Transcript Weather_Climate_PPTx

LAYERS OF THE ATMOSPHERE
Troposphere
From Earth’s surface to about 9 miles.
The densest of the atmospheric layers.
Almost all weather is in this region.
Temperatures decrease here.
LAYERS OF THE ATMOSPHERE
Stratosphere
Starts above the troposphere (9 – 31
miles).
The ozonosphere, or ozone layer, is
located here.
 UV radiation is absorbed and scattered
here in the ozonosphere.
Temperatures increase here.
LAYERS OF THE ATMOSPHERE
 Mesosphere
 Just above the stratosphere and extends from 32 – 53 miles high.
 Meteors burn in this layer.
 Temperatures decrease to extremely cold temperatures, around -90
degrees Celsius
 Thermosphere
 Very thin air here.
 Temperatures increase here, up to 2,000 degrees Celsius!
 The Space Station is located here.
LAYERS OF THE ATMOSPHERE
Exosphere
The upper layer of the atmosphere.
Atoms and molecules in this layer escape
into space.
Temperature decreases due to the
escaping of atmospheric gases in space.
Weather & Climate Definitions
Weather- “the state of the atmosphere with
respect to heat or cold, wetness or dryness, calm
or storm, clearness or cloudiness”.
Climate – “the average course or condition of the
weather at a place usually over a period of years
as exhibited by temperature, wind velocity, and
precipitation”
High Pressure
Higher pressure than what is
normal for that altitude.
What do you notice about the air in this region?
Brings clear skies and fair weather.
The sinking cold air warms as it does so and becomes stable.
Picture taken from:
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/Atmosphere/high_pressure.html
Low Pressure
• A low pressure region (depression or cyclone) is
caused by rising air.
• Clouds, rain, and very strong winds occur.
• Why do you think that is?
Picture taken from:
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/Atmosphere/low_pressure.html
Cloud In A Bottle [Demonstration]
Watch the cloud demonstration:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ft7q6efRIic
What were the key ingredients in creating
the cloud?
How is this representative of what might take
place in the atmosphere?
Cloud Types
Picture taken from:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cloud_types.jpg
WARM FRONTS
The “semicircles” point in the direction of the cold
front.
Warm air (higher temperatures) follows a warm front.
Creates stratus clouds
“Overcast” skies
Fog
Precipitation: Rain or Snow
Example of a Warm Front
Why is the warm air forced to “retreat” upward?
COLD FRONTS
The “triangles” point in the direction of the warm
front.
Cool or cold air (lower temperatures) follows.
Creates the cumulus or cumulonimbus clouds
Heavier precipitation:
Showers
Violent thunderstorms
Example of a Cold Front
What direction is the cumulonimbus going? Why
(HINT: density, air, and wind)
Why does the cloud “break off” into smaller clouds?
(HINT: Warm air / The Sun)
STATIONARY FRONTS
The “blue triangles” point toward warm air; the
“semicircles” point toward cold/cool air.
Has characteristics of both warm and cold
fronts.
Causes weather patterns / precipitation to
remain at a “standoff” for many days.
OCCLUDED FRONTS
The “triangles” and “semicircles” are purple and point in the
direction it is going towards.
Not as common as other fronts.
Formed from warm air is “caught” between a cool front that is
leaving and a cold front that is approaching.
Creates a huge accumulation of different clouds and storm systems.
Can be quite volatile
Areas of high and VERY low pressure.
Example of Occluded Front
There’s a lot going on in this uncommon front.
What types of weather occurrences do you think could happen from
occluded fronts of VERY low pressure?
Weather Map
RELATIVE HUMIDITY
 Relative humidity is the amount of moisture in the air.
 Compares the actual amount of water vapor in the air with the maximum
amount of water vapor the air can hold at that temperature.
 Humidity is dependent on the temperature
 Measured in percentages
 Abbreviated as “RH” (know this for lab reports!)
