Weather and climate

As altitude increases…

Pressure, density, and temperature decrease

What happens to air molecules as you heat them up

they rise

What happens when the air molecules as you cool them

They sink

What’s the difference between high and low pressure regions

High pressure - Air is cool and dry due to dense air (sunny and light winds)

Low pressure - Air is warm and moist due to less dense air (stormy and windy)

What forms wind

Air moving from high and low pressure regions

True or false, does land heat up faster then water

True

Sea breeze

during the DAY wind blows from the ocean to land

The land cools more than the ocean, so the warm air above the ocean goes to land to balance pressure out

Land breeze

At NIGHT wind blows from land to water

The ocean cools more than the land, so the warm air above the land goes to the ocean to balance pressure out

What increases the speed of wind

The greater the pressure, the faster the wind

The lower the pressure, the slower the wind

What does isobars indocate

The closer the isobars, the faster wind

the farther the isobars, the slower wind

True or false, Is wind named after the direction they come from

True

Cloud formation

When warm air rises it expands and cools to form a cloud

Dew Point Temperature

The temperature that air must be cooled to be completely filled with moister / water

Weather fronts

When different air masses converge

What are Cold fronts

when cold air PUSHES warm air

-Intense storms

-Heavy rain

-thunderstorms

Sharp drop in temperature AFTER the cold front passes the area

What are warm fronts

When warm air mass slides OVER a cold air mass

-light rain or snow

Gradual increase in temperature after a front passes

What are occluded fronts

Cold front occlusion-

when a very cold front pushes a cold front

Warm air occlusion-

When a cool air front pushes a cold air front

What are stationary fronts

When neither air mass is strong enough to move the other

-drizzle or light rain

No temperate change

What is the lake effect snow

When colds air moves over a warm lake that make the warm air rise and condense into clouds that create heavy snow

What’s the difference between maritime and continental

Maritime - Moist air

Continental - Dry air

What’s the difference between Polar and Tropical

Polar - Cold

Tropical - Warm

How do hurricanes form?

When warm tropical seawater evaporates and condenses into huge clouds which brings in more air / wind to circle around and pick up more air and clouds to form hurricane.

Coriolis Effects

The curving effect of objects of fluids due to earth rotation

Whats the difference between the movement of low and high pressure systems in the northern and southern hemisphere

Northern:

Low - inwards and counter clockwise

High - outward and clockwise

Southern:

Low - inwards and CLOCKWISE

high - outwards and COUNTER CLOCKWISE

Convection cell

circular pattern of air movement where warm air rises, cools, and then sinks, creating a cycle

What are Planetary winds

General movement of wind that is bent due to the earths rotation (Coriolis effect)

Examples:

Polar Easterlies (located near 60 degrees north AND sotuh)

Westerlies (located near 60-30 degrees north AND south)

Northeast trades (located near the northern equator)

Southeast trades (located near the souther equator)

Whats a jet stream?

A band of VERY fast moving air high in the atmosphere where warm and cold air masses meet

flows west to east to guide weather systems

What happens when a jet stream dips north or south

It can bring unusual weather

like warm days in the winter and cold days in the summer

What is climate change

long term changes in temperature, precipitation, and weather patterns

How do variations in the flow of energy (suns light) into and out of earth systems affect climate

If more energy (suns light) enters the earth then leaves, the climate warms. its more energy leave then enters, the climate cools

Climate is determined by…

Temperature and amount of percipitation

What can climate impact?

Vegetation

animals

landscape features

What factors affect climate

Latitude

Elevation

mountain ranges

Planetary winds

Range to large bodies of water

ocean currents

How does latitude affect climate

The closer to the equator, the smaller the temperature range

the closer to the poles the larger the temperature range

How does elevation affect climate

When elevation increases, temperature decreases

How do Mountain ranges affect climate

The mountain side that faces the wind gets more precipitation and moisture

The mountain side that doesn’t face the wind gets dry air

What is Windward

-The side of the mountain range that faces toward the direction of the wind

-This makes the air push up to higher altitude to expand, cool, and condense into clouds

