Meteorology C.U.B.A. Study Guide {Chapters #15, #16, AND #17}

[Prentice-Hall: Section 15-1 The Air Around You, Pages 498-501]o Weather is the condition of the atmosphere at a particular time and place.

o The atmosphere is a layer of gases that surrounds the planet.Related Link

http://www.educapoles.org/index.php?/multimedia/flash_animations/what_is_the_atmosphere/&uid=115&pg=8

o The Earth’s atmosphere was very different when the Earth formed 4.5 billion years ago.Related Link

http://bcs.whfreeman.com/thelifewire/content/chp03/0302001.html

o The Earth’s atmosphere makes conditions on Earth suitable for living things.

o The Earth’s atmosphere is composed of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, water vapor, and many other gases, as well as liquids and solids.

[Prentice-Hall: Section 15-2 Air Quality, Pages 504-507]

o Harmful substances in the air, water, or soil are called pollutants.o Most air pollution is the result of burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil, gasoline, and diesel fuel.

Fossil Fuel Use in Australia, Canada, the USA, Germany, and JapanThe graph below shows the fossil fuel consumption of Australia, Canada, the USA, Germany, and Japan. For each country, the graph indicates the percentage burned for industry, transportation, agriculture, services, and residential use.

1. Which country burns the lowest percentage of its fossil fuels for Industry?2. Which country burns a higher percentage of their fossil fuels on Transportation rather than

Industry?3. Does Australia burn a higher percentage of its fossil fuels for Transportation or Services?

o Air contains particles as well as gases. These particles come from natural sources {ocean spray, molds, pollens, forest fires, volcanic eruptions, soil erosion and dust storms} as well as human activities. Particles made mostly of carbon called soot enter the atmosphere as a result of burning fossil fuels.

Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources

Because energy can change form, people can use a variety of energy sources to meet their needs. One of the main uses of energy is to produce electricity. Like all resources, energy resources can be classified as either renewable or nonrenewable. Nonrenewable resources form very slowly and can not be replaced in a human lifetime. As a result, their supply is limited and can be used up. Renewable resources are either unlimited or can be replaced in a human lifetime. Because nonrenewable energy sources will run out one day, many people are looking for ways to increase our use of renewable and non-polluting energy resources. Fossil fuels are non-renewable energy resources that include coal, oil, and natural gas. Most electricity-generating power plants burn fossil fuels to turn turbines to drive generators that convert energy of motion into electricity. Unfortunately, burning fossil fuels adds large amounts of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere which leads to the greenhouse effect, or global warming. Renewable resources include, nuclear fission, solar power, geothermal energy, hydroelectric power, tidal power, and wind power.

Hydroelectric Power Nuclear Power

Power From Wind Solar Power

Geothermal Power Tidal Power

The Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming

The problem begins when human activities distort and accelerate the natural process by creating more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere than are necessary to warm the planet to an ideal temperature.

o Burning natural gas, coal, oil, and wood for electricity and gasoline for automobile engines raises the level of carbon dioxide {CO2} in the atmosphere.

o Some farming practices and land-use changes increase the levels of methane and nitrous oxide. o Many factories produce long-lasting industrial gases that do not occur naturally, yet contribute

significantly to the enhanced greenhouse effect and "global warming" that is currently under way. o Deforestation also contributes to global warming. Trees use carbon dioxide and give off oxygen

in its place, which helps to create the optimal balance of gases in the atmosphere. As more forests are logged for timber or cut down to make way for farming, however, there are fewer trees to perform this critical function.

o Population growth is another factor in global warming, because as more people use fossil fuels for heat, transportation and manufacturing the level of greenhouse gases continues to increase. As more farming occurs to feed millions of new people, more greenhouse gases enter the atmosphere.