 A hygrometer is a tool that measures the ratio of
humidity to the temperature at that time.
The higher the humidity, the less
evaporation that is occurring
We Are Sensitive To Humidity
At 100% humidity sweat will not
evaporate into the air.
What does this mean to us?
We will feel hotter than the actual
temperature.
How would we feel at 20% humidity?
We would feel much cooler than
the actual temp. because we are
sweating, thus cooling us off.
TEMPERATURE
 Temperature is a measure of the energy of molecules.
 The average heat or thermal energy of the particles in a substance
 Measured in Degree units (Celsius, Fahrenheit, or Kelvin).
 The more energy the molecules in air have, the hotter it feels.
 A thermometer is a tool that measures the temperature of a
substance.
WIND
What do you think wind is?
Where do you think wind comes from?
Let’s Find Out! (Take brief notes from the videos)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCLwbqmacck
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBqohRu2RRk
WIND
 Wind is “air in motion” from an area of high pressure to low
pressure WITH the rotation of Earth on its axis.
 Wind Speed: the speed at which wind travels from one region to the next
 Wind Direction: the directional path of air’s motion in relation to the spinning
of Earth’s axis
 The POLES are areas of HIGH pressure.
 The EQUATOR is an area of LOW pressure.
Why do hurricanes begin at or near the equator?
DID YOU KNOW…?
 Depending on which hemisphere of the Earth its located in, a tropical
storm has a different name?
 They also spin in a DIFFERENT direction!
 TAKE NOTES ON THESE VIDEOS
 ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS:
1.
What hemisphere are hurricanes formed in?
2.
What hemisphere are cyclones formed in?
3.
What direction does a hurricane go: clockwise or counter-clockwise?
4.
What direction does a cyclone go: clockwise or counter-clockwise?
VIDEO OBSERVATIONS
SuperStorm Sandy:
http://oceantoday.noaa.gov/makingofasuperstorm/
Australia’s
Cyclones:http://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2015/0
2/19/ct-australia-queensland-cyclone-sandwich.cnn
WIND (CONTINUED)
 Tropical storms in the Northern Hemisphere are called
“hurricanes” and spin “counter-clockwise.”
 Tropical storms in the Southern Hemisphere are called
“cyclones” and spin “clockwise.”
BUT WHY?!
It’s because of the Coriolis Effect
CORIOLIS EFFECT
 The Coriolis Effect is the apparent deflection of moving
objects when the motion is described relative to something
rotating.
Take Notes on This Video!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2mec3vgeaI
DEMONSTRATION TIME
 The Coriolis Effect can be a difficult thing to understand, so we may need
some practice…
RULES OF THE DEMONSTRATION
 Only one balloon per group.
 You only get 1 balloon.
 Do not pop your balloon.Y.O.G.O. (You Only Get One)
 No spitting in your balloon.
 Do not deflate your balloon until I tell you to do so; there is a
particular way to deflate balloons without popping them.
 At the end of the demonstration, dispose of the balloon.
NO BALLOONS LEAVE THE CLASSROOM.
CORIOLIS EFFECT DEMONSTRATION
QUESTIONS
Materials (per each student pair)

1 Balloon (round)

2 Markers (different colors, readable when applied to balloons)
Time Given: 15 minutes!
Questions To Answer (as a group)
1.
As you look down from the North Pole to the equator, what direction does
the balloon appear to spin: clockwise or counter-clockwise?
2.
As you look up from the South Pole to the equator, what direction does the
balloon appear to spin: clockwise or counter-clockwise?
3.
What happened when you tried to draw a STRAIGHT line from the North
Pole to the equator?
1.
4.
What does this represent in relation to wind, high pressure, and low pressure?
What happened when you tried to draw a STRAIGHT line from the South
Pole to the equator?
1.
What does this represent in relation to wind, high pressure, and low pressure?
1.
