Name __________________________________ Ms. HannaPhysical Science

Weather and Climate NotesWeather

________________________ behavior of atmosphere (what’s going on at any certain time) ________________ geographic area Can change ___________________

The study of weather is called ___________________ Someone who studies weather is called a ___________________

Climate ___________________ behavior of atmosphere (100+ years) ___________________ geographic area Very ___________________ to change

Climate ZonesPolar

___________________ latitude Cool summers, __________year-round Dry EX:

Temperate ___________________ latitude True __________ Variety of climate patterns _____________precipitation (rain/snow) EX:

Tropical 30o - __________________ No winter, ____________year-round High temp, _______________________, humidity EX:

Factors Affecting Climate

The Sun, The Water Cycle, The Atmosphere, The Ocean

1. Sun

1. It ____________________the atmosphere & oceans2. It creates ______________________________3. It keeps the ____________________cycle going4. It affects ____________________patterns

2. Water Cycle-__________ the water on the planet is recycled in this manner!Evaporation- Water going from a ____________________to a __________ (gains energy from the sun)

Condensation - Water going from a __________to a __________ (cools or loses energy)

Precipitation- when water __________out the atmosphere

Liquid-

Frozen-

Transpiration-evaporation of water from/out of __________.

3. Atmosphere

The atmosphere is a mixture of gases that surrounds the Eartho ___________________ (78%), ___________________ (20.9%), o Less than 1% Ar, CO2, He, Methane, Krypton, Hydrogen

Has five different layers; each has different properties Air ___________________ and ___________________ change with altitude Weather occurs in the layer closest to Earth (___________________)

Layers of the Atmosphere

Layer Descriptionthe ___________________ layer of the Earth's atmosphere, where atmospheric pressure and temperature are low.the atmospheric layer between the mesosphere and the exosphere; it is part of the thermosphere- the atmospheric layer between the stratosphere and the ionosphere.

- the atmospheric layer between the troposphere and the mesosphere. The stratosphere is characterized by a slight temperature ___________________ with altitude and by the ___________________ of cloudsthe layer of the atmosphere located above part of the ionosphere (starting at the coldest part of the atmosphere) and below outer space; it consists of the exosphere and part of the ionosphere.the lowest layer of the Earth's atmosphere. The ___________________ and ___________________ occur in the troposphere.

4. The ocean…

Air Masses

Air Mass- body of air with a certain ___________________ and ___________________ level

Can be ___________________ or ___________________ Can contain a lot of moisture or not a lot of moisture

Fronts

places where air masses meet 4 Types: ___________________, ___________________,

___________________, ___________________ Each kind can bring ______________kinds of weather

Air Pressure

How much the earth’s atmosphere is pressing down on us Measured with a ___________________

If it ___________________, then new weather is on the way:

Falling Air Pressure = ___________________ weather coming Rising Air Pressure = ___________________ weather coming Steady Air Pressure = ___________________ is coming

Air Currents

Determined by ___________________ and ___________________ of the earth’s surface, and the air around it.

Heat Flow Example DiagramConduction ______________ contact

between heat source and matter

When heat from blacktop or sand is transferred directly to a bare foot

Convection ______________ contact When the surface of the earth heats up, the air just above the surface rises. As it rises, it cools and therefore, it sinks back down. This ______________ and ______________ creates surface winds (convection currents)

Radiation Travels in ______________

The ______________ energy traveling to Earth

Wind

Winds are created from ___________________ in air pressure

Moves from areas of ___________________ to ___________________ pressure Greater the ___________________ in pressure, the ___________________ the wind blows Measured with wind vanes (or ________________________) and anemometers or you can estimate with the

Beaufort Wind Scale

Local Winds

Global Winds Thousands of kilometers long; can cause weather to ___________________

in different directions Jet stream, prevailing westerlies, doldrums, horse latitudes, trade winds are

all caused by the temperature difference in different regions o Hot Tropical Regions—causes air to ___________________o Cold polar Regions—causes air to ___________________

Also affected by Earth’s Spin Coriolis Effect = causes winds to curve to the ___________________ in the

N. Hemisphere; to the ___________________ in the S. Hemisphere

Relative Humidity Measure of the amount of ___________________ in the air compared to what the air could hold How “full” of water the air is Expressed as _____ 100% relative humidity = ___________________ air (precipitation is occurring)

Controlled by temperature1. Warm air holds ___________________ moisture than cool air (more ___________________ for water vapor between air molecules)2. As air warms, relative humidity ___________________3. As air cools, relative humidity ___________________

Dew Point___________________ at which the air is saturated (100% relative humidity)

Several events can occur when the dew point temperature is reached:1. If dew point temp. is above freezing:

a. water vapor ___________________ as liquidb. dew will form on ___________________c. ___________________ droplets will form in air

Day time breeze towards ___________ because warm air over land ___________ (LOW), then cools and ___________ (HIGH) towards water. Wind blows from _____ to _____.

