Physical Science Chapter 3

WEATHER

Chapter 3

Weather and Climate

Definition: The condition of the atmosphere

in a given place and time.

Climate:The year-round weather typical of

a certain place.

Multiple Choice

Weather or Climate:

Today it will be sunny with a high of 74 degrees.

• Weather

• Climate

Multiple Choice

Weather or Climate?

Antarctica has been freezing cold, even in the summer time, for tens of thousands of years.

• Weather

• Climate

Multiple Choice

The sun was beating down on the desert landscape

• Weather

• Climate

Multiple Choice

The sweltering midsummer heat wave went on and on and on. "Wow!" she said, "this is really global warming!

• Weather

• Climate

Multiple Choice

A snow advisory has been issued for our area.

• Weather

• Climate

Weather Factors-Temperature

• Amount of heat energy in the atmosphere.
• How much thermal energy is coming from

the sun.

Weather Factors-Heat distribution

• Earth is heated more or less at different

points.

• The Earth tilts on its axis at 23 degrees

causing the seasons

Multiple Choice

Earth is unevenly heated due to its?

• oceans and moon
• tilt and shape
• gravity and clouds
• climate and weather

Weather Factors-Water Vapor

• Water Vapor in the air causes:

• Clouds
• Rain
• Snow
• Frost

As the air temperature increases, it’s

ability to hold water vapor increases.

Warm air can hold more water vapor than

cold air.

Moisture:

Relative Humidity%-

The amount of water vapor the air is
holding compared to what it can hold.

Dew Point Temperature-

The temperature at which the air will
become saturated (rel. humidity = 100%)

Condensation occurs when the air
becomes saturated.

Multiple Choice

the amount of water vapor in the air

• warm front
• precipitation
• humidity
• air pressure

As the temperature and the dew
point get closer…

1. The relative humidity increases.

2. The chance of clouds and/or

precipitation increases.

City

Temperature

Dew Point

Syracuse

25o

20o

Rochester

19o

10o

Utica

25o

10o

Albany

24o

22o

1.Which city has the greatest chance of

clouds and precip.?

2.Which city has the lowest relative humidity?

Water Cycle

Evaporation

• Liquid to gas (water vapor)
• Requires the addition of heat (heat of

vaporization)

Transpiration- water vapor entering the

atmosphere through plants

Multiple Choice

________ is the process where liquid water turns into water vapor due to heat from the sun.

• Condensation

• Transpiration

• Sublimation

• Evaporation

Multiple Choice

Transpiration is

• the movement of water through a plant from the roots up the stem
• the loss of water from the leaves of a plant by the process of evaporation
• the flow of water into plant roots by osmosis from the soil
• the process of minerals and sugars moving through plant veins

Factors Affecting Evaporation

1.

Temperature

•

As temp increases, evap rates increase.

2.

Wind

•

As wind increases, evap rates increase.

3.

Humidity

•

As humidity increases, evap rates decrease.

4.

Surface area

•

As surface area increases, evap rates
increase.

Multiple Select

Which of the following factors thus affect evaporation ?

• Increase in Surface Area

• Increase in temperature

• Increase in Humidity

• Decrease in Wind speed

Condensation

• Gas to liquid

• Heat is released to the atmosphere.

If the air near the ground cools below to the

dew point, water vapor will condense on
the grass forming DEW

Multiple Choice

What part of the water cycle does this picture show?

• condensation

• precipitation

• evaporation

• transpiration

Multiple Choice

When water _________, dew forms.

• Melts
• Evaporates
• Condenses
• Precipitates

Frost

Frost is light feathery ice crystals

When frost forms is the temperature is
called the Frost Point

SUBLIMATION

–Change in state from a solid directly into a gas. (skips liquid phase)

•Add heat

•Atoms gain energy

•Escape into the air as a gas.

•Example: Dry Ice

Multiple Choice

Phase change going from a Gas to a Liquid...

• Sublimation

• Deposition

• Ionization

• Condensation

Multiple Choice

Phase change going from a Solid to a Gas...

• Deposition

• Sublimation

• Condensation

• Recombination

Clouds

Observing these clouds can help you predict

what type of weather is on the way

Clouds

• Clouds are masses water vapor condensing into tiny water droplets

or ice crystals.

• There are different kinds of clouds. They

can be classified by their features.

• The water from clouds may fall to Earth as

rain, snow, sleet, of hail (precipitation).

Types of Clouds

• There are 4 main types of clouds including

cirrus, stratus, cumulus, and lenticular.

• Add alto and it means higher

• Add Nimbus/Nimbo and it means it will

produce precipitation.

Stratus (layer) Clouds

• Low, sheet-like gray

clouds

• Looks like a gray

blanket covering the
whole sky

• Some stratus clouds

can bring rain
(nimbostratus)

Multiple Choice

______ clouds often form a blanket of low clouds near the ground. They give the sky a dull, gray appearance.

• Altocumulus

• Cirrocumulus

• Stratocumulus

• Stratus

Multiple Choice

If you’ve ever been in fog, you’ve been inside a ______ cloud.