As you look down from the North Pole toward the equator, which way is
the balloon spinning, clockwise or counterclockwise?
The balloon appears to be spinning counterclockwise.
1.
As you look up from the South Pole toward the equator, which way is
the balloon spinning, clockwise or counterclockwise?
The balloon appears to be spinning clockwise.
2.
What happened when you tried to draw a straight line from the North
Pole to the equator?
The line was not straight but instead veered west of the intended path (to
the right, when examining the line from the North Pole to the equator).
3.
What happened when you tried to draw a straight line from the South
Pole to the equator?
The line was not straight but instead veered east of the intended path (to
the left, when examining the line from the South Pole to the equator).
GLOBAL WIND PATTERNS
 Due in part by the Coriolis Effect, global wind patterns occur
and also influence ocean currents.
 Global wind patterns are alternating areas of high and low
pressure, which causes wind patterns to go in certain ways.
 All global wind patterns are named from the direction in
which they originate.
 Think of a hurricane—does it go straight or does it curve?
 It curves because of these global wind patterns!
POLAR EASTERLIES
Winds come from the east and go west.
Located between 60-90 degrees in both
hemispheres (North and South)
Travels away from the poles toward 60
degree latitude.
 Why?
 Remember, the poles are an area of HIGH pressure and 60
degree latitude is an area of LOW pressure known as the
“Subpolar Low Latitudes”
PREVAILING WESTERLIES
 Winds come from the west and go east.
 Located between 30-60 degree latitudes in both
hemispheres.
 Travels from the “horse latitudes” toward the
“subpolar lows”
 If that’s true…then what type of pressure would the “horse
latitudes” be?
 Since the subpolar lows are areas of LOW pressure (and air travels
from HIGH to LOW), that means that the “horse latitudes” must be
areas of HIGH pressure.
 Responsible for the weather movements across the
US and Canada.
HORSE LATITUDES
Also known as “subtropical highs”
Located at 30 degrees latitude.
Calm winds and little precipitation.
Areas of HIGH pressure, which means sunny
skies and clear weather.
 According to legend, during European colonization ships coming
to the New World would stall for days or even weeks when they
came through these latitudes. In order to preserve drinking water
and food, they would toss the horses they were carrying as cargo
overboard—hence the name “horse latitudes.”
TRADE WINDS
Winds come from the east and go west.
Located between 0-30 degree latitudes in
both hemispheres.
Travels from the “horse latitudes” toward
the “equatorial doldrums.”
 What type of pressure MUST the equatorial doldrums be?
 If the wind is coming from the horse latitudes (HIGH) and
going toward the doldrums, then the doldrums must be an
area of LOW pressure.
EQUATORIAL DOLDRUMS
Extremely calm weather.
An area of LOW pressure with little to no
wind.
 The continuous flow of warm trade winds along with the
extremely warm waters of the equator make this area very
warm…but the warm air is constantly rising from
updrafts—thus producing an area of little to no wind.
 COOL STORY BRO: Basically, there is very little “uneven
temperature differences” here because it is just warm air that
rises up. If there is no uneven temperature here, then there is
little to no wind.
REVIEW!
1.
Draw a big circle on your whiteboard.
2.
Divide your circle into 6 equal (horizontal) pieces.
3.
Draw and label the NORTH & SOUTH POLES.
4.
Label where the EQUATORIAL DOLDRUMS (0) would be.
5.
Label where the SUBPOLAR LOWS (60) would be.
6.
Label where the HORSE LATITUDES (30) would be.
7.
Draw the POLAR EASTERLIES with arrows in the direction
the wind would go.
8.
Draw the PREVAILING WESTERIES with arrows in the
direction the wind would go.
9.
Draw the NE & SE TRADE WINDS with arrows in the
direction the wind would go.
TORNADOES
 Spinning funnel clouds created from thunderstorm
(cumulonimbus) clouds.
 Funnel clouds must connect from the source cloud to the
ground to be classified as a tornado.
