WCS LTB ALL (combined with a quizlet)

Land breeze

Occurs during night; Comes from land; cooler air over land moves toward rising warm air over water to replace it

Sea breeze

Occurs during the day; comes from the sea; warm air above land rises and cold air above water moves to replace it

Rising Hot Air

Has low density

Sinking Cool Air

Has more density

Air mass

Massive pockets of air formed when air separates due to moving over different surfaces with different temperatures.

Cloud formation

Requires water vapor, dust particles, and low air pressure

Air pressure change causes…

Cloud formation

Convection current

The circulating movement of air or water caused by temperature differences.

Winds in the northern hemisphere

Trade winds, westerlies, and easterlies

Density

The degree of compactness in a substance.

Coriolis Effect

The apparent deflection of moving objects when described relative to a rotating reference frame.

Air masses are formed

When air takes on the temperature and humidity characteristics of the surface below

Wind is created

Cold, dense air sinking and moving to replace (wind) the warm, less dense air rising

Atmospheric convection current

Caused by uneven heating of Earth’s surface

Deep ocean currents

Caused by convection currents in the ocean

Convection currents in the ocean

Caused by uneven heating and salinity of oceans

Surface currents

Caused by wind and upwelling

El Nino and La Nina

Caused by a change in trade winds

Storm systems

Created when 2 different air masses meet with different temperature and humidity characteristics at a front.

Radiation

When heat is transferred through electromagnetic radiation

Conduction

When heat is transferred by direct contact between 2 objects

Convection

When heat is transferred by movement of gases and liquids

Jet stream

A constant tube of wind that moves air masses around Earth

Cold front

Cold air mass slides under warm air mass, which is pushed upward rapidly; Forms clouds, rain, snow

Warm front

Warm air mass overrides cold air mass and slides over it slowly; Forms light rain/snow, scattered clouds

Stationary front

Neither air mass has energy to push the other; Forms days of clouds and precipitation

Occluded front

A cold and cool air mass meet and push up a warm air mass; Forms clouds, rain, snow

High pressure weather

Sunny weather, clear sky, no precipitation

Low pressure weather

Precipitation like rain and snow

High air pressure clouds

Low clouds, denser and thicker

Low air pressure clouds

High clouds, less dense and thinner

Humidity

The amount of water vapor in the air

Air pressure

Force per unit area exerted on a surface by the weight of
air above that surface; effected by elevation, temperature, and water vapor

Weather

Temperature, pressure, humidity, precipitation, and wind at a specific place and time

Climate

The weather conditions that are characteristic of a region over a long period of time

How oceans influence weather and climate

Oceans absorb and release energy from the sun and redistribute it through ocean currents

El Nino

Caused by decrease in trade winds; Causes decreased upwelling; increased temperatures

La Nina

Caused by increased trade winds; causes increased upwelling; decreased temperatures