Ultimately, more greenhouse gases mean more infrared radiation trapped and held; which gradually increases the temperature of the Earth's surface and the air in the lower atmosphere. This would lead to the following problems.

o Rising temperatures would raise sea levels as well, reducing supplies of fresh water as flooding occurs along coastlines worldwide and salt water reaches inland.

o Many of the world’s endangered species would become extinct as rising temperatures changed their habitat.

o Certain vector-borne diseases carried by animals or insects, such as malaria, would become more widespread as warmer conditions expanded their range.

Related Links

Global Glacier Retreathttp://sciencestage.com/v/7757/global-glacier-retreat.html

A Global Climate Changehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zpu7IZcdzXE

Smog and Acid Rain

o Smog: Nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, and other air pollutants react with one another in the presence of sunlight to form a mix of ozone and other chemicals called photochemical smog. The ozone in photochemical smog irritates breathing passages, harms plants, and damages rubber, paint, and some plastics.

Related Linkhttp://www.curriki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Coll_NROCscience/Lesson77AnimationPhotochemicalSmog

o Acid Rain: Acid rain forms when nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides combine with water in the air to form nitric acid and sulfuric acid. Acid rain lowers the pH of streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes destroying natural habits for organisms. Acid rain can also be strong enough to damage the surfaces of buildings and statues.

Related Linkhttp://www.outdoors.org/conservation/mountainwatch/images/haze2-sulfates.gif

[Prentice-Hall: Section 15-3 Air Pressure, Pages 509-514]o The atmosphere is a layer of gases that surrounds the planet.o Because air has mass, it has other properties including density and pressure.o Air pressure is the result of the weight of a column of air pushing down on an area.o The Earth’s gravity draws the atmosphere toward the Earth’s surface. For this reason, the Earth’s

atmosphere is the densest at the earth’s surface (D) and becomes less dense as altitude increases (A).

{A Column of the Earth’s Atmosphere}

1. How does air pressure change as altitude increases?2. At which level of the atmosphere is the atmosphere denser, level B or level C?

o Barometers are used to measure atmospheric pressure.

Mercury Barometer Aneroid Barometer Recording Barometer

o On some weather maps, you will find curved lines that connect areas where the atmospheric pressure is the same. These lines of equal pressure are called isobars. (Iso means “equal” and bar means “pressure.”)

o National Weather Service maps indicate air pressure in millibars. One inch of mercury is equal to 33.87 millibars, so 30 inches of mercury is approximately equal to 1,016 millibars.

Earth’s Surface

A

B

C D

What is the barometric pressure in this location?

________?______millibars

[Prentice-Hall: Section 15-4 Layers of the Atmosphere, Pages 515-520]

Atmospheric Layer Some Characteristics of Each Layer

Thermosphere

The thermosphere extends from 80Km above the Earth’s surface outward into space. It has no definite outer limit. The lower portion of the thermosphere is referred to as the ionosphere. Ions in the ionosphere reflect radio waves back to Earth. The aurora borealis occurs in the ionosphere. The upper portion of the thermosphere is referred to as the exosphere. Phone calls and television signals often reach you by way of communication satellites that orbit the Earth in the exosphere.

MesosphereMeso means “middle,” so the mesosphere is the middle layer in the earth’s atmosphere. The mesosphere is the coldest layer of the atmosphere. Most meteoroids burn up in the mesosphere, producing meteor trails.

StratosphereStrato is similar to stratum, which means “layer” of “spreading out.” The upper stratosphere contains a layer of ozone, the three-atom form of oxygen. The ozone layer absorbs ultraviolet radiation.

TroposphereThe inner or lowest layer of the Earth’s atmosphere. Tropo means “turning” or “changing.” The conditions in the troposphere are more variable than in other layers of the atmosphere. The troposphere is where the Earth’s clouds form and weather occurs.

Related Link:http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/earthguide/diagrams/atmosphere/

This line indicates how temperature changes as

altitude increases in the

atmosphere.

As altitude increases in the atmosphere, the

atmospheric pressure

decreases.

