Weather and Atmospheric Movement Flashcards
What causes wind and ocean currents
The uneven heating of the Earth by the sun creates convection currents.
What is convection
The heating and rising then cooling and sinking of material forming a circular pattern of movement
What part of the Earth receives the most direct light from the sun?
The equator
What instrument is used to measure humidity?
Psychrometer (Si-craw-meter)
What is humidity?
- The amount of moisture found in the air.
2. The relative measure of the amount of water vapor in the air.
What is an air mass?
A body of air that has the same temperature and humidity all the way through it.
Where can you find convection currents?
Boiling water, magma, air currents and ocean currents
What causes convection currents to happen in the air and oceans on Earth?
The uneven heating of the Earth’s surface by the sun.
Where does a maritime air mass form?
Over the ocean
Where does a continental air mass form?
Over land
What is a land breeze?
A breeze that moves from land out over the ocean at night.
How is a land breeze created?
From air moving from high pressure (cooler temperature) over land to low pressure (warmer temperature) over water
What is a sea breeze?
A breeze that moves from the ocean in towards the land during the day.
How is a sea breeze created?
It moves from high pressure (cooler temperature) over the ocean to low pressure (warmer temperature) over the land.
What three things are caused by the uneven heating of the Earth?
- Convection Currents
- Wind Patterns (land and sea breezes)
- Ocean Currents
What main condition is needed for a hurricane to happen?
Water above 80 degree Fahrenheit.
Very warm water
What happens as a hurricane moves in over land?
It loses energy (strength) because it loses its energy source.
Air masses formed near the equator would have a ______________ temperature?
Warm/High
Air masses formed near the polar regions would have a ________________ temperature
Cold/Low
Air masses formed over oceans would have ___________ humidity
High
Air masses formed over land would have ___________ humidity
Low
What are air masses formed over water called?
Maritime
What are air masses formed over land called?
Continental
Describe a Continental Polar (cP) air mass
It is dry and cold
Describe a Continental Arctic (cA) air mass
It is dry and very cold
It is dry and super cold
It is cry and bitterly cold
Describe a Continental Tropical (cT) air mass
It is dry and warm
Describe a Maritime Tropical air mass
It is moist and warm
It has high humidity and is warm
Describe a Maritime Polar air mass
It has high humidity and is cold
It is moist and cold
What causes convection currents to move the way they do? (Why does hot material rise and cold material sink?)
Convection currents move because of density (warm air is less dense so it rises) and air pressure (warm air is less dense so it has less air pressure)
