Weather

A sea breeze is a gentle wind that blows from the sea toward land. Sea breezes often occur in the morning. Which of the following best explains what causes sea breezes?

• a. land heats up much slower than the sea, so the air just above land rises up and is replaced by cooler air from above the sea

• b. during the day, the air above land is colder and denser, so it moves toward the sea

• c. land heats up much faster than the sea, so the air just above land rises up and is replaced by cooler air from above the sea

• d. during the day, the air above the sea is warmer and less dense, so it moves toward land

Earth's atmosphere is made up of four different layers. In which of the following layers does virtually all of Earth's weather take place?

• a. the stratosphere

• b. the troposphere

• c. the mesosphere

• d. the thermosphere

Why are hurricanes so frequent in areas close to the equator?

• the winds blow in opposite directions above and below the equator

• there is more wind near the equator

• there is less land mass near the equator

• the ocean water can evaporate more quickly near the equator

Martha is measuring the barometric pressure in her back yard every thirty minutes and notices that it is dropping every thirty minutes. Which of the following weather forecasts is reasonable?

• a low pressure system is moving into the area

• next week will be warmer than this week

• a high pressure system is moving into the area

• tomorrow will be sunnier

Why would there be more precipitation near a coast than in other areas?

• The land and the water have different temperatures, so warm fronts and cold fronts constantly exist above the coast.

• It is close to the ocean, and moisture from the air above the ocean moves eastward to the coast where the precipitation often occurs.

• The water near the northwest does not produce enough moisture for winds to carry it to the rest of the area.

• The water near the coast does not get heated enough to cause precipitation in the rest of the area.

A severe thunderstorm, known as a super cell, forms. It begins in an area where cold, dry, polar air meets warm, moist, tropical air, and the atmosphere is unstable. The coming into the storm begins to swirl, creating a swirling area of very low pressure. Which of the following is likely to occur in these conditions?

• cold front

• sunshine

• hurricane

• tornado

The conditions in a local area include temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind, and humidity. The combination of all these conditions determines.

• the weather in the area

• the time of day in the area

• the climate in the area

• the geology in the area

Global climate and weather patterns are driven by differences in the amount of heat energy in different areas of the Earth. Which statement best explains why different areas of the Earth have different amounts of heat energy?

• The solar radiation from the Sun only reaches areas near the Equator.

• Energy from within the Earth is only released in areas with volcanic activity

• Different regions of the Earth receives different amounts of solar energy.

• Hydro energy from the movement of ocean water cna only reach coastal areas.

What phenomenon is responsible for the rotation of large cyclones, such as hurricanes?

• the jet stream

• the Doppler effect

• the Coriolis effect

• the Gulf Stream

The atmosphere is heated both by the Sun and by the Earth's surface. Water radiates heat differently than land, so the air temperature over the ocean is usually different than the air temperature over land. The difference in air temperature over land compared to over water causes convection currents in the atmosphere. How would a person at the beach experience these convection currents?

• They would feel the heat of the Sun.

• They would feel wind as the air moves.

• They would feel that the water is cold.

• They would feel that the sand is hot.