CHAPTER # 16: WEATHER FACTORS

PH 16-1: Energy in the Atmosphere {Pages 526-529}The Electromagnetic Spectrum

The Electromagnetic Spectrum Animation Linkhttp://www3.interscience.wiley.com:8100/legacy/college/strahler/0471669695/animations/ch02/

animation1.htm

1. Which type of radiation travels from the sun to the Earth causing you to become sunburned?2. Which type of radiation can be felt as heat? It is this type of radiation that heats the lower atmosphere by

conduction.3. Which type of electromagnetic wave has the longest wavelength and is categorized as low frequency?

PH 16-2: Heat Transfer {Pages 532-535}

Reading a Thermometer :

Sample Questions:

1. Which thermometer records the lowest temperature reading at 66 ºC? A. Thermometer “A” C. Thermometer “C” B. Thermometer “B” D. Thermometer “D”

2. Which thermometer reads 70 ºC? A. Thermometer “A” C. Thermometer “C” B. Thermometer “B” D. Thermometer “D”

Radiation, Conduction, and Convection :

Heat Transfer Animation Linkshttp://www.wisc-online.com/objects/SCE304/SCE304.swf

http://www.mansfieldct.org/schools/mms/staff/hand/convcondrad.htm

1. How does the sun heat the soil of the land differently than the water of the ocean?2. How is the lower atmosphere heated after the sun heats the Earth by radiation?-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. In what two ways could the person holding the pot be burned?4. How is heat transferred through the water in the pot?5. Which of the three types of heat transfer can

occur through empty space?6. Use the table of energy forms to answer the following question. Which answer best describes the forms of energy produced by the fire?

SUMMARY OF ENERGY FORMSForm of Energy Description

Heat Energy that moves from hot objects to cooler onesPotential Energy of position or shapeChemical Energy stored in chemical bondsNuclear Energy stored in the nucleus of the atom

Electrical Energy of moving electronsLight Energy contained in electromagnetic wavesSound Energy produced by vibrating objects

A. potential and electricalB. nuclear and chemicalC. heat and lightD. sound and nuclear

The surface of the Earth is heated as radiation from the sun is absorbed.

The lower atmosphere isheated by conduction since it comes in contact with the warm Earth.

Heat is transferred into the upper atmosphere as a result of convection.

PH 16-3: Winds {Pages 536-544} Wind Measurements : Winds are horizontal movements of air from areas of high pressure to areas of

low pressure.

Anemometer

An anemometer measures wind speed in miles per hour (MPH) or kilometers per hour (KPH).

Wind Vane

A wind vane measures wind direction. The wind vane points to the direction from which the wind is coming since that is how winds are named. For example: A “west wind” comes from the west and moves towards the east.

1. How does an anemometer work?2. Describe the movement of a northeast wind in terms of its direction.3. What is the definition of a wind?

Determining the Wind Chill Factor : The wind chill is the apparent temperature felt on exposed skin due to wind.

Sample Question: If the Actual Thermometer Reading is 0ºF and the Estimated Wind Speed (in MPH) is 20 MPH, what is the Equivalent Temperature in ºF? A. 16ºF B. -10ºF C. -39ºF D. -74ºF

Local and Global Winds : All winds are formed because of the unequal heating of the Earth’s surface. Winds are horizontal movements of air from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure.

Land and Sea Breezes Animation Linkhttp://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/visualizations/es1903/es1903page01.cfm?

chapter_no=visualization

1. What time of the day do sea breezes occur?2. From which direction does the wind blow during a sea breeze?3. How does the temperature of the land compare to the temperature of the sea during a sea breeze?___________________________________________

4. What time of the day do land breezes occur?5. From which direction does the wind blow during a land breeze?6. How does the temperature of the land compare to the temperature of the sea during a land breeze?

