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Unit 5: Weather and ClimateStudent NotesBIG IDEA: Weather and Climate result from interactions of the atmosphere with Earth’s other systems. ENDURING UNDERSTANDING: Students will understand that weather and climate are influenced by interactions involving sunlight, the ocean, the atmosphere, and landforms. These interactions vary with latitude, altitude, and local and regional geography, all of which can affect oceanic and atmospheric flow patterns. Solar Energy from the Sun to Earth (2 days)Sun Solar Energy is energy from the SunThree main types of solar energy are Visible Light: can be seen but not feltInfrared Radiation (Heat): can be felt and not seenUltraviolet: can neither be felt or seen (causes sunburns)Radiation is the transfer of energy through space in the form of waves.Solar energy travels as radiation through space to Earth.Energy in the atmosphereHalf of the Sun’s energy is reflected into spaceReflection: is the change of direction of a wave or energy.Then, half of that amount is absorbed by Earth’s surfaceAbsorbing: is the transfer of an energy wave to matter.Clouds, gases, and our atmosphere absorbs the restEarth’s surface and objects radiate some of that heat back to the atmosphere.The trapping of that heat in our atmosphere that naturally warms our Earth is called the greenhouse effect.NOTE INTERACTION: Using the boxes below draw three illustrations of solar energyVisible LightInfrared RadiationUltravioletHow Earth heats and cools (2 days)Heat TransferHeat is the transfer of thermal energy from a hotter object to a cooler one.Heat is transferred in three ways: radiation, conduction, and convectionRadiationRadiation is the transfer of energy through space in the form of waves.Example: Laying on a beach and feeling the warmth of the SunConductionConduction is the transfer of heat from one substance to another substance by touching.Example: A pot touching a stove top (stove top is conducting heat to the pot)ConvectionConvection is the transfer of heat through air or a liquid. Example: Opening an oven door to check on a pizza and the burst of hot air that hits you in the face. (You know you have done it!)Land (heating and cooling)Land absorbs more energy (heat) and reflects less energy (heat) because it is a solidSome factors affect how much energy a surface absorbs or reflects areMaterial of the surfaceMetals absorb more energy than non metalsColor of the surfaceDark colors absorb more energyLight color absorb less energyMoisture of the surfaceMoist surfaces absorb less energyDry surfaces absorb more energyDuring the day land heats quickly absorbing more energy and reflecting less but at night land Example: You step on the concrete in summer your feet burn in daytimeAt night land loses heat quickly radiating its energy into the atmosphere causing it to feel coolerExample: at night the same concrete feels cool.Water (heating and cooling)Water absorbs less energy (heat) and reflects more energy (heat) because it is a liquidSome factors affect how much energy a surface absorbs or reflects areColor of the surfaceDark colors absorb more energyLight color absorb less energyDuring the day water heats slowly absorbing less energy and reflecting moreExample: A pool during the day may feel cool when you jump inAt night water retains (holds) its heat rather than radiating it back to the atmosphere making it feel warmerExample: at night the same pool when you jump in feels warm.Causing land, water, and different surface to be different temperatures.NOTE INTERACTION: Look at the image below and explain which surface the snow or the road will absorb and reflect the most solar energy.Answer:Atmosphere: Earth’s Blanket of Air (2 days)AtmosphereAtmosphere is the blanket of air that surrounds the Earth.There are five layers that make up the atmosphere (Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, and Exosphere)The atmosphere protects Earth from getting to much solar radiation but it also traps in the energy (heat) needed to keep us warm at nightTroposphere (Tropo=Changing)Troposphere is the lowest layer of the atmosphereAll weather occurs within this layer of the atmosphereExtends from 0-12 KM above Earth’s surfaceTemperatures decrease as you rise in this layerStratosphere (Strato=Spread Out)Stratosphere is the second layer of the atmosphereThis layer contains the Ozone LayerOzone is three atoms of Oxygen combine O3Ozone layer absorbs energy from the Sun and converts it to heatThe ozone layer also protects us from ultraviolet radiationThis layer is cold but warms up as your rise in this layerPlanes fly in this layer of the atmosphereExtends from 12-50 KM above Earth’s surfaceMesosphere ( Meso=Middle)Mesosphere is the third layer of the atmosphereThis layer burns up meteors when they enter the atmosphere protecting EarthExtends from 50-80 KM above Earth’s surfaceTemperatures decrease as you rise up in this layerThermosphere (Thermo=Heat)Thermosphere is the fourth layer of the atmosphereThis layer is the warmest and largest layer of the atmosphereExtends from 80-400 KM above Earth’s surfaceTemperatures increase as you rise up in this layerIonosphere is also located in this layer International Space Station (ISS) orbits in this layerAurora Borealis (northern lights) are colorful lights in the atmosphere caused by electrons colliding with the upper Thermosphere.Exosphere (Exo=Outer)Exosphere is the fifth layer of the atmosphereSatellites orbit in this layer of the atmosphereExtends from 400 Km into spaceTemperatures increase as you rise upNOTE INTERACTION: Click on the simulation link and set the altitude 25 KM and launch the weather balloon. Explain what happens when the weather balloon reaches the top of the stratosphere. (Why do you think that happened?): What happened the the weather balloon at the top of the stratosphere? (look at the pressure and temperature)Convection: The movement of air and water (3 days)ConvectionConvection is the transfer of heat through air or a liquid.Convection CurrentConvection Current is the movement of air or a liquid, caused by differences in temperature, that transfers heat from one part of air or a liquid to another.Convection currents are caused by uneven heating of land or waterHot air and fluid rises because the molecules are spread out making it less denseCold air and fluid sinks because the molecules are coming together making it denserAir PressureAir Pressure is the weight of air pushing on an objectHigh Pressure is when air is moving down and pushing on an objectCold air is associated with high pressure because it sinksHigh pressure means clear skiesLow Pressure is when air is moving up and not pushing down on an objectHot air is associated with low pressure because it risesLow pressure means cloudy skies and possibly rainy weatherWind Wind is the movement of airWind is created by the uneven heating of EarthWind is created when cool air (high pressure) moves in to replace warm rising air (low pressure)Wind is also created with warm air (low pressure) moves in to replace sinking cold air (high pressure)Global Winds are winds that blow steadily from specific directions over long distancesGlobal winds are giant convection currents broken into three parts because of the Coriolis Effect.Coriolis Effect is how Earth’s rotation makes winds curve.Northern Hemisphere winds turn to the rightSouthern Hemisphere winds turn to the leftThree types of global winds exist on Earth (trade winds, westerlies, and easterlies)Trade Winds are winds that blow from East to the West toward the equator.Westerlies are winds that blow from the West to the East moving north east.This global wind affects weather in the United StatesEasterlies are winds that blow from the East to the West moving away from the poles.NOTE INTERACTION: Look at the picture below and explain where the hot air would be rising, cold air would be sinking, and the direction the wind would be blowingHot air is rising __________________________________________________________________________________________2. Cold air is sinking ___________________________________________________________________________________________________3. The wind is moving from ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Air masses and fronts (2 days)Air MassesAir masses are massive pockets of air with the same temperature and moisture content throughoutAir masses take on the temperature and moisture content of the area they formThey can be millions of square kilometers wideAir masses the can form in four locationsMaritime is when an air mass forms over the oceanContinental is when an air mass forms over landTropical is when an air mass forms near or closer to the equatorPolar is when an air mass forms near or closer to the polesFour types of air masses influence weather in the United StatesMaritime TropicalMaritime tropical is an moist and warm air mass It carries warm moist conditions to other regions of the U.S. Continental TropicalContinental tropical is an dry and warm air mass It carries warm dry conditions to other regions of the U.S. Maritime PolarMaritime polar is an moist and cold air mass It carries cold moist conditions to other regions of the U.S. Continental PolarContinental polar is an dry and cold air mass It carries cold dry conditions to other regions of the U.S. Westerlies winds and the jet stream move air masses on in the U.S.Jet Stream is a tube of fast moving air in the upper troposphere that blow from West to East.Jet Streams move daily to different locations dipping down and moving up like a snake taking air masses with it.Weather FrontsFronts are the boundary between where two air masses meet.When air masses collide they can form four types of fronts: cold fronts, warm fronts, stationary fronts, and occluded frontsCold Front is when a cold air mass moves in a warm air mass pushing it up rapidly causing unstable conditions and violent thunderstorms followed by cold conditions.Warm Front is when a warm air mass moves in a cold air mass sliding on top of the cold air mass and slowly pushing it out of the way causing cloudy weather and rain for days followed by warm conditions.Stationary Front is when a cold air mass and warm air mass collide and neither can move the other causing rainy weather for days until one air masses pushes the other out of the way leaving the winning air masses conditions behind.Occluded Front is when a cold air mass and cool air mass traps a warm air