Weather & It's Ways By Sharan and Wyatt
Sun's Energy Wind and Ocean currents are produced by the Sun's unequal heating. Therefore the Sun is the main component for the Earth's heating. Wind Currents are caused in the different regions of air due to the temperature and humidity. Ocean Currents are made because of the rotation of the Earth, wind movement, gravitation of the moon, and temperature.
Global Patterns Weather Influence â—? High Pressure-A high pressure system occurs where
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the air mass above the Earth is denser than in surrounding areas, and therefore exerts a higher force or pressure. Low Pressure- During a low pressure the air is dragged inwards and pushed upwards. As the warm humid spirals upwards, it cools and forms clouds.
The Ocean in Relation to Hurricanes Hurricanes begin as tropical disturbances in warm ocean waters with surface temperatures of at least 80 degrees. These systems are fed by energy from the low sea. When a storm’s wind speeds get to about 74 miles an hour it becomes a hurricane and earns a category rating of 1 to 5.
Atmosphere the mass of air surrounding the Earth; Air is all around us. It can't be seen but it is everywhere
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Troposphere-the lowest atmospheric layer; from 4 to 11 miles high Stratosphere-The region of the atmosphere above the troposphere and below the mesosphere Mesosphere- the atmospheric layer between the stratosphere and the thermosphere Thermosphere-The outermost shell of the atmosphere, between the mesosphere and outer space, where temperatures increase steadily with altitude.
Convection Convection happens when heated molecules move from one place to another, this takes the heat with them. Convection is very common in both the Earth's atmosphere and also in the oceans.
Weather Maps An example of a weather map
Wind Currents Large-scale wind systems of the atmosphere, such as the westerlies, doldrums, polar easterlies, and trade winds
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Westerlies- The (Prevailing)Westerlies are the weather movements that happen in the Northern Hemisphere and are responsible for the weather in U.S and Canada
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Doldrums-A belt of calm and light variable winds near the Equator is called Doldrums. It is also known as low pressure zone, where winds disappear for number of days or weeks.
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Polar Easterlies-The polar easterlies are the dry, cold prevailing winds that blow from the high-pressure areas of the polar highs at the north and south poles towards the low-pressure areas of the polar fronts between 60 and 90 degrees north and south
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Trade Winds- Winds that blow steadily from east to west and toward the equator. he trade winds are caused by hot air rising at the equator, with cool air moving in to take its place from the north and from the south.
Ocean Currents A current is like a vast river that is in an ocean, flowing from one place to another place. These ocean currents are caused by changes in temperature, and by wind. Currents are responsible for a very large amount of movement of the water that is found in the Earth’s oceans.
High Pressure An area where the atmospheric pressure is greater than that of the surrounding area. In some places highs are referred to as anticyclones. These move clockwise in the northern hemisphere and counterclockwise in the southern
Low Pressure A low pressure system is a region of the Earth's atmosphere where air pressure is low. Low pressures develops constantly due to interactions of temperature differentials in the atmosphere and water in the oceans, lakes, and other different bodies of water.
Fronts Front- A boundary between 2 different air masses ● Cold -The boundary of an advancing mass of cold air ● Warm -The boundary of an advancing mass of warm air, in particular the leading edge of the warm sector of a low-pressure system. ● Occluded-The front formed when a cold front occludes a warm front. ● Stationary-A stationary front is a boundary between two different air masses, neither of which is strong enough to replace the other.
Hurricanes A hurricane is a type of storm with a violent wind, in particular a tropical cyclone in the Caribbean. The consequences from a hurricane can be very severe. A hurricane will take place in the Western part of the North Atlantic Ocean.
Tornadoes A rotating column of air ranging in width from a few yards to more than a mile and whirling at destructively high speeds, usually accompanied by a funnel-shaped downward extension of a cumulonimbus cloud.
The Sun and It's Energy The energy that comes from the sun is called solar energy. The solar cycle is an annual count of how many sunspots there are on the sun. These can affect the wind. The way that the sun affects the wind is that the solar cycle has an effect on the wind transmissions. This was discovered by H.C. Willet when he conducted an experiment to find if the solar cycle really does have an effect on the sun.
Isotherm and Isobar Both the isobar and the isotherm on a map are very useful tools. Each of them connect points to show different sets of data. The isotherm is used to show temperature at a certain time or at a period of time. The isobar is used to show atmospheric pressure at a certain time or over a certain period of time.
Types of Precipitation There are 4 types of Precipitation ● Rain-The condensed moisture of the atmosphere ● ●
falling visibly in separate drops. Snow- Atmospheric water vapor frozen into ice crystals and falling in light white flakes or lying on the ground as a white layer. Sleet-Rain containing some ice, as when snow melts as it falls.
● Hail- Pellets of frozen rain
Types of Clouds Theses are the most common types of clouds.
Altocumulus- These are 6,000-20,000 high Altostratus- These are 6,000-20,000 high Cirrocumulus- These are 18,000 ft high Cirrus- These can be above 18,000 ft high Cumulonimbus- Anywhere up to 50,000 ft Cumulus- Below 6,000 ft Stratocumulus- Just below 6,000 ft Stratus- A little bit under 6,000 ft
Dew Point The dew point is the atmospheric temperature (that changes according to pressure and humidity) in which water droplets begin to condense and dew begins to form.
How Scientists Get Images Scientists get their pictures from satellites that are in space. With these pictures, scientists can take pictures that a human couldn't even come close to doing. Satellites can take before and after pictures to show the change over time in something. These satellites will be used for many generations to come because of their ability to get any picture, in any part of the world, whenever they want.