| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What are the layers of the atmosphere – starting from the Earth going upwards? | Troposphere, Stratosphere,Mesosphere,Thermosphere, Ionosphere,Exosphere |
| Which layers does the weather of the Earth occur in? | Troposphere |
| Barometer | Is an instrument that is used to measure changes in air pressure. |
| What is a Aneroid barometer? | A smaller portable instrument without using liquid that measures changes in air pressue |
| What is a Mercury barometer? | First barometer invented containing mercury – Consists of a glass tube open at the bottom end partially filled with mercury. – It contains no air. Greater air pressure pushes mercury higher a decrease in air pressure the mercury will fall |
| What is a Weather vane | Shows the direction of wind – ususally on the top of a roof |
| What is a Rain gauge | Instrument used to measure the amount of precipitation. consisting of an openeded can topped by a collecting funnel with a collecting tube and measuring scale |
| What is a Psychrometer | Instrument used to measure relative humidity consisting of a wet bulb thermometer and dry bulb thermometer |
| Difference between weather and climate | Is the condition of the atmosphere at a particular place and time. |
| What is Climate? | Refers to the average – year after year – conditions of temperature, precipitation, winds, and clouds in an area. |
| What two gases do we have most of in our atmosphere? | Nitrogen and Oxygen |
| What happens to air pressure as altitude increases and decreases? | Air pressure decreases as altitude increases Air pressure increases as altitude decreases |
| What causes winds? | Are caused by differences in air pressure – which are the result of unequal heating of Earths surface |
| What are local winds | Are winds that blow over short distances and are caused by unequal heating of Earths surface within a small area (water toward the beach) |
| What are global winds | Is the movement of air between the equator and the poles |
| What is an Anemometer? | Is an instrument used to measure wind speed. It has three or four cups mounted at the ends of spokes that spin on an axle. |
| What is relatiive humidity? | Is the percentage of water vapor in the air compared to the amount of water vapor the air could hold. Can be measured with a psychrometer |
| How do clouds form | When water vapor in the air becomes liquid water or solid ice (ice crystals). |
| What are the 3 main types of clouds? illustrate a small drawing of each | Cumulus, stratus and cirrus |
| What is precipitation? Give examples | Precipitation is any form of water that falls from the clouds and reaches Earths surface. Rain, Freezing rain, Sleet, Hail, snow |
| What are the major air masses that affect North America – Describe | Maritime tropical, continental tropical, maritime polar, continental polar |
| Maritime Tropical are | Warm humid air masses form over oceans near tropics – form over the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic ocean and move first into south eastern US |
| Continental tropical is | AIr masses from the southwest bring hot dry air to the southern great plains – form only in summer over dry areas Southwest and northern Mexico |
| Maritime polar is | Cool humid air masses form over the icy cold North pacific and North Atlantic oceans. |
| Continental polar is | Air masses form over central and northern Canada and Alaska. |
| What are the main types of fronts? | When air masses collide they form – Cold front,warm fronts, stationary fronts and occluded fronts. |
| Cold fronts are | Forms when fast moving cold air mass runs into a slow moving warm air mass. |
| Warm fronts are | Forms when a warm air mass moves over cold slow moving air mass |
| Stationary fronts are | When two air masses meet (cold and warm) and stall over an area. |
| Occluded fronts are | Is when a warm air mass is caught between two cooler air masses. |
