Atmospheric Movement

Question 1

Air Mass

Answer 1

An air mass is a large volume of air in the atmosphere that is mostly uniform in temperature and moisture.

Question 2

Conduction

Answer 2

Heat transfer through touch.

Question 3

Convection

Answer 3

Process by which heat is transferred by movement of a heated fluid such as air or water.

Question 4

Radiation

Answer 4

Solar energy or heat.

Question 5

Condensation Nuclei

Answer 5

Condensation nuclei are tiny particles in the air on which water vapor condenses and they are the key to making clouds, fog, haze, rain, and other forms of precipitation.

Question 6

Saturation

Answer 6

It simply means that the maximum amount of moisture is in the air at the particular temperature the air is at.

Question 7

Humidity

Answer 7

Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air. If there is a lot of water vapor in the air, the humidity will be high.

Question 8

Global Winds

Answer 8

Global winds are caused by unequal heating of the atmosphere. The Earth contains five major wind zones: polar easterlies, westerlies, horse latitudes, trade winds, and the doldrums.

Question 9

Jet Stream

Answer 9

Narrow bands of strong wind in the upper levels of the atmosphere.

Question 10

5 types of air masses

Answer 10

Continental arctic, Maritime Polar, Maritime Tropical, Continental Tropical, and Continental Polar

Question 11

Continental arctic

Answer 11

Extremely cold and very little moisture

Question 12

Maritime Polar

Answer 12

Cold but moist

Question 13

Maritime tropical

Answer 13

Warm, moist, and unstable

Question 14

Continental tropical

Answer 14

Hot and very dry

Question 15

Continental polar

Answer 15

cold, dry and stable

Question 16

Occluded front

Answer 16

Fast moving cold front overtakes warm front and lifts the warm air off the ground completely; cumulus and cumulonimbus clouds form; large precipitation over a short period of time

Question 17

Stationary Front

Answer 17

when two air masses meet, neither air mass is displaced; little horizontal movement occurs” moves very slowly or not at all; stratus and cirrus clouds form; produces light precipitation over long period of time like a warm front

Question 18

Warm front

Answer 18

when cold air retreats from an area; warm air overrides cold air, replacing it; less dense warm air rises over the cooler air; produces light precipitation over a large area over a long period of time; clouds are cirrus and stratus; clear warm air afterwards

Question 19

Cold Front

Answer 19

when cold air mass replaces a warm air mass; moving cold air lifts the warm air; if warm air is moist clouds will form; fast moving cumulus and cumulonimbus; violent thunderstorms, heavy rain for a short period time, snow, cool weather after

Question 20

Low pressure system

Answer 20

A low pressure area is a storm. Hurricanes, rain, and snow events such as blizzards occur in the winter examples of storms. Thunderstorms including tornadoes are examples of small scale low pressure areas.

Question 21

High pressure system

Answer 21

High pressure weather is typically dry weather and sunshine.

Question 22

How does wind move?

Answer 22

The Coriolis effect which is a result of Earth’s rotation, causes moving particles such as air to be deflected to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere.

Question 23

Why and how does wind form?

Answer 23

Wind forms when the sun heats one part of the atmosphere differently than another part. This causes expansion of warmer air, making less pressure where it is warm. Air always moves from high pressure to lower pressure, and this movement of air is wind.

Question 24

How does the angle of sunlight strike the Earth at different latitudes?

Answer 24

The Earth’s shape is a sphere. This causes the Sun rays to strike the Earth’s surface at different angles, creating different temperatures on Earth. The equator receives the most direct sunlight because sunlight arrives at a 90 degree angle to the Earth.

Question 25

What controls the amount of energy reaching the Earth’s surface?

Answer 25

The energy transferred to the Sun from the Earth is due to radiation. Latitude, climate, and weather patterns are the major factors that effect the amount of radiation received from the surface are during a specific amount of time.

Question 26

3 reasons why saturation occurs and clouds can begin to form?

Answer 26

By adding water vapor to air, mixing cold air with warm, moist air, and/or lowering the temperature of air to the dew point. Since the air now has moisture and the temperature as well as the condensation, water vapor in the air will condense into visible water droplets creating clouds.

Question 27

In one paragraph be able to identify and explain how latitude on Earth affects temperature variations (climate).

Answer 27

Latitude affects the climate because sun rays hit the earth at different intensities throughout out the year which causes the different weather in seasons. Latitudes near the poles always receive the Sun’s rays at lower angles which creates a colder climate. In the middle latitudes, the angle of the Sun’s incoming rays varies from lower in the winter to higher in the summer, causing seasonal temperature changes. In conclusion, there will be the most heat at the equator and the least heat at the poles.

Question 28

3 factors that affect climate besides latitude

Answer 28

Elevation, Temperature, and Surface Features all affect the climate.
Elevation- Elevation or height of land forms above the sea level produce distinct temperature changes. Temperature decreases as elevation increases in the troposphere. Mountainous regions are higher in elevation therefore colder with increasing altitude.
Time of Year- The time of year largely affect the climate because every season has different weather within it due to the Earth’s orbit around the Sun. Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter each have its special weather within each. For example Spring has fairly warmer air with high precipitation rates which hold more moisture. Because of this Spring is the rainiest of all seasons in the Northern Hemisphere. While Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. Winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Winter usually has snow, ice, and freezing temperatures.
Surface Features- Surface features affect climate depending on what region you’re in. Regions near large bodies of water like some rural regions are relatively cooler and have higher humidity. Urban regions such as cities are several degrees warmer and the buildings trap solar radiation.