The TEKSKnow that climatic interactions exist among

Earth, ocean, and weather systems.

• 8.10 (A) recognize that the Sun provides the energy that drives convection within the atmosphere and oceans, producing winds and ocean currents;

CONVECTION

Transfer of heat by the movement of warmed fluid (air or liquid)

Warm fluid rises (less dense)

Cool fluid sinks (more dense)

CONVECTION

CONVECTION

CONVECTIONMoves air in the atmosphere!

Moving Air = Winds

Convection in the atmosphereis the main cause of the wind.

Where does the Energy for Convection come from onEarth?

THE SUN!!!

CONVECTION

CONVECTIONcauses deep ocean currents!

CONVECTIONWind over the shore changes

direction because of EARTH’S UNEVEN

WARMING & COOLING!

Hot Air is Less Dense!

Atmospheric Density

What is most dense

SINKS!

How high is the atmosphere? 99% is within 30 km / 18 miles of the surface of the Earth

Half the atmosphere is 5 km / 3.5 miles above the surface of the Earth

Air Pressure – the weight of the air pressing on the surface at a give location

Atmospheric Movement

MOSTLY CAUSED BY:- Temperature differences- Pressure differences- Coriolis Effect (due to Earth’s

rotation)

Air MovementGas molecules move from high density to lower density

The TEKSKnow that climatic interactions exist

among Earth, ocean, and weather systems.

• 8.10 (B) identify how global patterns of atmospheric movement influence local weather using weather maps that show high and low pressures and fronts;

We would expect…

Coriolis Effect breaks upGlobal Circulation

• On Earth the large circulation cell breaks up into 3 smaller ones, moving diagonally

• Other worlds have more or fewer circulation cells depending on their rotation rate

The Coriolis effect

• The Coriolis effect– Is a result of Earth’s rotation– Causes moving objects to follow curved paths:

• In Northern Hemisphere, curvature is to right

• In Southern Hemisphere, curvature is to left

– Changes with latitude:• No Coriolis effect at Equator

• Maximum Coriolis effect at poles

The Coriolis effect on Earth

• As Earth rotates, different latitudes travel at different speeds

• The change in speed with latitude causes the Coriolis effect

Figure 6-9a

Global Winds - winds that blow steadily in paths for thousands of kilometers

Total Atmosphere Circulation

Role of the Ocean• Slowly absorbs and slowly releases

heat energy helping keep Earth’s temperatures relatively stable

• Oceans heat or cool the air above them and transport heat around the globe in currents.

• Hurricanes form over warm ocean water, drawing their energy from the water’s heat.

Ocean CurrentsCurrents

• large scale water movements– occur everywhere in ocean– both surface and deep

• 2 main types: surface currents (10%) and subsurface currents (90%)– surface currents are primarily wind driven– deep currents are density driven – other forces affecting currents

Coriolis effectfrictiongravitythermal expansiongeologic shape of ocean basin

Major oceanic circulation systems

Gyres are large circular-moving loops of waterFive main gyres (one in each ocean

basin):• North Pacific• South Pacific• North Atlantic• South Atlantic• Indian

• Generally 4 currents in each gyre• Centered about 30o north or south

latitude

Current GyresCurrent Gyres

Wind-driven surface currents

Lost at Sea

•January 1992 - shipwrecked in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of China

•November 1992 - half had drifted north to the Bering Sea and Alaska; the other half went south to Indonesia and Australia

•1995 to 2000 - spent five years in the Arctic ice floes, slowly working their way through the glaciers

•2001 - the duckies bobbed over the place where the Titanic had sunk

•2003 - they were predicted to begin washing up onshore in New England, but only one was spotted in Maine

•2007 - a couple duckies and frogs were found on the beaches of Scotland and southwest England.

Duckie Progress

Other Effects of Wind on Water Movement

a) Downwelling – results when two wind-driven surface currents collideOR when a wind-driven surface current collides with a land mass

two surface currents colliding surface current colliding with land mass

b) Upwelling - results when two wind-driven surface currents move away from each other OR when a wind-driven surface current moves away from a land mass

surface current pushed away from land masstwo surface currents pushed in opposite directions

Surface and Deep-Sea Current Interactions

Unifying concept: “Global Ocean Conveyor Belt”

http://seis.natsci.csulb.edu/rbehl/ConvBelt.htm

The Water Cycle

 

 

Four Types of FrontsCold Fronts A cold front forms when cold air moves underneath warm air, forcing the warm air to rise. 

On Weather Map

How can you tell which direction

the front it moving from the

map?

Cold Fron

t

Four Types of Fronts

Warm Fronts        - A warm front forms when warm air moves over cold air.

What kind of weather forms at a warm front?

On Weather Map

How can you tell which direction

the front it moving from the

map?

Warm

Front

Stationary Fronts    

Where the warm and cool air meet, water vapor in the

warm air condenses into rain, snow, fog, or clouds.

Occluded Fronts

When a cold air mass and a cool air mass come

together, the warm air caught between them is

forced upward.

Reading Weather Maps

http://0.tqn.com/d/weather/1/0/B/-/-/-/weathersymbolssummary.jpg

Read the Legend!!!

Radar

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/arx/?n=jul2409Local Weather….

http://www.wunderground.com/maps/#?type=Fronts

The TEKSKnow that climatic interactions exist

among Earth, ocean, and weather systems.

• 8.10 (C) identify the role of the oceans in the formation of weather systems such as hurricanes.

http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-hurricane.htm

What Happens On Land?

• LandfallAfter a few hours over land, a hurricane will weaken rapidly. WHY?

• Without the moisture and heat sources provided by the ocean, the storm can no longer produce thunderstorms near the eye. Without this convection, the storm's energy dissipates.

Recommended Resources…

• Edheads – Reading a Weather Map Tutorial & Interactive Game• http://edheads.org/activities/weather/index.shtml• Current Weather Maps – (different maps for temp, pressure, moisture, etc)• http://weather.rap.ucar.edu/surface/• Weather - Easy Interactive Barometer• http://kids.earth.nasa.gov/archive/air_pressure/barometer.html• Air Force Association that Flies Into Hurricanes to Collect Data!• http://www.hurricanehunters.com/• Short video clip about their mission

http://oceantoday.noaa.gov/hurricanehunters/welcome.html • NOAA – Education Resources• http://www.education.noaa.gov/• Bill Nye – Storms• http://www.gamequarium.org/cgi-bin/search/linfo.cgi?id=7827

Other Files You Might Like…

• Edusmart

• BrainPop – Weather

• Unit Organizer

• Bill Nye – Storms – check out the clearest, most fun explanation of El Nino ever!! (also has Winds, Atmosphere,etc)

• Evaporation & Condensation Lab

• STEMscopes

• Texas STAAR Coach