mass in the middle pushing up the rising warm air causing clouds and rain followed by cooler weather.NOTE INTERACTION: Using the Internet find a picture example of the fronts belowType of FrontPicture exampleCold FrontWarm FrontStationary FrontWater Cycle and Weather (1 day)Water Cycle Water Cycle is the movement of water between the atmosphere and Earth’s surface.It consists of four parts: Evaporation, Condensation, Precipitation, and CollectionEvaporationEvaporation is the process by which water molecules in liquid water are heated and turn a gas called water vapor escaping into the atmosphere.Water vapor is water in the form of a gas and is released by plants and animalsCondensationCondensation is the process by which water vapor in the air is cooled and becomes liquid water forming tiny water droplets or ice crystalsWater droplets or ice crystals then attach to dust or smoke to form cloudsDew point is the temperature at which condensation begins If the temperature is above freezing water droplets formIf the temperature is below freezing ice crystals formClouds are classified into three main categories based on their shape: cirrus, cumulus, and stratusCirrus clouds are wispy, feathery clouds located only at high altitudesIndicates a storm is on the wayCumulus clouds are fluffy, rounded piles of cotton located less than 2 KM above the ground.Indications fair weather and good conditionsCumulonimbus clouds are towering clouds with flat tops that often produce thunderstorms (a.k.a. thunderheads)Stratus clouds that form in flat layers and blanket the sky and are low lying cloudsIndicates rain, snow or cloudy conditions for several daysPrecipitationPrecipitation is any form of water that falls from clouds and reaches Earth’s mon types of precipitation include: rain, sleet, freezing rain, snow and hailRain are drops of water that are 0.5 mm or bigger in diameterThe most common type of precipitationSleet are ice particles that are smaller than 5 millimeters in diameter.Forms when rain falls through a layer of air below freezingFreezing Rain is cold rain that freezes when it makes contact with a cold surface.Snow is an ice crystal that forms in a cloud and falls to the ground Hail round pellets of ice larger than 5 millimeters in diameter.Forms in thunderstorms when high winds and areas below freezingCan cause major damage to buildings and vehiclesCollectionCollection is any surface on Earth that collects precipitation such as creeks, rivers, oceans, including the ground. Explore this cool interactive on the water cycle INTERACTION: Jill went to the bus stop to go to school and noticed a large puddle on the road. Later in the afternoon when Jill got off the bus she noticed the puddle was gone. Explain what happened to the puddle and why it disappeared?Answer: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Monitoring Weather with Instruments (3 days)Instruments for Monitoring WeatherMany instruments are used to gather data about atmospheric conditions below are some of those instrumentsThermometer is an instrument used to measure the temperature of the heat being released by the ground.Anemometer is an instrument used to measure wind speed.Psychrometer is an instrument used to measure relative humidity.Barometer is an instrument used to measure changes in air pressure.Rain Gauge is an instrument used to measure precipitation amounts.Hygrometer is an instrument used to measure the water vapor content in the air (humidity)Weather Balloons measures weather conditions higher up in the atmosphereWeather Satellites are used to photograph and track large-scale air movements. Then send the data back to Earth for meteorologist to analyze with the help of computers.Doppler Radar is a radar that sends out radio waves which bounce off things in the air like rain, snow, sleet, or hail and are then reflected back to the the radar station where computers process the data.NOTE INTERACTION: Choose three of the weather instruments above, tell what it measures, and find or draw a picture showing what the instrument looks like.Weather InstrumentWhat it measuresPicture exampleWeather maps and meteorology (5 days)MeteorologyMeteorology is the study of the condition of the atmosphere and weather.Meteorologists are scientist who study the causes of weather and try to predict itThey use a variety of maps, charts, and computers to analyze weather data and to prepare weather forecasts.They also collect data from a variety of weather instruments to generate weather forecastsThey also get their information from the National Weather Service (N.W.S.)They enter their data into computer models which generate weather forecasts 12 hours, 24 hours, and 36 hours into the futureWeather MapsWeather Map is a snapshot of weather conditions at a particular time over a large area.Symbols are used on weather map to show precipitation, fronts, air pressure, temperature, and other conditions.Isobars are lines joining places on the map that have the same air pressure.Numbers on the isobars are the air pressure readingIn the middle of the lines an H (High Pressure) or an L (Low Pressure) maybe listedIsotherms are lines joining places that have the same temperature.Numbers on the isotherms are the temperature