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18 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
- 3rd side (hint)
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What Is Weather? |
The state of the atmosphere at a specific time and place. A result of the heating and cooling of Earth's air and water. |
The state of the atmosphere |
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How does the sun affect weather? |
It provides most of the earth's energy. Heats up the earth's water and causes it to evaporate (water cycle) Water vapor (evaporated water) rises into the atmosphere. As the temperature drops the air can't hold as much moisture so it condenses. It then falls back to earth as snow or rain depending on the state of the atmosphere. |
Water cycle |
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Temperature |
The measure of the average amount of motion in molecules. Hot:fast moving Cold: slow moving |
Molecules |
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Wind |
Air that moves in one direction.
Result of air moving from a high pressure area to low pressure area. Coriolis effect
Causes moving air and water to appear to be going left in the southern hemisphere and right In the northern due to the earth's rotation. |
Coriolis effect |
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Humidity |
The amount of water vapor held in the air. Warm air can hold more moisture than cold air. Warm air molecules moves fast which allows them to not be able to combine together Cold air can't hold as much moisture as warm air. Cold air molecules move slow which allows them to be able to combine together easily. |
Warm air vs. Cold air |
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Relative humidity |
The amount of moisture in the air compared to the amount of moisture the air can hold at a specific temperature. |
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Dew point |
The temperature at which air is saturated and condensation forms. Dew point changes when the amount of moisture in the air changes. |
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Weather tools |
Barometer:air pressure Wind vane: direction Wind sock:direction Anometer: wind speed Thermometer: temperature |
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Clouds |
Form as warm air is forced upward, expands, then cools. The air cools the water vapor molecules in the air come together around the particles of dirt and salt in the air Billions of these droplets form in clouds When clouds become heavy precipitation occurs. |
Warm air forced up |
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Cloud terms |
Stratus- layered, smooth even sheets across the sky Cumulus- large, puffy clouds that are often flat on the bottom Cirrus- thin, white feathery clouds Nimbus- dark rain clouds |
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Weather patterns |
Hail: water freezes in layers around a nucleus of ice * can break windows and destroys crops
Sleet: forms when raindrops pass through a layer of freezing air near earth's surface
Snow: below 0°c- water vapor changes directly into a solid |
Types of precipitation |
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Air masses |
A large body of air that has the same temperature and moisture content as the area over which it formed. Overland:dry Over water:wet In the tropics:warm In the polar region:cold Polar Temperate Tropics Tropics TemperatePolar TemperatePolar Polar |
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Air pressure |
Low pressure: masses of rising air When air rises and cools clouds form Areas of low pressure usually have cloudy weather Less dense warm air is forced upward High pressure: air masses of sinking air Usually means nice weather due to the difficultly of clouds forming as the warm air is sinking Descending=sinking |
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Cyclones+anticyclones |
Cyclones: larger counterclockwise swirling areas of low pressure. Associated with stormy weather. Anticyclones: winds swirling clockwise away from an area of high pressure.associated with fair weather. |
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Fronts |
Boundarys between 2 different air masses that have different temperatures, density and moisture. Warm fronts Forms when lighter, warmer air moves over heavier colder air. During a warm front wet weather may last for days |
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Occluded front |
Forms when a cold air masses moves toward cool air with warm air in between. The cold air force's the awrm air up. The warm air is then closed off from the surface |
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Stationary front |
Occurs when a boundary between air masses stops moving Stationary fronts can stay in the same place for several days Often light wind and precipitation will be associated with a stationary front |
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Cold front |
Occurs when cold air moves toward warm air The cold air goes under the warm air and lifts it. As the arm air is lifted it cools and the water vapor condenses, forming clouds. If there is a large enough difference in the warm air and the cold air a thunder storm or tornado may form. |
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