Up Through the Atmosphere
The most abundant gas in our atmosphere
Nitrogen
What does a barometer measure?
atmospheric pressure
What happens when two air masses meet?
A front forms and precipitation and storms form
Which type of cloud is high, thin, and wispy and never produces rain?
cirrus
Moving air that can cause the temperature to feel cooler than it actually is.
Wind
The study of the atmosphere is called?
Meteorology
Name a type of air pollution you'd find in cities
Smog (smoke & fog)
What causes winds to curve over great distances?
Coriolis effect
What is the process that causes a gas to turn directly into solid, such as frost?
Deposition
Which type of severe weather goes through multiple stages and is measured by the Saffir-Simpson scale?
Hurricane
nitrogen-fixing bacteria, lightning
Wind blows from areas of ___________ to areas of _____________.
high pressure; low pressure
A _____________ occurs when a warmer air mass is replacing a colder air mass.
warm front
The type of cloud that are puffy and can develop vertically
Cumulus
Tornados often form in a within a strong rotating thunderstorm called what?
Supercell
Most of Earth's weather happens in the ________ (up to 11km above the Earth's surface).
troposphere
The atmosphere is warmed by the sun's rays through is an example of what heating process?
Radiation
Weather that stays in an area for a longer length of time, what type of front likely exists there?
Stationary
Low lying gray sheet-like clouds
Stratus
Which type of severe weather has high speed rotating winds and is measured by the enhanced Fujita-Pearson scale?
Tornado
Name the three special zones in our atmosphere and their functions
Ozone layer-absorbs ultraviolet radiation
Ionosphere - reflects radio signals allowing long-distance communication
Magnetosphere-deflects solar wind and prevents high-energy particles from stripping the atmosphere
Heat transfer by direct contact
Conduction
A large body of air in the troposphere with fairly uniform temperature and humidity conditions, which it obtained in its source region.
air mass
Name the four types of precipitation
Rain, snow, sleet, and hail
A severe weather disturbance involving high winds and heavy precipitation