Global Winds :

Global Winds Linkserc.carleton.edu/eslabs/hurricanes/1b.html

Global Winds Animation Linkhttp://www.mhhe.com/biosci/genbio/tlw3/eBridge/Chp29/animations/ch29/global_wind_circulation.swf

The Coriolis Effect (P-H Pages # 541-544) Why does the Coriolis force cause wind and ocean currents to be deflected? In which direction are wind and ocean currents deflected in the northern and southern hemispheres.

http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/earth/coriolis.html

1. Which global wind system brings maritime polar air masses to the west coast of the U.S., but can prevent maritime polar air masses from moving into the east coast of the U.S.?

2. Dry air sinks at approximately 30º and 90º north and south latitudes forming belts of high pressure. What types of ecosystems would you expect to find at those latitudes?

3. The Doldrums refers to a low pressure belt that exists along the equator. How does the air move in the Doldrums, and what kind of ecosystems would you expect to exist on land masses in this region?

Effect of Living Next to Water on Climate :

Coastal Climates, Ocean Currents and Their Impact on Climate (P-H Pages # 575, 611 & 612) How does living along the coastline of an ocean moderate the climate? How do ocean currents such as the Gulf Stream impact regional climate? What determines the temperature of the water an ocean current carries?

http://trc.ucdavis.edu/biosci10v/bis10v/media/ch31/climate_currents_v2.html

Sample Question: Based on the map of South Carolina seen to the right, which of the following statements is most likely true?A. Myrtle Beach SC. has colder winters than Conway SC.B. Conway has a colder climate than Myrtle Beach.C. Conway has warmer summers that Myrtle Beach.D. Myrtle Beach has more extreme temperatures than Conway.

PH 16-4: Water in the Atmosphere {Pages 545-546} The Water Cycle :

Water Cycle Animation Linkhttp://earthguide.ucsd.edu/earthguide/diagrams/watercycle/

Evaporation is the process in which liquid water changes into a gas. Energy from the sun causes water on the Earth’s surface to evaporate.

Transpiration is the process in which water moves from a plant’s body to the atmosphere. The sun’s energy causes water to evaporate of plant leaves.

Condensation is the process in which water vapor (or gaseous water) changes into a liquid. Clouds form when water vapor in the atmosphere condenses into water droplets.

Precipitation is the release of water to the Earth’s surface in the form of rain, freezing rain, sleet, snow, or hail.

Runoff is water that moves from land into rivers and streams. Infiltration and percolation occur as water sinks into, and moves downward through permeable soil

and collects in rocks. This water is referred to as ground-water.

1. What process must occur for water vapor in the atmosphere to become the water droplets that form clouds?

2. What name is given to the process of water drops evaporating off of the leaves of plants?3. When the sun shines on a lake, liquid water becomes water vapor by which process?4. Sometimes precipitation infiltrates or sinks into the ground. Other times, the water moves over the

Earth’s surface into streams, rivers, lakes, or oceans. What do we call this movement of water over the Earth’s surface?

Watersheds :Watershed Animation Link

http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec/demo/Watershed.html

A watershed is an area of land that drains rainfall and snowmelt into a particular body of water. The terrain of the land around the body of water helps define the watershed. A watershed can include many creeks, streams, and rivers. So it can be said that a river collects water that flows from its watershed. In Pennsylvania, many creeks form as runoff moves down the Appalachian Mountains. Creeks and streams can combine to form rivers. Some rivers eventually flow into lakes. Most rivers eventually flow into bays or oceans. When this happens, the freshwater from the rivers mixes with the salt water of the bay or ocean. A large part of Pennsylvania lies within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The Chesapeake Bay watershed covers about 64,000 square miles of land.

Sample Question: Which of the following statements incorrectly describes the relationship between a river and its watershed?A. A watershed can contribute pollution to its rivers.B. A watershed provides eroded sediments to its rivers.C. A river collects water that flows from its watershed.D. Watersheds are man-made to prevent rivers from flooding.