-causes this side of the mountain to be cold and wet

What is leeward

-The side of the mountain that faces aways from the wind

- This compresses the air, warms it, forming warm dry air ( no condestation)

How do planetary winds affect climate

Polar- causes cooler climate

Equatorial- causes warmer climate

Ocean- causes wetter climate

land- causes drier climate

What does range to a large body of water affect climate

Water has a higher temperate than land where it then releases onto land

Coastal cities have smaller temperate ranges

Inland cities have more extreme temperatures

What is the DEFINITION os the Milankovitch cycles

When earth orbits the sun, the shape of the orbit, tile of the axis, and direction of the axis point changes over thousands of years

What are the Milankovitch cycles?

1. Eccentricity

2. Obliquity

3. Precession

What is Eccentricity

the shape of earths orbit

evenly distributes the seasons

What is obliquity

The angle of earths tilt

Creates extreme climate in the seasons

What is precession

The direction of earths axis rotation is pointed

Changes which hemisphere has more extreme climate in the seasons over time

Which Milankovitch cycle is the most important cycle

Obliquity (angle of tilt) because it most strongly affects the season

How does the amount of energy leave and enter earths systems affect climate

If more energy enters than leaves, the climate warms

If more energy leaves than enters, the climate cools

What are causes short term climate changes (EXAMPLES)

Volcanic eruptions, solar activity, wildfires, oceans current changes

How does Volcanic eruptions affect climate change?

Volcanic eruptions release carbon dioxide causing warming due to it trapping the suns energy from exiting the earths atmosphere

(Carbon dioxide is a green house gas)

How does changes in solar activity affect climate change?

The changes in solar activity change the AMOUNT of ENERGY the sun realeases

(although this has little affect on modern climate change)

How does ocean currents affect climate change

Transports heat and regulates (controls) carbon absorption

What are long term causes of climate change (EXAMPLES)

Milankovitchs cycles and plate techtonics

How does the milankovitchs cycles affect climate change

they control how much of the suns energy the earth takes in

How does plate tectonics affect climate change

It alters ocean currents which controls carbon intake

How do humans contribute to climate change (EXAMPLES)

Burning fossil fuels, deforestation, agriculture, and factories

How does Burning fossil fuels contribute to climate change

Burning fossil fuels (oil, coal, etc.) releases massive amounts of greenhouse gasses which made the atmosphere warmer

How does deforestation contribute to climate change

Cutting down tons of trees releases lots of stored carbon (green house gas)

Whats a green house gas

Gases that trap the suns energy from exiting earth atmosphere

What are potential EFFECTS of climate change

Rising temperature

melting ice

sea levels rising

extreme weather

changing precipitation patterns

ecosystem impacts

What is albedo

How well surfaces reflect light

High albedo - high colored surfaces

Low albedo - dark colored surfaces

What is the ice albedo effect

When the sun warms up the oceans that melts the ice which exposes the more ocean (lower albedo) which melts even more ice

Whats a feed back loop

A cause and effect relationship

What is a negative feedback loop

Reduces the effect of change

balances it

What is a positive feedback loop

Increases the effect of change

Snowball effect

Why do the milanovitch cycles prove humans are causing climate change today

Milanvotich cycles shows only slight cooling and warming, while todays warming is increases due to greenhouse gases form human activities

What are carbon sinks

Carbon sinks absorb more carbon then they release

(forest and oceans)

What are carbon sources

Carbon sources release more carbon than they absorb

(Burning fossil fuels and deforestation)

What can be done to mitigate the impacts of climate change

reducing fossil fuels usage

Increase renewable energy (power from natural sources that replenish itself)

protect forests

reduce green house gas emissions

List the planetary global winds

Trade winds

prevailing westerlies

polar easterlies

What happens when different air masses interact at frontal boundaries

Fronts form, producing clouds, precipitation, and storms

Whats a station model and why are they useful

A weather map symbol that shows weather conditions at a specific location

Whats the movement of high pressure systems

Sinking air and outward movement

What is a weather phenomena

an observable change in earths atmosphere

What are examples of weather phenomena due to the interaction of different air masses

Rain, snow, thunderstorms, sleet, freezing rain, fog, blizzards, severe storms