• Cumulonimbus

• Stratus

• Stratocumulus

• Cirrostratus

Cumulus (heap) Clouds
• Puffy, often flat on the

bottom

• Seen in nice weather

• Higher in the sky that

stratus clouds

• When these clouds

become big and dark,
they are called
cumulonimbus, which
bring rain, thunder, and
lightning.

​Cumulus

​nimbus

Multiple Choice

How do clouds form?

• Water evaporates and condenses on condensation nuclei to form clouds

• Water from condensation nuclei evaporates to the sky to form clouds

• Water condenses onto other clouds when clouds run into one another

Multiple Choice

If a cloud has "cumulo-" or "-cumulus" in its name, it means:

• layered; spread out; sheet-like

• rain or precipitation

• heaped; puffy; instability

Multiple Choice

What type of cloud is in the picture?

• Cirrus

• Cumulus

• Stratus

• Cumulonimbus

Multiple Choice

What type of cloud is in the picture?

• Cirrus

• Cumulus

• Stratus

• Cumulonimbus

Multiple Choice

What type of cloud is in the picture?

• Cirrus

• Cumulus

• Stratus

• Cumulonimbus

Cirrus (wisp) Clouds

• The highest clouds

• Look wispy, like feathers

• Form where air is cold,

so they are made up of
ice crystals

• Seen in fair weather, but

rain often follows in a
day or two

Multiple Choice

If a cloud has "strato-" or "-stratus" in its name, it means:

• layered; spread out; sheet-like

• rain or precipitation

• heaped; puffy; instability

Multiple Choice

If a cloud has "cirro-" or "-cirrus" in its name, it means:

• curl of hair; wispy; high-altitude; icy

• mid-altitude

• heaped; puffy; instability

Multiple Choice

What type of cloud is in the picture?

• Cirrus

• Cumulus

• Stratus

• Cumulonimbus

Lenticular Clouds

• Shaped like lens

• Forms over mountains

Fog

• Fog is a cloud at or near the ground.

• Meteorologists will use the term visibility to

tell how far you can see in fog (in miles).

Other Cloud Names

• Stratocumulus –low and heavy but slightly

puffy.

• Cirrostratus- Thin clouds spread like a

blanket high in the sky

• Cirrocumulus- tiny puffs of cotton in the

upper troposphere.

Multiple Choice

These mid-level clouds are forming a layer across the sky and are called _______ clouds. Often, you can see the dim sunshine through this type of clouds.

• Altostratus

• Altocumulus

• Stratocumulus

• Cirrostratus

Multiple Choice

If a cloud has "nimbo-" or "-nimbus" in its name, it means:

• layered; spread out; sheet-like

• rain or precipitation

• heaped; puffy; instability

Multiple Choice

If a cloud has "alto-" in its name, it means:

• curl of hair; wispy; high-altitude; icy

• mid-altitude

• heaped; puffy; instability

Multiple Choice

This is a special type of cloud that is found on Earth's surface.

• Fog

• Stratus

• Cumulonimbus

• Cirrus

Multiple Choice

When cumulus clouds form a layer, we call them _______ clouds.

• Cumulonimbus

• Nimbostratus

• Stratocumulus

• Cirrostratus

Smog

• Mixture of Smoke and Fog

Photochemical Smog
• Brownish haze coming from cars and

industrial buildings.

​Air Masses

Multiple Choice

Which air is less dense? (Which air will rise)

• Warm Air

• Cool Air

What is an Air Mass?

An air mass is a batch of air that has nearly the same temperature and humidity.

Subject | Subject

Some text here about the topic of discussion

What is an Air Mass?

An air mass acquires these characteristics above an area of land or water known as its source region.

When the air mass sits over a region for several days or longer, it picks up the distinct temperature and humidity characteristics of that region.

Multiple Choice

The same air mass will have the same characteristics including

• pressure and temperature

• temperature and dewpoint

• temperature and humidity

• humidity and x-rays

Air masses form over a large area; they can be 1,600 km (1,000 miles) across and several kilometers thick.

​

Air mass formation

Air masses form primarily in high pressure zones, most commonly in polar and tropical regions.

Temperate zones are ordinarily too unstable for air masses to form. Instead, air masses move across temperate zones, so the middle latitudes are prone to having interesting weather.

​

Air mass formation

Temperate zones are ordinarily too unstable for air masses to form. Instead, air masses move across temperate zones, so the middle latitudes are prone to having interesting weather.

​

Air mass formation

What does an air mass with the symbol cP mean? The symbol cP is an air mass with a continental polar source region that is colder than the region it is now moving over.

Multiple Choice

Air masses most likely form in

• Tropical and polar regions

• tropical and temperate regions

• polar and temperate regions

• polar regions only

Match

Match the following

• Forms over Continent

• Forms over ocean

• Forms over cold polar region

• Forms over hot tropical region

c

m

P

T

• c

• m

• P

• T

Air Mass Movement

Air masses are slowly pushed along by high-level winds. When an air mass moves over a new region, it shares its temperature and humidity with that region.