Wetlands: Many wetlands are freshwater bodies. Wetlands are areas of land that are under water for all or part of the year. Wetlands include marshes, swamps, and bogs. Wetlands filter pollutants, excess nutrients, and sediments out of the water that flows through them, so wetlands improve water quality. Wetlands also soak up excess water, so they can help prevent flooding.

Wetlands Animation Linkshttp://www.viddler.com/explore/fuzzeevideo/videos/25/

http://www.acfenvironmental.com/MWanimation.html

Sample Question: A river is polluted by a nearby coal mine. The river eventually flows through a marsh to a stream. Which of these describes the most likely result of this flow of water through the marsh to the stream?A. Biodiversity will decrease in the stream because pollutants will increase.B. Biodiversity will increase in the stream because water pollution will increase.C. Biodiversity will decrease in the stream because sedimentation will increase.D. Biodiversity will remain constant in the stream because the marsh will naturally purify the water.

Relative Humidity : In a psychrometer, there are two thermometers, one with a dry bulb and one with a wet bulb. Evaporation from the wet bulb lowers the temperature, so that the wet-bulb thermometer usually shows a lower temperature than that of the dry-bulb thermometer, which measures dry-bulb temperature. When the air temperature is below freezing, however, the wet bulb is covered with a thin coating of ice and yet may be warmer than the dry bulb. Relative humidity is computed from the ambient temperature as shown by the dry-bulb thermometer and the difference in temperatures as shown by the wet-bulb and dry-bulb thermometers. Relative humidity can also be determined by locating the intersection of the wet- and dry-bulb temperatures on a psychrometric chart. One device that uses the wet/dry bulb method is the sling psychrometer, where the thermometers are attached to a handle or length of rope and spun around in the air for a few minutes.

Example Question:

Use the thermometers to the left, and the psychrometric chart to the right to determine the relative humidity of the air according to the dry and wet bulb thermometer readings. A. 66% B. 69% C. 79% D. 85%

Freshwater versus Saltwater :

DENSITY Salt water is denser than fresh water because of all of the dissolved salts it contains. Because salt water is denser than fresh water, objects float more easily in salt water than fresh water.

FREEZING POINT The dissolved salts in salt water cause the freezing point of salt water to be lower than the freezing point of fresh water.

CONDUCTIVITY When sodium chloride dissolves in water, it forms charged particles called ions. The ions in salt water make it a good conductor of electricity.

NATURAL RESOURCES People get seafood from the oceans and use oceans for transportation and recreation.

IMPORTANCE TO WATER CYCLE

When seawater evaporates, it leaves behind salts and other particles dissolved in it. Through evaporation, fresh water returns to the atmosphere where it can form clouds and fall back to the Earth as precipitation.

USED FOR DRINKING OR WATERING CROPS

Unlike fresh water, salt water can not be used to drink or to water crops. Because most of the water on Earth is not drinkable, people must keep fresh water clean and use it wisely.

1. Which requires a lower temperature to freeze, fresh or salt water?2. Which type of water is more dense, fresh or salt water? What happens when freshwater rivers

enter saltwater oceans?3. What can be done to freshwater to make it a better conductor of electricity?4. How are fresh and saltwater used as natural resources?

PH 16-4 & 16-5: Clouds & Precipitation {Pages 547-554}

Clouds : Clouds form as air masses rise, expand, and cool causing water vapor to condense into water droplets. Water droplets are extremely small. It takes about a million water droplets to form a rain drop.

Cloudman.com Linkhttp://cloudman.com/Basic Cloud Types

Cumulus StratusCumulonimbus Nimbostratus

Cirrus ----------

Click on the poster below to access information on basic cloud types.

