SST Flashcards
Weather
The conditions of the atmosphere at a specific place or time
Climate
The average weather at a specific place for a long period of time normally 30 years in the UK
Name the 5 layers of the atmosphere.
Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere
How can we describe weather?
By identifying the:
Temperature (e.g. cool)
Wind (e.g. calm)
Precipitation (e.g. rainy)
Humidity (e.g. muggy)
Visibility (e.g. clear)
The overall look (e.g. sunny)
How can weather be dangerous?
For example, lighting can shock people to death and if it’s too cold people may get frostbite
What are the features of the troposphere?
- The lowest layer of the atmosphere.
- 11 km deep.
- Almost all water vapor is found here, so most weather occurs here.
What are the 4 forms of precipitation?
Rain, hailstones, sleet or snow
What is the root of all weather?
The sun because it heats the earth-unevenly and the air warms and rises which causes wind because cold air rushed to replace the warm air. It also heats the water and creates water vapour. It cools, clouds form and it rains differently depending on the temperature
What happens when the sun warms the air?
The warm air rises and the cold air flows in to replace it as Wind
What happens when the sun warms the ocean?
The water evaporates and forms a gas called Water vapour. It rises, cools, clouds from and it rains
Wind
Air on the move that is made when cold air rushes to replace warm air that has rose. It’s also one of the factors that influence climate
How does rain, hail, sleet or snow form?
The sun warms the ocean causing it to evaporate (rise), condense and form into small water droplets that then form into clouds and the 4 forms of precipitation
The sun heats the Earth __________
Unevenly
Fog
When water vapour condenses lower down in the air and forms a thick cloud close to the earth’s surface
Mist
When water vapour condenses lower down in the air but it is less dense than fog so it can hang in the air
Dew
Condensed water vapour that forms overnight when grass and leaves reach dew point
Name 3 reasons why earth is unique.
- has water
- has an oxygen atmosphere
- can support life
What happens to dew when the sun shines?
The atmospheric temperature increase and it disappears due to evaporation
Atmosphere
A blanket of gas around earth
Why does the troposphere have most of the weather?
Because gravity is pulling the air molecules down
Why is there no rain in the stratosphere?
Because it has very dry air containing little water vapour so few clouds are found in this layer
What are the 5 things we have to measure for weather?
- Temperature
- Precipitation
- Air pressure
- Wind speed
- Wind direction
Temperature
How hot or cold it is, measured in Celsius using a thermometer