 Up to 300 mph
 Tornadoes form from updrafts rising and downdrafts sinking
too quickly.
 Updrafts: wet, warm air
 Downdrafts: cool, condensing air
 Most tornadoes occur around “Tornado Alley”
HURRICANES
 Tropical depression (39 mph)  tropical storm (40-73 mph) 
hurricane (over 74 mph)
 Hurricanes have categories: from 1-5 (1 being 75 mph; 5 being
155+ mph)
 Lose power when they hit land
 Caused from updrafts and downdrafts (like a tornado), but
powered by the warm air of the ocean and the Coriolis Effect.
 The “eye” of the storm is incredibly calm in comparison to the
outer ring.
FLOODS
 Known as an overabundance of water in a normally dry area.
 Comes from a variety of sources, such as heavy rainfall and
mountain snowmelt.
 Mississippi River Flood of 1927: 27,000 square miles of flooding.
 Storm Surges
 Occurs when a hurricane pushes a big pile of water along the ocean as it
moves.
 Flash Floods are short-term, intense and quickly-developing
floods.
 The main difference between floods and flash floods is the size
- flash floods are small and short-term
JIGSAW ACTIVITY
• Remember your number, you will need it for
tomorrow’s lesson!
o Write it down at the top of your handout if you think you will forget it!
• You are responsible for only reading your assigned
group’s text!
Assigned Reading for Homework
• 1s & 4s: Tornadoes
• 2s & 5: Hurricanes
• 3s & 6s: Floods
CONVECTION CURRENTS
Convection: the movement of a liquid,
typically in a response to heat.
Equilibrium: a state of equality or “balance”
Diffusion: the transfer of particles to
maintain equilibrium without a chemical
reaction
CAPE HATTERAS
 Cape Hatteras is considered to be the “Graveyard of the
Atlantic”
 Why do you think its earned that nickname?
 Cape Hatteras is known for its dense concentration of fog and
atmospheric storms.
 Why would Cape Hatteras have large amounts of fog and storms?
 The shipwrecks near Cape Hatteras have happened mainly
due to the Gulf Stream.
THE GULF STREAM
 The Gulf Stream is the strongest known current in
the world, located in the Atlantic Ocean.
 Extends from the Gulf of Mexico and ends at the
eastern coastlines near Newfoundland.
 Affected by global warming:
 The Gulf Stream moved north 125 miles in 2011!
 If global warming continues, then it may be too far to supply
warm water to Northern Europe.
 What could happen if Northern Europe did not receive warm water
from the G.S.?
THE GULF STREAM (CONT.)
 The Gulf Stream’s warm waters directly affect the climate of
areas that are on the east coast of the United States and
western Europe.
 Cape Hatteras is unique because the cold ocean currents from
the Northern Labrador Currents mix with the warm ocean
currents of the Gulf Stream to create the fog and atmospheric
storms there.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuGrBhK2c7U
RESEARCH & REVISIT
1.
In Google, type in “gulf stream cape hatteras”
2.
Click on the first link from “wavetrain.net” called
“CAPE HATTERAS: Transit Strategies – Wavetrain”
3.
Read the article and, in your JOURNAL, answer these three
questions. (Label this Journal 11/5):
1.
The Gulf Stream flows through the Straits of Florida at how many cubic
meters per second?
2.
Water in the stream just past Cape Hatteras is typically how many degrees
Fahrenheit?
3.
Approximately how many recreational vessels enter the ICW at Norfolk,
Virginia each year?
JET STREAM
 The jet stream is basically a “river of wind” above the Earth’s
surface.
 The greater the difference in air temperature, the faster the
jet stream.
 Reach winds up to 250 mph or greater (average is 110 mph)
 Typically, the jet stream separates cool and warm air patterns.
 Where would these air patterns come from?
 A jet can get sucked into the jet stream.
 This causes it to go much faster, BUT become a bumpy ride.