
Wind moves away from high pressure and toward low pressure
If the dry bulb is 20°C and the wet bulb is 14°C, what is the relative humidity?
What conditions fuel hurricane formation and growth?
Rising warm, wet air rising
What does a barometer measure?
Air pressure
Define insolation.
Incoming solar radiation (ultraviolet radiation)
What causes clear skies at high pressure belts?
Sinking air inhibits cloud formation
What is the relative humidity if the air temperature and dew point are the same?
100%
What causes a hurricane to dissipate?
moving over land or cooler water
How does the ozone layer benefit animals and plants?
It blocks harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation
How is insolation connected to the angle of the sun’s rays?
Higher angles increase insolation; lower angles decrease it
Where is warm air rising?
Low pressure zones, like the equator
What does a psychrometer measure?
Humidity
Describe the weather patterns on the windward side of a mountain and what causes them.
wet and cool due to rising moist air coming from the coast/a large body of water
When oxygen started to accumulate in Earth’s early atmosphere 3.9 billion years ago, what did it come from?
Photosynthetic bacteria in the oceans
When are the Winter Solstice, Summer Solstice, Spring Equinox, and Autumnal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere?
Winter Solstice – Dec 21
Summer Solstice – June 21
Spring Equinox – March 21
Autumnal Equinox – Sept 21
Which range of latitudes experience westerly winds?
30°–60° N/S
Describe the weather conditions at the low pressure center.
Cloudy, rainy, stormy weather
Describe the eastern tropical Pacific's conditions during an El Niño event.
Warm water, low air pressure, increased precipitation, and suppressed upwelling