Unit E - Weather and Atmosphere Flashcards
What is precipitation?
Any form of water that falls to earth, including rain, snow, sleet, and hail.
What is weather?
It describes detailed data such as temperature, precipitation, wind, and air pressure at a specific time and place.
What is climate?
It describes the weather averages in a place over a long period of time (usually at least 30 years).
PA has a Severe Climate because of the huge change from summer to winter.
How much of the earth is covered by water?
Water covers between 70-80% of Earth’s surface.
Most of the water is in the oceans.
A small part comes from lakes, rivers, streams, ice sheets, groundwater, and water vapor.
How do ocean temperatures affect climate?
The sun warms the earth’s oceans.
The oceans store the heat energy.
The ocean currents move the heat energy to different parts of the earth, affecting climate. Ex: Ireland is warmer because of the Gulf Stream Current.
Why do different parts of the world have different climates?
Energy From the Sun: Different latitudes have different climates because places near the equator receive more intense solar energy and are warmer.
Ocean Currents: Move the sun’s heat energy. See Key Question Note #5
Land Near Large Bodies of Water (Lakes): usually has milder temperatures. (cooler summer, warmer winter)
Altitude: higher elevations usually have colder climates.
Landforms Such As Mountains, Hills, and Valleys: block winds and change precipitation patterns. (mountain has a dry and wet side)
Why are the oceans salty?
Rivers dissolve salts found in the land (weathering) and carry (erosion) the salty sediments to the oceans where they are dropped (deposition).
The salt does not evaporate and builds up.
What are the three states of water?
Solid: ex. snow, ice, glaciers
Liquid: ex. rain, clouds, oceans, dew, fog
Gas: can’t see it - (water vapor in the air)
What is evaporation?
Heat changes liquid water into a gas called water vapor.
What is condensation?
Cooler air makes the gas change back into tiny liquid drops seen as clouds, fog, and dew.
What is the water cycle?
Water moves through Earth’s crust, oceans, the atmosphere, and organisms through the processes of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.
Water often changes states as it moves through the cycle.
The amount of water on Earth always stays the same
What provides the energy to power the water cycle?
Heat from the sun drives the water cycle.
Without the sun’s energy, the cycle would stop.
What is the atmosphere?
Air that surrounds the earth
Has layers defined by temperature ranges that alternate
Pressure decreases in higher altitudes
What are the gases found in the air that we breathe?
Nitrogen: 78% Oxygen: 21% Argon: 1% Carbon Dioxide: 0.04% Water Vapor & other gases: less than 1% Some percents are rounded up
