Study Guide Quarter 3 Test 2 Weather, Winds and Atmosphere

1. Dry air is 78% nitrogen, 21% Oxygen & 1% of trace gases.

2. As altitude increases, the density of the air decreases

3. Winds tend to move from areas of high pressure toward areas of low pressure

4. Earth's major wind belts are the trade winds, the prevailing westerlies, and the polar easterlies

5. Conduction is the transfer of heat between objects that touch. Like a hot spoon on your hand

6. The three main types of clouds are cumulus, stratus, and cirrus

7. At a warm front, warm air meets and moves over cold air

8. The decreasing air pressure of cyclones is often associated with storms and precipitation

9. Rain or snow usually is associated with falling air pressure

10. On a weather map, isobars join places that have the same air pressure

11. The two most abundant gases in the atmosphere are Nitrogen and Oxygen

12. Oxygen and Nitrogen make up 99% of dry air and trace gases make up the remaining 1%

13. Water vapor is water in the form of a gas

14. Density is measured by dividing mass over volume or D=M/V

15. Air pressure is measured in Millibars or (mb)

16. Barometers are instruments used to measure air pressure

17. The weather on our planet occurs in the troposphere layer of the atmosphere

18. The layers of the atmosphere from earth to space are troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere

19. The ozone layer in the stratosphere absorbs ultraviolet radiation

20. Winds are caused by differences in air pressure. Winds always flow from High pressure to Low pressure

21. Wind speed is measured by an anemometer.

22. The winds curve on our planet because of the rotation of the Earth. This is called the Coriolis Effect

23. Relative humidity can be measured with a psychrometer.

24. Very high feathery clouds are called cirrus clouds

25. Any form of water falling from the sky is precipitation

26. Air Masses that form over Mexico would be hot and dry. These are continental Tropical air masses or (cT)

27. Cold, dry air affecting the northern United States in winter often comes from continental polar air masses or (cP)

28. When a warm air mass and a cold air mass meet and no movement occurs, the result is a stationary front

29. When a warm air mass collides with a cold air mass, it forms a warm front

30. A funnel-shaped cloud that touches Earth's surface is called a tornado.

31. Weather forecasting has improved recently because of computer technology

32. Meteorologists are People who study weather and try to predict it.

33. Collecting of weather data in the last 40 years has been improved mostly by balloons and satellites

34. Isobars are lines on a map joining places that have the same air pressure.

35. On weather maps, a line with half circles indicates a warm front

36. Isotherms are lines on a map joining places that have the same temperatures.