Atmosphere & Weather

Atmosphere 1. The composition of Earth’s ____________ has changed over geologic time. (atmosphere) 2. Earth’s atmosphere is unique in the solar system in that it contains substantial _____________. (oxygen) 3. The early atmosphere contained little _________________ and more _______________________than the modern atmosphere. (oxygen; carbon dioxide) 4. Increasing amounts of carbon dioxide, which is a _______________ gas, are being blamed for the increase in temperatures globally. Global warming is said to be caused by greenhouse gases. Burning fossil fuels, such as petroleum, is being blamed for (greenhouse)

Atmosphere 5.Early photosynthetic life such as _________________ (blue-green algae) consumed carbon dioxide and generated oxygen. (cyanobacteria) 6.It was only after early photosynthetic life generated _________that animal life became possible. (oxygen) 7.As the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere increased, animals were able to move from the oceans to ______. (land) 8.Earth’s atmosphere is _______ percent oxygen, ________ percent nitrogen, and trace gases. (21%; 78%)

Atmosphere 9. Gases in the atmosphere have _______. (mass) 10.The masses of the gases pushing down create _________. (atmospheric pressure) 11.Atmospheric pressure ______ as you move out toward space; it _____ as you go below sea level. (decreases; increases)

Atmosphere 12.Cold air is more ____________ than warm air. This means the molecules are packed more tightly together. (dense) 13.Warm air has more space to hold _________. (water vapor) 14.When warm air _______, it cannot hold as much water vapor. It condenses and forms _________. ______ takes place. (cools; clouds; precipitation) 15. For a cloud to form, air should be at or below _______. (dewpoint) 16.________ is the temperature at which water condenses. (dewpoint) 17.Evaporation adds water vapor to the __________. (atmosphere)

Atmosphere 18. The atmosphere of Venus is mostly ________ and very dense. (carbon dioxide) 19.The atmosphere of Mars is very thin and mostly ___________. (carbon dioxide) 20.The composition of the _________ can change due to human, biologic, and geologic activity. (atmosphere) 21.Human activities have increased the ________ content of the atmosphere. (carbon dioxide) 22.Man-made chemicals have decreased the ________ concentration in the upper atmosphere. (ozone)

Atmosphere 23. Volcanic activity and meteorite impacts can inject large quantities of _______ and gases into the atmosphere. (dust) 24. The ability of Earth’s atmosphere to absorb and retain heat is affected by the presence of gases like water vapor and _________. (carbon dioxide) 25. Winds are affected by the ______________. (Coriolis Effect) 26. The ___________________ are responsible for the weather in most of the United States. (prevailing westerlies) 27. The ________________ allows planes flying west to east to use less fuel and takes less time. (jet stream)

Weather 28.Weather and _______ are different. _______ is the current conditions of the atmosphere, whereas ______ is the average weather of an area over many years. (climate; weather; climate) 29.Earth’s surface is much more efficiently heated by the sun than is the ___________. (atmosphere) 30.The amount of energy reaching any given point on Earth’s surface is controlled by the ________of sunlight striking the surface and varies with the seasons. (angle)

Weather 31._______ are created by uneven heat distribution at Earth’s surface and modified by the rotation of the Earth. (winds) 32.Energy transfer between Earth’s surface and the atmosphere creates the ________. (weather) 33.Both weather and climate are measurable and, to a certain extent, ________________. (predictable) 34._____________ is the major mechanism of energy transfer in the oceans, atmosphere, and Earth’s interior. (convection) 35. __________________ in the atmosphere is a major cause of weather. (convection) 36.___________________ describes day-to-day changes in atmospheric conditions. (weather)

Weather 37._______describes the typical weather patterns for a given location over a period of many years. (climate) 38.Areas near the _______receive more of the sun’s energy per unit area than areas nearer the poles. (equator) 39.The conditions necessary for cloud formation are air at or below ________ and presence of condensation nuclei. Cloud droplets can join together to form precipitation. (dewpoint)

Weather 40.The four major factors affecting climate are ________, elevation, proximity to bodies of ______, and position relative to ________. (latitude; water; mountains) 41.The __________ causes deflections of the atmosphere due to the rotation of Earth. Global wind patterns result from the uneven heating of Earth by the sun and are influenced by the Coriolis effect. (Coriolis Effect) 42.Earth’s major climatic zones are the polar, _________________, and tropical zones. (temperate)

Weather 43.A ___________ is a narrow, violent funnel-shaped column of spiral winds that extends downward from the cloud base toward Earth. (tornado) 44.A _________ is a tropical cyclone (counterclockwise movement of air) characterized by sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour (75 miles per hour) or greater. (hurricane) 45.Hurricanes begin over ___________ oceans. (tropical) 46.Hurricanes lose their energy when they move onto _____________. (land)

Weather 47. Tell what the following instruments are used to find: –barometer _______________________________ –psychrometer ____________________________ –thermometer _____________________________ ( atmospheric pressure; humidity; temperature) 48.________ pressure indicates cloudy weather and _______pressure indicates sunny, clear weather. ( low; high)

Weather 49. Draw the symbol for each type of front: a) cold __________________ b) warm __________________ c) stationary ______________ d) occluded ________________

Weather 50.The symbols point in the_________the front is moving. (direction) 51.High pressure systems are indicated with a capital _________ and low pressure systems are indicated with a capital __________. (H; L) 52.On a weather map, _________ are lines (similar to contour lines) that connect points of equal pressure. (isobar) 53. The closer isobars are, the greater the pressure and the greater the ____________ speed. (wind) 54.The farther apart the ___________, the lower the pressure and the more gentle the wind speed. (isobars)

Weather 55.A __________is used to indicate the weather. (station model) 56.The wind symbol shows the __________ the wind is coming from and has feather like marks that indicate the _________of the wind. (direction; speed) 57._______ is created by air moving from an area of high pressure to an area of ________. (wind; low pressure) 58.______ pressure and ________ pressure systems are indicated by a capitol H and L on a weather map. (high; low)