Earth’s Atmosphere Study Guide

Name: ______Date: ______Period: ____

  1. What is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere? ______By what percent? ______The second most? ______By what percent? ______
  2. Why does water vapor in the atmosphere vary? (Think of the desert vs. a rain forest!) ______
  3. What are the functions/importances of the following substances in the atmosphere…
  4. oxygen ______
  5. carbon dioxide ______
  6. ozone ______
  7. water vapor ______
  8. water ______
  9. ice ______
  10. dust andsalt ______
  11. Briefly describe the 5 layers of the atmosphere? What is found in each?
  12. ______
  13. ______
  14. ______
  15. ______
  16. ______
  17. Where is the ozone layer? ______Why is it so important to life on Earth? ______
  18. How does the temperature vary as one moves up the troposphere? ______In which layers does molecular heat increase? ______In which layer does molecular heat decrease? ______
  19. Why is the thermosphere said to be the hottest layer when it feels so cold up there? ______
  20. How much of the sun’s energy does Earth’s surface absorb? ______What happens to the rest of it? ______
  1. What is the boiling point/freezing point of water in Celsius ______and Fahrenheit ______?
  2. Which process creates rain? ______
  3. What happens to the density of air as one moves up the atmosphere? ______
  4. Review temperature, density, pressure relationships:
  5. Air in which the temperature has decreased (cold air) will have high / low pressure. Therefore, cold air is more / less dense and will sink / rise.
  6. Air in which the temperature has increased (warm air) will have high / low pressure. Therefore, warm air is more / less dense and will sink / rise.
  7. What is a temperature inversion? ______What causes it? ______What effect does it have on our environment? ______
  8. How is wind formed? ______
  9. What is dew point? ______What does it indicate about the comfort of a particular place? ______
  10. What is relative humidity? ______
  11. How can relative humidity be determined? (Be able to calculate this.) ______
  1. Explain the 3 ways clouds can form. (Briefly.) ______
  2. What is the lifted condensation level? ______
  3. What is orographic lifting? ______
  4. When a warm air mass and a cold air mass meet, which one rises? ______Why? ______
  5. How high are the following types of clouds –
  6. cirro- ______
  7. alto- ______
  8. strato- ______
  9. What do the following words mean in Latin –
  10. cirrus - ______
  11. cumulus - ______
  12. stratus - ______
  13. nimbus - ______
  14. Be able to recognize the shape and location of each of the 10 clouds in Fig 11-14.
  15. Which types of clouds indicate
  16. fair weather? ______
  17. An approaching front? ______
  18. A strong storm? ______
  19. Constant rain or snow? ______
  20. A cloud on the ground? ______
  21. Be able to explain the water cycle using the terms evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. Know what each term means and where each process occurs. You should draw this below.
  1. Know the following terms – (Write brief phrases!)
  2. meteorology - ______
  3. weather - ______
  4. climate - ______
  5. air mass - ______
  6. Know the location and characteristics of the 5 major air masses that affect the weather of the USA. (See chart.)
  7. Continental tropical ______
  8. Maritime tropical ______
  9. Continental polar ______
  10. Continental tropical ______
  11. Arctic ______
  12. Know the location and wind direction of the each of the global wind systems. Which wind system is responsible for the movement of weather across the USA?
  13. Polar easterlies - ______
  14. Prevailing westerlies - ______
  15. Trade winds - ______
  16. What is a jet stream? ______Which direction do they come from? ______Where are they located? ______How fast do they move? ______
  17. What is the Intertropical Convergence Zone? ______How did it get its name? ______What is it also called? ______What is usually missing in this zone? ______
  18. What are the horse latitudes? ______Why are they called that? ______
  1. Describe the four types of fronts, identify the symbols for each, and describe the weather each causes. What happens to the temperature of an area after each passes?
  2. Cold - ______
  3. Warm - ______
  4. Stationary - ______
  5. Occluded - ______
  6. Describe the 2 types of pressure systems. Recognize the symbol for each. What kind of weather is associated with each?
  7. High pressure - ______
  8. Low pressure - ______
  1. Know the data collected by the following weather instruments –
  2. thermometer______
  3. barometer ______
  4. anemometer______
  5. hygrometer______
  6. ceilometer______
  7. What type of data do radiosondes collect – in general and specifically? ______
  8. What is radar? ______What does the word stand for? ______For what is radar used to track? ______
  9. What is Doppler radar used for? ______
  1. Know the terms –
  2. isobar - ______
  3. isotherm - ______
  4. Be able to read a station model. (There will be a station model on your test!)
  5. Know the difference between a digital and analog forecast. ______
  1. Where do the majority of thunderstorms occur in the USA? ______
  2. How, when, and where do the following types of thunderstorms form? Which types affect us here in the Piedmont?
  3. Air mass (mountain/orographic) ______
  4. Air mass (sea-breeze) ______
  5. Frontal (cold) ______
  6. Frontal (warm) ______
  7. List the 3 stages in the development of a thunderstorm in order. What occurs in each stage?
  8. ______
  9. ______
  10. ______
  11. Know the following terms –
  12. Thunderstorm ______
  13. Anvil ______
  14. Supercell ______
  15. What is lightning and how does it form? Use the terms stepped leader, return stroke, channel, and lightninginyouranswer. ______
  16. Where is the safest place to be during a thunderstorm? ______
  17. Why do we hear lightning? What is the sound of lightning called? ______
  18. What is a downburst? How does it differ from a tornado? ______
  19. What are the 2 types of downbursts? Which type of downburst is the most deadly? ______
  20. Why do floods occur? ______
  1. Describe the 3 stages in the development of a tornado.
  2. ______
  3. ______
  4. ______
  5. Review the Enhanced Fujita Scale. What does it measure? ______When and how does it measure? ______Which tornados are most common? ______Which are least common? ______Which are strongest, last the longest, and go the farthest? ______
  6. Where is Tornado Alley? ______Which twoair masses create the conditions for tornados to form in this area? ______
  7. Where is the safest place to be in during a tornado? ______
  1. What is a tropical cyclone? ______
  2. List 3 names for tropical cyclones. What do we call them? ______
  3. Where do cyclones derive their energy? ______What causes them to lose strength? ______
  4. Which direction do hurricanes spin and which way do they usually move in the N. hemisphere? ______Which wind system pushes them back to the east? ______
  5. Do winds increase or decrease as a hurricane strengthens? ______What about pressure? ______
  6. Know the stages of hurricane development… Particularly, wind speed.
  7. Tropical disturbance ______
  8. Tropical depression ______
  9. Tropical storm ______
  10. Tropical cyclone (hurricane) ______
  11. Is a hurricane a high or low pressure system? What type of pressure is found in the eye of the hurricane? ______
  12. Know the Saffir-Simpson Scale. What does it classify? ______What are 3 characteristics of a hurricane it describes? ______What categories does it include? ______What is the wind speed for each category? ______
  13. What are the 3 most powerful hurricanes to hit the USA in recorded history? ______
  14. Hurricane Hazards…
  15. Where are the strongest winds in a hurricane? ______
  16. What is a storm surge? ______
  17. What kills 9 out of 10 people who die in hurricanes? ______
  18. Which branch of NOAA tracks and forecasts hurricanes? ______
  19. Where is the safest place to be during a hurricane? ______

.