Meteorological Causes of Precipitation Linkhttp://www.s-cool.co.uk/gcse/geography/weather-and-climate/rainfall-types.html

Formation of Precipitation Animations Linkhttp://apollo.lsc.vsc.edu/classes/met130/notes/chapter7/51_Sleet/A_51.swf

Types of Precipitation

Rain HailSleet Freezing RainSnow ----------

Click on the picture below to access information on clouds & precipitation.

Sample Questions:

1. Which types of low clouds are responsible for producing misty rain or drizzle?2. Which type of cloud produces rain showers or snow storms of long duration?3. Which types of clouds are normally produced by rapidly moving cold fronts and bring severe weather in

the form of thunderstorms? This cloud type is the only one capable of producing hail?4. How is sleet different that freezing rain? Isn’t sleet frozen rain drops?5. What kind of weather generally occurs when cirrus and cumulus clouds are in the sky?

CHAPTER # 17: WEATHER PATTERNS

PH 17-1: Air Masses and Weather Fronts {Pages 563-565} What are weather fronts? What is the weather usually like along a weather front? How do the temperatures and humidity levels change after the passing of cold and warm fronts? How are warm fronts, cold fronts, occluded fronts, and stationary fronts different?

http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/visualizations/es2002/es2002page01.cfm?chapter_no=visualization

http://www.stevemcentee.com/animation3.html

PH 17-2: Storms {Pages 567-575} How do tornadoes form? How do global winds influence the movements of these air masses? What kind of weather in California is associated with winds that come from the northwest? Why are tornadoes most come in Tornado Alley, the central region of the U.S.? {Hint: Refer to your

Modeling a Vortex lab handouts.}

Tornado Linkhttp://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/Atmosphere/tornado/formation.html

Tornado Animation Linkhttp://esminfo.prenhall.com/science/geoanimations/animations/Tornadoes.html

How do hurricanes form?

TornadoAlley

What causes the most damage from hurricanes?

Hurricanes Linkshttp://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/visualizations/es2008/es2008page01.cfm?

chapter_no=visualization

http://scifiles.larc.nasa.gov/kids/Problem_Board/problems/weather/hurricanebasics.swf

PH 17-3: Floods {Pages 579-582}

What is a flash flood? What leads to most flash floods? What is the first rule of flood safety?

Flash Flood Animation Linkhttp://www.uky.edu/AS/Geology/howell/goodies/elearning/module12swf.swf

PH 17-4: Predicting the Weather {Pages 583-582}

What is El Nino? What types of weather changes can be caused by El Nino? What kinds of weather patterns do low pressure systems create? What kinds of weather patterns do high pressure systems create? What name is given to the lines on a weather map that connect areas with the same barometric

pressure? What type of weather accompanies cold fronts?

Weather Map Linkhttp://www.as.ysu.edu/~wbuckler/Weather/Exercises/Surface_Weather_Maps/

surface_weather_maps.htmlWeather Station Models

Decoding the Surface Weather Station Model {click on “Example Numbers” 1-9}http://itg1.meteor.wisc.edu/wxwise/AckermanKnox/chap1/decoding_surface.html

What does each number and symbol of a weather station model indicate?

Sample Question:

Which of the following statements correctly describes the weather symbolized by the station model below?

A. 39ºF - clear skies – fog - southeast wind (25 knots) – air pressure at 1086.5 mb & rising B. -10ºF – partly cloudy skies – snow - northwest wind (2.5 knots) – air pressure at 865 mb & fallingC. 39ºF - overcast skies, northwest wind (25 knots) – air pressure at 865 mb & continuously fallingD. 38ºF with overcast skies, drizzle, southeast wind (20 knots) – air pressure steady at 1086.5 mb

AIR PRESSURE Sea-level pressure is plotted in tenths of millibars (mb), with the leading 10 or 9 omitted. For reference, 1013 mb is equivalent to 29.92 inches of mercury. Below are some sample conversions between plotted and complete sea-level pressure values:

410: 1041.0 mb103: 1010.3 mb987: 998.7 mb872: 987.2 mb