1. Air Masses, Fronts and Global Wind Patterns
Meteorology

2. Syllabus State Lab Exam May 20-22 State Written Exam June 1
March Chapter 9 Meteorology
Chapter 8 Astronomy
Completion of first practice exam found in your wkbk Due April 4/5th
Chapter 10 Geology
April Completion of Second Practice Exam due April 7thChapter
11 Energy – Forces – Motion*
Chapter 5 Physiology & Human Systems
Chapter 6 Reproduction & Development
Chapter 7 Genetics
May Chapter 3 Characteristics of Life / Cells
Chapter 4 Ecology
State Lab Review: Microscope Use, Making Microscope Measurements, Lab Skills on Measuring and Properties of Matter: Density, Volume, Mass, Speed and Momentum
June Extra Final Topic and Review for Final!!!!

3. Station Plots http://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/html/stationplot.shtml

4. The Atmosphere Made of 4 layers: An ocean of air Troposhere
Stratosphere
Mesophere
Thermopshere
Exosphere

5. Functions of Atmosphere
Protects us from meteors as they disintegrate
It helps in absorbing heat energy from the Sun and Earth
Contains the ozone created from oxygen made from photosynthesis millions of years ago
Protects us from UV rays because of the ozone
Chlorofluorcarbons (CFC), bromides and nitrogen oxides created by human activity are breaking down the Ozone.
This can cause increased cases of skin cancer, and inhibit plant and animal life.
Greenhouse gases keep the heat in
Green house gases: carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane

6. The Atmosphere continued . .
Stratosphere: dry, temperatures increase because of the ozone layer above. Ozone: absorbs ultraviolet light
Mesophere: temperatures decrease, air very clean
Thermosphere: meteors disintegrate at this level as altitude increases the air pressure and vapor pressure decrease

7. How life began. . . . There was no life, oxygen, water vapor, or ozone
Without an Ozone the planet was extremely hot.
Volcanoes began to erupt creating CO2 and water vapor.
Clouds began to form creating precipitation.
CO2 was available for plant life!
Plants evolved created O2 during photosynthesis.
The O2 created the Ozone layer to help bring down the temperatures and limit UV.

8. Water Cycle

9. Functions of Atmosphere
Protects us from meteors as they disintegrate
It helps in absorbing heat energy from the Sun and Earth
Contains the ozone created from oxygen made from photosynthesis millions of years ago
Protects us from UV rays because of the ozone
Chlorofluorcarbons (CFC), bromides and nitrogen oxides created by human activity are breaking down the Ozone.
This can cause increased cases of skin cancer, and inhibit plant and animal life.
Greenhouse gases keep the heat in
Green house gases: carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane

10. Fronts and their symbols

11. Fronts: Cold Warm Stationary Occluded Boundary between two air masses
Characterized by shift in weather
There are 4 types each having different symbols
Cold
Warm
Stationary
Occluded

12. Characteristics of Cold Fronts
Temperature – drops rapidly
Pressure – rises steadily (High pressure)
Density – increases
Clouds – yes, vertically moving up
Precipitation – Heavy along front
Winds – Strong and shifting
Moves faster than warm front

13. Cold Fronts

14. In the summer, cold fronts can trigger:
thunderstorms
large hail
dangerous winds
tornadoes

15. Cold Front
Which compass direction is the cold front going? ___________
What is occurring along the boundary of the warm and cold front? ________
Why is the warm front moving north? _______________

16. Warm Fronts

17. Characteristics of a Warm Front
Temperature – rises slowly
Pressure – slight rise, then fall
Density – low
Clouds – strato- and cirro-
Precipitation – long, steady
Winds – variable and light
Typically will have affect for days

18. Warm Front
Which compass direction is the warm front moving? ___________
How do you know this? ___________
What is occurring along the boundary of the warm and cold front? ________
Would the precipitation be a long or short storm? _______________

19. Effects of warm fronts
Slow-moving warm front can mean days of wet weather before warm air
Sometimes water vapor in warm fronts condense to produce
rain
snow
sleet
freezing rain

20. Stationary Front

21. Stationary Fronts Temperature – stagnent Precipitation – none
Winds – variable and light
Can last for days weeks

22. Occluded Fronts Temperature – Precipitation – steady and light
Warm – gets milder
Cold – gets colder
Precipitation – steady and light
Winds – variable and light

24. Different Temperatures - Different Pressures
Less
Dense
Low
Pressure
Cool
Air
Denser
High
Pressure
Warm
Air

25. High and Low Pressure Systems

26. Air Pressure Systems:
H on a map represents a High Pressure System
High Pressure System Weather:
Occurs when: cool dry temperatures which are dense pushes a warm front up!
Creates: cool clear calm dry air sunny skies
L on a map represents a Low Pressure System
Low Pressure:
Occurs when: warm moist air will rise and cool resulting in clouds and precipitation.
Creates precipitation

27. Pressure and Air Movement

29. Isobaric Maps

30. Isobars
Lines that indicate the difference in pressure over a given location--between isobars, any location on the same line has the same air pressure.
Lines that are close together = STRONG winds
Lines farther apart = Light winds
Each line represents a measurement of air pressure which are the same

32. Air Masses

33. Air Masses:
Air mass - a large region of air which has similar temperature and moisture characteristics throughout.
What will make the air mass dry or moist?
Whether the air mass forms over a body of land or water it will be either dry(land)or wet(water).
What will make the air mass cold or warm?
Whether the air mass forms over a the tropics or over the arctic locations, the mass will be (cold or warm.

34. Continental Arctic (cA):
Frigid
Dry
Dense - very high barometric pressure
Usually originate north of the Arctic Circle

35. Continental polar (cP):
Cold and dry
Usually originates in NW Territory of Canada

36. Maritime polar (mP): Cool and moist
Originate over N. Atlantic and N. Pacific
Main Influence - the Pacific Northwest and the Northeast.

37. Maritime tropical (mT):
Warm and very moist
Originate in the Gulf of Mexico and the Southern Atlantic Ocean

38. Continental Tropical (cT):
Very Hot and very dry
Originates in Desert Southwest and northern Mexico

40. Quick Write: Label Each box using the appropriate symbols for each type of Air Mass12 3 1 4 6 8 7 5

41. Label Each box using the appropriate symbols for each type of Air Mass
12 cA
3 cP
1 mP
4 mP
6 cT
8 mT
7 mT
5 mT

42. Fill out the table below using the above map
Number
Air Mass Symbol
Air Mass Name
Air Masse Weather Condition 1 mP
Maritine polar
Moist cold 2 cA
Continental arctic
Dry frigid 3 cP
Continental polar
Dry cold 4 mT
Maritine tropical
Moist warm 5 cT
Continental tropical
Dry warm

43. Fill out the table below using the above map
Number
Air Mass Symbol
Air Mass Name
Air Masse Weather Condition 1 2 3 4 5

44. What is a Topographic Map?
A topographic map is a representation of the Earth
It shows the shape of the Earth's surface with the use of contour lines/isolines.
Contours are imaginary lines that join points of equal elevation on the surface of the land
These lines help to measure the height of mountains, depths of the ocean bottom, and steepness of slopes.

45. LOOK AT THE HIGHLIGHTED AREAS, WHAT DOES IT TELL YOU?
Topographic Maps

47. January Global Pressure Map

48. July Global Pressure Map

50. Quiz Questions:
Where would you expect there to be the strongest winds? Why?
Where would you expect there to be the calmest winds?
Where would you expect clear, cool skies?
Where would you expect cloudy skies with the greatest potential for precipitation?