Weather Unit Foldable In the upper right hand corner write Your name Today's date Core

Yellow Paper Title The Atmosphere What is the atmosphere? What is the function of the atmosphere? The atmosphere is layers of gasses that surround the Earth. Earth’s atmosphere has two main functions: 1st it contains gas like O2 that we need to live and 2nd it traps heat so the water on the planet remains liquid.

The Atmosphere What gases are in the atmosphere? There are 2 main gases in the atmosphere 1st Nitrogen 78% 2nd Oxygen 21%. All other gases make up the other 1%.

Green Air Pressure What is air Pressure? What is Barometric pressure? The result of the weight of a column of air pushing down on an area. Changes in the atmospheric pressure as shown by a barometer

Air Pressure What are the Properties of air? Altitude/Elevation How does altitude affect air pressure and density? Air has mass, density, and pressure. The distance above sea level. (the surface of the ocean) The higher the altitude the lower the air pressure and denisty The lower the altitude the greater the air pressure and density.

Blue Title Layers of the Atmosphere How many layers are there in the atmosphere? There are 5 layers, the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere,

Layers of the Atmosphere Troposphere: - This is the layer we live in and the smallest layer Temperature decreases as altitude increases 140 to - 76 degrees F All weather happens here This is the ONLY layer living things can live in 16 km above sea level

Layers of the Atmosphere Stratosphere: Temperature increases as altitude increases from -76 to 32 degrees F - Ozone layer found here, and weather Balloons 50 km above the earth

Layers of the Atmosphere Mesosphere: - Temperature decreases to coldest point 32 to -130 degrees F. - Meteor Showers - 50 to 90 km

Layers of the Atmosphere Thermosphere: - Temperature increases 2700 degrees F - Aurora borealis (Northern lights), International Space Station, Space Shuttle stay in this layer. - 90 to 500 km from sea level

Layers of the Atmosphere Exosphere: - Temperature Increases to 5000 degrees F - Satellites orbit here - 500 km + from sea level Meteorology - is the study of the earths atmosphere

Orange title Air Masses and air Fronts Air always move from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure. On the surface of earth air moves from the poles to the equator. In high atmosphere air move to the poles A huge body of air that has similar temperature, humidity, and air Pressure.

The pacific ocean currents influence the weather of Utah. How? There are 5 types of air masses classified by temperature, and humidity. Continental: dry Maritime: wet Tropical: warm Polar: cooled Artic: Super cold The pacific ocean currents influence the weather of Utah. How?

Orange Title Air Masses and Fronts What is a Front? There are three main types of Fronts An area where air masses meet and don’t mix. Cold Front Warm Front Stationary Front

Air Masses and Fronts Cold Front: Cold air moves underneath warm air, forcing warm air to rise. Usually short violent storms Page 605

Air Masses and Fronts Warm Front: Forms when warm less dense air rises over cold air. Precipitation usually far ahead of the front.

Air Masses and Fronts Stationary Front: happens when a cold and warm air mass meet and don’t move.

Orange 2 Title Weather Factors Radiation: the transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves Conduction: heat transferred through a substance by the direct contact of molecules. Convection Currents: the transfer of heat by the movement of a heated fluid.

Orange 2 Title Weather Factors Weather is caused by heat energy, moister, wind, air pressure. The ozone layer absorbs powerful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Green house effect: process by which gases hold heat in the air. CO2

Orange 2 Title Weather Factors Temperature: the average amount of energy of motion of the molecules of a substance. Heat: the transfer of energy from a hotter substance to a cooler one.

El Nino El Nino - (El Nee-nyo) is the warming of water in the Pacific Ocean. El Nino Weather Rain and flooding along the Pacific coast Warm water disrupts food chain of fish, birds, and sea mammals Tornadoes and thunderstorms in southern US Fewer than normal hurricanes in the Atlantic

La Nina - (Lah Nee-Nyah) is the cooling of water in the Pacific Ocean. La Nina Weather Snow and rain on the west coast Unusually cold weather in Alaska Unusually warm weather in the rest of the USA Drought in the southwest Higher than normal number of hurricanes in the Atlantic

Blue Title Wind Wind: the horizontal Movement for air from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure. All wind is caused by differences in air pressure. Wind is named by the direction from which it comes from.

Global Wind Patterns

Blue Title Wind Jet Stream bands of high-speed winds about 10km above earth’s surface. Prevailing Westerlies: mid-latitude, wind that blow from West to East.

Green Title Precipitation Precipitation: any form of water that falls from the clouds and reaches Earth’s surface. (liquid or solid) There are 5 common types of precipitation Water Sleet Freezing Rain Hail snow

Green Title Precipitation Humidity: measure of the amount of water vapor in the air Water vapor: water in the form of a gas Moist air is more dense then dry air Liquid water in more dense then water vapor Warm air holds more water vapor then cold air

Weather vs. climate