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Weather. Weather vs Climate. Weather Day to day happenings Ex: Raining Can change daily/weekly. Climate Annual trends Tropical Temperate Polar. Electromagnetic Energy. The type of energy from the Sun Can travel through a vacuum (space) Transfer of energy through radiation
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Weather vs Climate • Weather • Day to day happenings • Ex: Raining • Can change daily/weekly • Climate • Annual trends • Tropical • Temperate • Polar
Electromagnetic Energy • The type of energy from the Sun • Can travel through a vacuum (space) • Transfer of energy through radiation • Examples: • Visible light • Microwaves • Radio Waves • Ultraviolet light
Winds • Movement of air • Speed measured with anemometer • Caused by: • Radiant heating from electromagnetic energy • Air convection currents • Difference in air pressure • Unequal heating of the atmosphere
Local Winds • Unequal heating of the Earth • Low pressure forms under rising hot air • Land next to a body of water • Land breeze • Sea breeze • Only form when winds not blowing from farther away
Global Winds • Global convection currents • Coriolis Effect • Earth’s rotation makes winds curve to the right in Northern Hemisphere and curve left in Southern Hemisphere • Kinds: • Prevailing Westerlies • Polar Easterlies • Trade Winds • Jet Stream
Water in the Atmosphere • Humidity • Relative Humidity • Dew Point • Liquid water is condensed on the surfaces • Frost • Where solid water is deposited on surfaces
Clouds • A visible mass of water or ice suspended in the atmosphere • Types • Cumulus – heap or mass • Stratus – layered • Cirrus – wispy, feathery • Can add nimbus (means rain) • Cumulonimbus • Nimbostratus
Cumulus usatoday.com
Stratus urbanext.illinois.edu
Cirrus imagescloud.com
Cumulonimbus westphalfamily.com
Precipitation • When water falls to the Earth • Temperature of the air determines the amount of water cloud can hold • Types • Rain • Snow • Sleet • Hail • Freezing rain
Rain Shadow biorlz.info
Air Masses • Classified by Temperature and Humidity • Temperature • Tropical – Warm • Polar - Cold • Humidity • Maritime – Humid • Continental - Dry
North American Air Masses faculty.uml.edu
Fronts • Where air masses meet but do not mix • Can be 15 – 200 km wide (9 mi – 124 mi) • Can reach 10 km into troposphere
Cold Front • Fast moving cold air runs into slow moving warm air • Rain at front – Rising warm air looses water as it cools • Move quickly • After front passes dry, cool and clear http://www.physicalgeography.net
Warm Front • Warm air advances on cold air • Slower than cold front • Clouds, maybe rain physicalgeography.net
Stationary Front • Not enough force for each front to move the other • Warm air pushed up and then cools = precipitation cbs3springfield.com
Occluded Front • Warm air caught between two cold air masses • Warm air pushed up and cools = precipitation physicalgeography.net
Pressures • High • Anticyclone • Rotate clockwise (Northern Hemisphere) • Winds move outward • Cool, drier, clearing air • Low • Cyclone • Rotate counterclockwise (Northern Hemisphere • Winds move inward • Warm, moist air