Weather and Climate

Areas in Michigan close to Lake Michigan have had great success in growing fruit. What conditions exist in these locations that make this area well known as the fruit belt?

• The land areas near Lake Michigan are sheltered from strong winds that would otherwise damage crops.

• The land near the lakes have a lot of hills and mountains that force warm air downward toward the fruit trees.

• During winter, the Great Lakes act as a heat source, helping to regulate extreme temperatures in the surrounding areas.

• Warm stable air masses result from the lake absorbing more heat during the winter and giving off excess heat during the summer.

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

What is the best explanation for why the Earth has global wind patterns that do not travel directly from the North to the South?

• The tilt of the Earth's axis

• Ocean currents cause the air above to warm or cool leading to global wind patterns

• Increasing global temperatures

• Rotation of the Earth and the Coriolis Effect

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

What type of front does this represent?

• Stationary

• Occluded

• Cold

• Warm

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

Which statement best explains how air masses interact to cause severe weather?

• Warm air masses and cold air masses have different densities, and when the densities equalize causing a rapid decrease in air pressure and stormy weather results

• As the fronts move away from one another, the cold air mass is heated by the warm air mass. When cool air becomes warm, heavy precipitation is likely

• Cold air is denser than warm air, so the cold air mass travels beneath the warm air, pushing it up. Storms are often the result of rising warm air

• Since warm air is more dense than cold air, the cold air mass is forced higher. When the cold air becomes too heavy, it releases heavy precipitation

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

What does this weather map symbol represent, and what is its meaning?

• Occluded front: the area between two air masses where it's constantly in motion

• Stationary front: the boundary between two air masses where no air is moving

• Cold front: the leading edge of a cold air mass is pushing against a warm air mass

• Warm front: the leading edge of a warm air mass is pushing in to replace a cold air mass

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

The image shows a/an

• Stationary front: the boundary between two air masses where neither air mass is moving

• Cold front: the leading edge of a cold air mass is pushing against a warm air mass

• Warm front: the leading edge of a warm air mass is pushing in to replace a cold air mass

• Occluded front: the area between two air masses where it's constantly in motion

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

Think about the microclimates of areas surrounding the Great Lakes. Which statement best describes why areas immediately surrounding the Great Lakes, such as Menominee, experience more stable temperatures than areas that are farther inland and away from the lakes?

• The elevation of the cities of the coast is higher than the elevation of cities inland causing temperatures to be more stable

• The Great Lakes are a basin of water, which both holds and releases heat due to the specific heat of water, stabilizing the temperature of the cities near the water

• The air masses near the Great Lakes hold a lot more moisture than the air masses farther inland which help keep temperatures stable

• The Great Lakes do not influence the temperatures of the land around them. The only thing that influences temperature is the cold air masses coming down from Canada

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

What is the main factor that determines global wind pattern?

• Mountain ranges and large water bodies

• Earth's yearly revolution around the Sun

• Uneven heating of Earth's surface by the sun

• The direction of ocean currents

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

If you wanted to experience the greatest temperature extremes in the winter (the lowest low temperatures), which location would be your best choice?

• A location close to the poles and near a body of water

• A location close to the poles, near a body of water, and at a high elevation

• A location near the equator and at a high elevation

• A location close to the poles, away from a body of water, and at a higher elevation

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

The Great Lakes modify the local weather and climate in the surrounding states, such as Michigan. Because water temperatures change more slowly than land temperatures, lake waters gain heat in summer and release heat during cooler months. Comparing coastal regions of the state to inland regions, this results in all but one of the following weather situations on the coast

• Delayed frosts

• Lake effect snow

• More sunny days per year

• Cooler summers and warmer winters

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6