readings Fronts use the following symbols on a weather mapCold fronts = Blue lines with blue triangles pointing the direction of the fronts movementWarm fronts = Red lines with red semicircles pointing in the direction of the fronts movement.Stationary fronts = Red semicircles followed by a blue triangle facing opposite directions and repeating showing the front is stalled.Occluded fronts = Purple semicircle, triangle, and semicircle facing the direction of the fronts movement.Precipitation can be found using a weather map key and finding the corresponding symbol on the map.Weather maps can be used to predict weather for one to two days in the future by looking at the weather to the west of a location on the map.NOTE INTERACTION: Look at the weather map below and make a forecast for the weather in Minneapolis today. (include temperature, fronts, precipitation, and pressure)Answer:Natural Disasters: Thunderstorms, Tornadoes, and Hurricanes (3-5 days)ThunderstormsThunderstorms are disturbances in the atmosphere characterised by heavy precipitation, lightning, and thunder.Forms from cold fronts which are when a cold air mass collides with a warm air mass and moisture is present forming an unstable airForms in large cumulonimbus clouds also known as thunderheads.Areas mostly impacted are the Western plains and the southeastern United StatesOccurs during the Spring and Summer months during the late afternoonFlorida has the most thunderstorms of any stateRisk associated with thunderstorms include heavy rain, hail, lightning, thunder, and flash floodsLightning is a sudden spark, or electrical discharge that jumps between clouds or between the cloud and the groundThunder is when the air is when the air is heated rapidly to 30,000 degrees Celsius when the lightning strikes causing the air to expand rapidly and explodes (thunder).Fact: If you can hear thunder you are close enough to be struck by lightning. (Go indoors and be safe)Try making your own thunderstorm click the link below are rotating columns of air shaped like a funnel that reaches down from a storm cloud to Earth’s surface.Forms when a warm moist air mass collides with a cold dry air mass forming an are of unstable air.The Great Plains and South Eastern United States are areas most prone to TornadoesGreat Plains is called Tornado AlleySouth East is called Dixie AlleyOccurs during the Spring and Fall months during the warmest part of the dayAt Least 800 tornadoes occur every year in the U.S.Wind speed and flying debris are the major dangers of a tornadoTornadoes can be measured using the Enhanced Fujita Scale Created by Ted Fujita and measures the wind speed and damage caused by a tornadoRanks tornadoes from EF0 (weakest) to an EF5 (strongest)Tornado SafetyThe safest place to be during a tornado is in a basementOther safe places include include a bathroom, closet, or a hallway away from windows or exterior walls.Tornado Watch means conditions are possible for a tornado.Tornado Warning means a tornado has been spotted on the ground and sirens will go off (Get to a safe place immediately)Make your own Tornado with this link is a tropical cyclone that has winds of a 119 KMPH that forms over warm tropical waters.They begin as low pressure area that forms over warm tropical waters and then becomes a tropical disturbanceTropical storms are storms over the water with wind speeds between 63-118 KMPHThey are called cyclones in the Indian oceanThey are called typhoons in the western Pacific oceanForms over warm tropical waters, where it can draw energy from the warm, humid air on the ocean's surface forming a storm and an area of low pressure.Hurricane season occurs during the months of August, September, and October in areas near the equator especially the East coast of the U.S. Hurricanes move in a spiral direction caused by the Coriolis EffectNorthern hemisphere they spiral to the rightSouthern hemisphere they spiral to the leftWind speed, flying debris, storm surge, and flooding are the major dangers of a hurricaneEye is the center of a hurricane when the low pressure is locatedThe strongest storms and winds are located just outside the eye wall Storm Surge is a dome of water that sweeps across the coast where the hurricane makes landfall flooding the area.Hurricanes weaken when they make landfall because of being cut off from the water.Hurricanes can be measured using the Saffir Simpson Scale Measures the wind speed, storm surge, and damage caused by a hurricaneRanks hurricanes from category 1 (weakest) to an category 5 (strongest)Hurricane SafetyThe safest thing to do during a hurricane is to evacuateOther safe places include include a bathroom, closet, or a hallway away from windows or exterior walls.Hurricane Watch means hurricane conditions are possible in your area within the next 36 hours.Hurricane Warning means hurricane conditions are expected within 24 hours. (Evacuate Immediately)Hurricanes are given names to reduce confusion because multiple hurricanes can occur at the same time.Make your own Hurricane using the link INTERACTION: Where is the safest place to be during a thunderstorm, tornado, or hurricane?TornadoHurricane Thunderstorm ................
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