So the temperature and humidity of a particular location depends partly on the characteristics of the air mass that sits over it.

Multiple Choice

The temperature and humidity of a location depend partially on

• the winds that are located in the area

• the temperature and the humidity of the air mass that currently sits over the area

• the air mass that has passed and not currently over the area

Draw

Label the air masses below with the correct symbol cP , mP, cT , or mT

Drag and Drop

Sort the information to the correct type of air mass

Continental Tropical (cT)​ ​

Placeholder

Continental Polar (cP) ​ ​

Placeholder

Maritime Tropical (mT) ​

Placeholder

Maritime Polar (mP) ​

Placeholder

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

dry and warm

dry and cold

wet and warm

wet and cold

Multiple Choice

What causes most of the precipitation in the eastern

two thirds of the United States?

• maritime polar air masses

• continental polar air masses

• continental tropical air masses

• maritime tropical air masses

Match

Match the following

• maritime (m)

• continental (c)

• polar (P)

• tropical (T)

forms over water: wet

forms over land: dry

forms over polar regions; Cold

forms over tropical regions; warm

• forms over water: wet

• forms over land: dry

• forms over polar regions; Cold

• forms over tropical regions; warm

Multiple Choice

When do fronts occur?

• When two different air masses meet and interact with each other

• When one air mass splits into two air masses

• When two different air masses move away from each other

Multiple Choice

What type of weather is associated with a cold front?

• Cold, dry air.

• Warm, gentle rain.

• Clouds, rain, and thunderstorms.

• Warm, dry air.

Multiple Choice

What type of weather is associated with a warm front?

• Clouds, cold rain, and thunderstorms.

• Clouds, gentle rains, followed by clear warm air.

• Dry, warm air

• Cold, dry air.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following symbols is associated with a warm front?

Multiple Choice

What type of weather is associated with a stationary front?

• Clouds, rain, and thunderstorms.

• Gentle rains followed by warm, clear air.

• Long continuous periods of dry air.

• Long continuous periods of rain

Multiple Choice

Which of the following symbols is associated with a stationary front?

Multiple Choice

What type of weather is associated with an occluded front?

• Clouds, rain, and thunderstorms.

• Gentle rains followed by warm, clear skies.

• Rain and snow, followed by drier air.

• Long periods of continuous rain.

Precipitation

• Precipitation is water that falls from the

atmosphere; can be rain, snow, sleet, or hail.

Let’s Review

Review Sites

• To learn more about clouds, click the links.

– http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-

clouds.htm

– http://scied.ucar.edu/webweather/clouds/clou

d-matching-game

– http://www.funtrivia.com/html5/index.cfm?qid=

32985

– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-

qt6AkP9nPw

Localized Weather Factors

1. Lake Effect Snow
•
Heavy snowfall that occurs on the
leeward side of large lakes.

•
Warm lake water, cold air & wind

2. Nearness to Large Body of Water

a) Cooler summers and warmer in winters.

•
Water heats and cools slower than land.

b) Increase in precipitation

3. Orographic Effect

Windward
Leeward

4. Land and Sea Breezes

Hazardous Weather

1. Thunderstorms
•
Severe storms associated with warm air.

•
Usually occur along cold fronts.

Conditions

Heavy rain

Winds

Lightning

Hail(?)

Thunder

Precautions (Lightning)

1. Don’t be the highest object in the

area.

2. Don’t stand under a tree or near a

window.

3. Stay off the phone.
4. Don’t touch plumbing or electrical

devices.

5. Stay inside a car or crouch down.

2. Tornadoes
•
Small scale, short lived violent storms
associated with severe t-storms.

•

“Twisters”

Fujita Scale
0 – 5
Weak Strong

lat

Precautions (Tornadoes)

1. Get to the interior lowest level of the

building.

2. Cover your head.
3. Get out of your car and lay in a ditch.

Hurricanes

• Large scale, severe low pressure systems.

Stages of Development

Hurricane Season
• Late summer/ Early fall

Conditions:
High winds

Flooding

Heavy precip

Storm Surge

T-storms

Storm surge-
wall of ocean water that invades low coastal areas

caused by the high winds and low pressure.

Bonus:

• What is the name given to the “wall of

ocean water that invades low coastal
areas caused by the high winds and
low pressure.”?

Atlantic Hurricane Track

❖Hurricanes form and intensify over warm

ocean water!

Precautions
❖Early evacuation
❖Move to higher ground
❖Stock up on non-perishable food, water

radio & batteries

❖Board up windows.

Blizzards

• Storm with winds greater than 35 mph and

considerable amounts of falling and/or
blowing snow.

• shut down transportation
• Disrupt telephone and electrical service
• Prevent people from obtaining fuel, food

and needed services.

Precautions

• Have food, fuel and other supplies on

hand.

• Stay indoors.
• Do not travel.

BONUS:

• The air pressure is currently

30.15 inches of mercury. How
would this air pressure be shown
on a station model?