Night time breeze towards ___________ because warm air over water ___________ (LOW), then cools and ___________ (HIGH) towards land. Wind blows from _____ to _____.

2. If dew point temp. is below freezing:a. water vapor ___________________ as a solidb. ___________________ on surfacesc. ___________________ (or hail) in the air

Severe Weather

Thunderstorms-Requires a mature _____________________________ cloud

Signsa. Sudden ___________________ of wind directionb. Noticeable ___________________ in wind speedc. Sudden ___________________ in temperature

Possible weathera. heavy rains (flash floods)b. lightning (forest fires)c. thunder (frightens animals)d. hail (crop damage)e. tornadoesf. strong, gusty winds

Safety Rulesa. Stay ___________________b. ___________________ for lightning, strong windsc. ___________________ to radio/TV for tornado watch/warningd. Thunderstorms don’t last long

Lightning Storm-Cumulonimbus cloud becomes ___________________ charged and ground below has opposite charge

Lightning strike: flow of current thru air (a poor conductor) from the – to the + Lightning can flow from cloud to ground, cloud to cloud, and from ground to cloud Bright light is caused by ___________________ air molecules heated by the current Lightning follows the path of least resistance (easiest way to positive) Lightning rod offers lightning an easy, __________________ path to the ground (+)

Thunder is the ___________________ caused by the explosive expansion of heated air Sound travels @ about _________ ft/sec in air (5,280 ft in one mile) Distance from you to lightning = number of seconds between seeing the flash and

hearing the thunder divided by 5. (5,280 ft / 1100 ft/sec = 5 seconds)

Types of LightningStreak/Bolt-Single or branched __________ of lightSheet-shapeless flash over __________ area; a cloud-to-cloud bolt hidden by the cloudsOthers-heat, ribbon, beaded (types of bolt); ball (only other shape lightning can have)

Safety

Stay ________________ Stay away from anything that conducts electricity (stove, sink, telephone, TV) Get out of the __________and off of small boats Stay away from open doors, windows, fireplaces Stay in your car (very safe place to be) Don’t stand under lone __________or in open places Avoid hilltops If your hair stands on end, or your skin tingles, drop to the ground but try to keep as __________contact with

the ground as possible

Tornado (Twister, Cyclone) Counterclockwise column of rotating air extending from cumulonimbus

cloud Per square foot, is the most ____________________ atmospheric event Rated by wind speed (EF1 to EF5) “Tornado season” = April, May, June Tornadoes that form over water are called “____________________”

*Behavior of a tornado is ____________________ *

Typical tornado will:1. Occur between _______ pm 5. Have wind speeds up to _____ mi/hr2. Travel ______ miles 6. Produce extremely low pressure3. Be 300-400m wide 7. Be dark due to debris picked up4. Travel 25-40 mi/hour

Safety1. Take ____________________ action!2. Move away from tornado’s path ( ______ to the path of the twister)3. Lie __________ in nearest ditch, etc.At home

a. __________ windows, doorsb. seek shelter in basement or under heavy table in middle of house

Tropical Cyclone

Nicknames1. Atlantic: ____________________2. SE Asia, Japan: typhoon3. Australia: willy-willy4. Indian Ocean: cyclone

Rated by wind speed (category 1 to 5) Starts and ____________________ over warm ocean water Composed of bands of thunderstorms spiraling counterclockwise

around a low pressure center

Characteristics

Several hundred ___________ wide

Last many days (even weeks) Winds from 74-200 mi/hr Contains an “___________”

o Small region of low pressureo Surrounded by highest windso Calm, peaceful, sunny weathero Last for about 1 hour as hurricane passes by

Safety1. _________________ for high winds2. Prepare for _________________ (greatest source of damage)

a. Up to 20 in. of rainb. Flooding by coastal water

3. Prepare for thunderstorms

4. Have on hand stored food, water, blankets, candles, matches, radio, etc.5. Seek ___________