What are the 3 main processes in the Water Cycle?

Evaporation Condensation Precipitation

What causes the seasons?

Tilt of Earth’s axis

2 Pointer!!! What is the distribution of Earth’s water from greatest to least? (5)

1. Salt water 2. Frozen ice 3. Groundwater 4. Surface water 5. Water vapor

Where does the Earth receive the most direct sunlight? The least?

Most = Equator Least = Poles

Is Earth’s water steadily increasing, decreasing, or staying in balance?

Earth’s water stays in balance

When an object spins on an axis it’s called what?

Rotation

Why does Earth’s water stay in balance? (Think of two processes in the water cycle)

The rate of evaporation is equal to rate of precipitation.

When one object moves around another object it is called what?

Revolution

What process takes place when liquid water absorbs enough energy to change into water vapor?

Evaporation

What makes the Earth have day and night?

Rotation on its axis

What process happens when water vapor cools and changes to liquid water?

Condensation

Why does the moon appear to go through phases?

Because of the changing positions of the Sun, Moon, and Earth

What is the process where four forms of water fall from clouds to Earth’s surface?

Precipitation

What does waxing mean?

To get bigger

Why does the ocean’s salinity stay about the same? (Think of two processes in the water cycle)

The rate of evaporation is equal to rate of precipitation.

What does waning mean?

To get smaller

As you descend into the ocean, what happens to temperature?

It decreases

As you descend into the ocean, what happens to light?

It decreases

As you descend into the ocean, what happens to pressure?

It Increases

As you descend into the ocean, what happens to density?

It increases

What is the Phase?

Full Moon

What is the Phase?

Waning Crescent

What is the Phase?

Waxing Gibbous

What is the Phase?

First Quarter

What is the Phase?

Waning Gibbous

What is the Phase?

Waxing Crescent

What is the Phase?

Third Quarter

Abyssal Plain

Continental Shelf

Continental Slope

How do scientists think the moon formed?

Impact theory

What causes waves?

Wind

What are the positions of the sun, earth and moon during a lunar eclipse?

S-E-M

What causes surface currents?

Wind

What are the positions of the sun, moon, and earth during a solar eclipse?

S-M-E

What causes deep ocean currents? (2)

Caused by differences in density and the Coriolis effect

An earth centered solar system is called what?

Geocentric system

2 Pointer!!! How do surface currents (ex. Gulf Stream, California Current, EAC) affect coastal climates?

They warm or cool the air above it affecting temperatures and the climate.

A sun centered solar system is called what?

Heliocentric system

What causes tides?

Caused by the interaction of the Earth, moon, and sun (gravity).

Which solar system theory did Galileo support?

Heliocentric

About how often does each high tide occur?

About every 12 hours.

Give one piece of evidence that Galileo used to support the heliocentric system? (2)

Venus going through phases like moon and the moons revolving around Jupiter

What type of tide is this? Sun M Earth

Spring Tide.

What type of tide is this? Sun M Earth

Neap Tide.

What are the twelve main objects/areas in our solar system starting and including the sun?

Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Asteroid belt, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto (dwarf), Kuiper Belt

What type of orbit do most objects in space have?

Elliptical

What are the gases and percentages that make up air? (3)

Nitrogen Oxygen Water Vapor, other

What are the percentages of the 3 main gases in the atmosphere?

Nitrogen 78%, Oxygen 21%, other 1%

As altitude increases, air pressure and air density do what?

Decreases

Which astronomer discovered that objects in space have an elliptical orbit?

Kepler

What causes local winds?

Caused by the unequal heating of Earth’s surface

What two forces help to keep objects like the Earth in orbit around the sun?

Gravity and Inertia

What type of Breeze is this?

Sea Breeze

What causes a Sea Breeze?

Daytime – cooler air moves from sea to replace warmer air on land

Which astronomer explained inertia and gravity?

Newton

What type of Breeze is this?

Land Breeze

What causes a land breeze?

Nighttime - Cold air moves from land to replace warm air at sea

What most likely originates in the Kuiper belt or Oort cloud region and orbits around the sun?

Comets

2 Pointer!!! What causes land and sea breezes?

Differences in pressure, due to unequal heating of land vs. water

What objects orbit between Mars and Jupiter?

Asteroids

What causes global winds?

Unequal heating - because of the angle of the sunlight hitting the Earth (more direct at the equator, more spread out at the poles)

What is a small object that orbits near the earth?

Meteoroid

Why do Global winds curve?

Coriolis effect (Earth’s rotation)

What is a small object that enters earth’s atmosphere called?

Meteor

What heats and cools faster (land or water)?

Land

What is a small object that comes from space and hits earth’s surface?

Meteorite

How do clouds form?

Warm moist air rises until it cools (reaches the dew point) and condenses.

What are the three types of galaxies?

Spiral Elliptical Irregular

What are the three major types of clouds?

Cumulus: fluffy, puffy Stratus: low, layered, gray Cirrus: feathery, wispy

What is the most accepted theory that explains the origins of our Universe?

Big Bang Theory

What type of clouds produce thunderstorms?

Cumulonimbus clouds.

What is a measure of how much water vapor is in the air?

Humidity?

What is the name of the galaxy where our solar system can be found?

Milky Way

On a cold day, when you “see” your breath, which part of the water cycle are you demonstrating?

Condensation (your own cloud formation)

2 Pointer!!! What are the four main types of air masses that affect the United States?

Maritime polar: humid, cold Maritime tropical: humid, warm Continental polar: dry, cold Continental tropical: dry, warm

Which type of air is denser, warm or cold?

Cold

Which type of air has more pressure, warm or cold?

Cold

Which type of air can hold more humidity, warm or cold?

Warm

When a rapidly moving cold air mass runs into a slowly moving warm air mass, what type of front is formed?

Cold Front

What type of front happens when a moving warm air mass collides with a slowly moving cold air mass?

Warm front

Sometimes cold and warm air masses meet, but neither one has enough force to move the other. What type of front is this?

Stationary front

What type of front is created when a warm air mass is caught between two cooler air masses?

Occluded front

What does this symbol represent?

Occluded front

What does this symbol represent?

Cold front

What does this symbol represent?

Stationary front

What does this symbol represent?

Warm front

What are lines on a map with the same air pressure?

Isobar?

What are lines on a map joining places with the same temperature?

Isotherms?

What natural disaster begins over water, as a low-pressure area; gains strength from the warm, moist air evaporating from the ocean?

Hurricane

How do hurricanes become weaker? (2)

A hurricane weakens as it moves across land or cold water.

In general, what direction does weather move across the United States?

West to the East.

What meteorological instrument measures temperature?

Thermometer

What meteorological instrument measures air pressure?

Barometer

What are the two factors that determine climate?

Temperature and precipitation

How do weather and climate differ?

Climate is the conditions over a long period (year after year); weather is the daily conditions at a particular time and place