Transcript Describing Matter & Energy

Energy in the Atmosphere
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Energy from the sun travels to Earth as
electromagnetic waves – mostly visible light, infrared
radiation (longer wavelengths) and ultraviolet
radiation (shorter wavelengths)
When Earth’s surface is heated, it radiates some of
the energy back into the atmosphere in the form of
longer-wavelength radiation
Energy in the Atmosphere
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Electromagnetic waves
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Radiation
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the direct transfer of energy through empty space by
electromagnetic waves
Scattering
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a form of energy that can travel through space
reflection of light in all directions
Greenhouse effect
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the process by which heat is trapped in the atmosphere by
water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and other gases that
form a “blanket” around the Earth
Heat Transfer
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Temperature of the air is typically measured with a
thermometer
Three forms of heat transfer – radiation, conduction,
and convection – work together to heat the
troposphere
Heat Transfer
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Thermal energy
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Temperature
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The movement of thermal energy from one substance to
another
Conduction
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The average amount of energy of motion in the molecules
of a substance
Heat
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The total energy of a substance’s particles due to their
movement or vibration
The transfer of heat by movements of a fluid (liquids and
gases)
Convection
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The transfer of heat by movement of currents within a fluid
(liquids and gases)
Winds
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All winds are caused by differences in air pressure,
which are the result of unequal heating of Earth’s
surface
Local winds are caused by unequal heating of Earth’s
surface within a small area
The movement of air between the equator and the
poles produces global winds
Winds
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Wind
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Anemometer
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Increased cooling caused by the wind
Sea breeze
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An instrument used to measure wind speed
Wind-chill factor
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The horizontal movement of air from an area of high
pressure to an area of lower pressure
The flow of air from an ocean or lake to the land
Land breeze
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The flow of air from land to a body of water
Winds
Monsoon
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Coriolis effect
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The way Earth’s rotation makes winds in the Northern
Hemisphere curve to the right and winds in the Southern
Hemisphere curve to the left
Latitude
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Sea and land breezes over a large region that change
directions with the seasons
The distance north or south from the equator, measured in
degrees
Jet stream
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Bands of high-speed winds about 10 km above the Earth’s
surface
Water in the Atmosphere
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Relative humidity is the percentage of water vapor in
the air compared to the amount of water vapor the air
could hold. It can be measured with a psychrometer.
Clouds of all kinds form when water vapor in the air
becomes liquid water or solid ice.
Meteorologists classify clouds into three main types:
cumulus, stratus and cirrus.
Water in the Atmosphere
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Evaporation
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Humidity
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A measure of the amount of water vapor in the air
Relative humidity
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The process that occurs when vaporization takes place only
on the surface of a liquid
The percentage of water vapor in the air compared to the
maximum amount the air can hold at that temperature
Psychrometer
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An instrument used to measure relative humidity, consisting
of a wet- and dry-bulb thermometer
Water in the Atmosphere
Condensation
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Dew point
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Clouds that form less than 2 km above the ground and look
like fluffy, rounded piles of cotton
Stratus
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The temperature at which condensation begins
Cumulus
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The process by which a gas (water vapor) changes to a
liquid (water)
Clouds that form in flat layers
Cirrus
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Wispy, feathery clouds made of mostly ice crystals that form
at high levels, above about 6 km
Precipitation
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Common types of precipitation include rain, sleet,
freezing rain, hail and snow.
Rain is measured with a rain gauge.
Scientists have used cloud seeding to produce rain
and to clear fog from airports.
Precipitation
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Precipitation
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Rain gauge
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Forms of water such as rain, snow, sleet or hail that fall from
clouds and reach Earth’s surface
An instrument used to measure the amount of precipitation,
consisting of an open-ended container topped by a collecting
funnel and having a collecting tube and measuring scale
inside
Drought
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A water shortage caused by long periods of low precipitation
in a particular area