Understanding Earth's Atmosphere: Clouds, Winds, and Weather Patterns Explained

1. Jan. 4, 2019 You need: Clean paper (2) / pencil Warm Up:(Write on notebook paper) We’ve learned about clouds. What do you call a cloud in the upper portion of the sky? Middle portion? Lower portion? I CAN: review our atmospheric lessons and begin learning about storms.

2. Weather/atmosphere Human body Genetics #11 Cells/protists Cells/protists Math Benchmark Reading Benchmark Forces/motion/energy #11 #11 #11 NCFE NCFE Sci Final grades! 2nd semester

4. Mixture of Gases in Air All Other Gases Argon = 0.93% Carbon Dioxide = 0.04%

5. Earth’s atmosphere makes conditions on Earth suitable for living things: • It traps energy from the sun keeping the Earth warm. • The heat also keeps water in liquid form (good for life) • It protects Earth from dangerous radiation and meteor collisions.

6. Let’s make a model! • Write the notes ONTO the correct layer. • Add color to the layers and the pictures. • Cut out the layers and the pictures. • Assemble on your notebook paper. • **Be careful to place them low enough on the page so that they don’t stick out of the top of your binder!!**

7. Air pressure • Air pressure – the result of weight of a column of air pushing down on an area, measured by an instrument known as a barometer. Barometer = Air pressure

8. Air Pressure at Different Altitudes Mountains (High altitude) Magic Balloon: If I want it to be bigger, should I take it to the mountains or the beach? Sea Level (Low altitude)

9. HEAT TRANSFER

10. UNEVEN HEATING The uneven heating of the air that causes wind is created not only by different colors on Earth’s surface, but also by: • Different surfaces (grass vs. snow vs. water, etc.) • Pollution in some areas • Different amounts of sunlightdue to seasons, clouds, etc.

11. So the wind in the daytime blows TOWARD the beach. WARMER COOLER

12. So the wind blows toward the ocean at night. COOLER WARMER

13. Climate vs Weather • LARGE scale = overall pattern, trend • small scale = daily, weekly, small times • LARGE scale = Over the entire Earth • small scale = tiny area…usually land beside water. Global vs Local winds

14. Global winds Polar easterlies 1 Prevailing westerlies 2 3 Horse latitudes 4 Trade winds 5 Equator / Doldrums

15. United States of America

16. Coriolis Effect – the effect on the air caused by the rotation of the earth.

17. Water in the Atmosphere

18. Earth is called the “Water Planet” • 71% of the earth’s surface is covered by water. • Water is essential for LIFE on earth.

19. Water Cycle • The movement of water between the atmosphere and earth’s surface is the water cycle.

20. How does water get into the air? • EVAPORATION – is the process where liquid water molecules escape into the air as water vapor. • 3 things affect how quickly water evaporates: 1) Temperature 2) Wind 3) Humidity of the air

21. How much water can air hold? • HUMIDITY is the measure of how much water vapor is in the air. • TEMPERATURE affects how much water vapor the air can hold… Warm Air Cold Air holds LESS water vapor. holds MORE water vapor. That’s why air feels more “HUMID” on hot days!

22. What is the “Dew Point”? • As air cools, the amount of water vapor it can hold decreases. • At a certain temperature, the water vapor in the air will CONDENSE back into water droplets or ice. • This temperature is the “DEW POINT”.

23. Air Masses & Fronts

24. What is an AIR MASS? • An air mass is a huge body of air that influences weather. • Scientists classify air masses based on: TEMPERATUREand HUMIDITY WET WARM COLD DRY

25. How are Air Masses named? WET DRY MARITIME TROPICAL CONTINENTAL TROPICAL WARM MARITIME POLAR CONTINENTAL POLAR COLD

26. North American Air Masses MARITIME POLAR CONTINENTALPOLAR MARITIMEPOLAR MARITIMETROPICAL MARITIMETROPICAL CONTINENTALTROPICAL

27. How do these air masses move? MARITIME POLAR CONTINENTALPOLAR MARITIMEPOLAR Jet Stream That’s why weather generally moves WEST to EAST in the U.S. Jet Stream Prevailing Westerlies Prevailing Westerlies MARITIMETROPICAL MARITIMETROPICAL CONTINENTALTROPICAL

28. What happens when air masses meet? • Air masses don’t mix easily. • The line between air masses is called a front.

29. COLD FRONTS

30. WARM FRONTS

31. Compare/Contrast Chart - Types of Fronts

32. What are CLOUDS? • They are made of tiny water droplets or ice crystals. • They form when water condenses onto small particles in the air (like dust).

33. How TINY are the water droplets?

34. 1) Warm, moist air rises and cools. How do clouds form? 2) Air cools to dew point causing condensation. 3) Water vapor condenses forming a cloud.

35. Clouds are NOT all the same…

36. Clouds are classified according to SHAPE Flat clouds = “Stratus” Fluffy clouds = “Cumulus” Wispy clouds = “Cirrus”

37. Clouds are also classified by ALTITUDE On your blue paper, draw the different types of clouds (using chalk and charcoal). *Use your textbook (pg. 111) and the cloud charts.* Label each type of cloud. Paste the paper into your science notebook. HIGH LEVEL (cirro-) MID LEVEL (alto-) LOW LEVEL (stratus)

38. Spot the cloud! Low and flat ….. STRATUS

39. Spot the cloud! Middle level, fluffy ….. Alto-Cumulus

40. Spot the cloud! High level, wispy ….. Cirrus

41. Spot the cloud! Rain bearing, storm clouds ….. Cumulo-Nimbus

42. Cloud model • Color

43. Cloud model • Cut – on dotted lines (3 sides) You are creating a FLAP!

44. Cloud model • Trace boxes

45. Cloud model • Cut / paste boxes

46. Cloud model • Think / Share / COMPARE

47. Cloud model • Glue…finally

48. High Pressure H Low Pressure L Warm Front Surface Map (Fronts & Precipitation) Precipitation Occluded Front Cold Front Stationary Front

49. Temperature Map

50. Reading maps • Isobar…lines connecting areas of similar BAR-ometric pressure. • Isotherm…lines connecting areas of similar temperature.