C1 Notes: Weather and Climate

  1. Weather

Daily weather conditions such as Rain, Sun, Wind, Temperature

  1. Almost all weather occurs in the

Troposphere

a. the troposphere is the lowest layer of the

Earth’s atmosphere

  1. Clouds are formed in the troposphere
  2. The types of clouds

a.Low-Level clouds in the atmosphere about ground level(fog) to 6,500ft

  1. Stratus- form in layers and cause rain or snow

b.Middle-Level clouds in the atmosphere 6500ft-20,000ft

  1. Cumulus- puffy and cause fair weather, sometimes can produce rain or snow
  2. Cumulonimbus- puffy, very large, and cause bring severe weather

c.High-Level clouds in the atmosphere over 20,000ft

  1. Cirrus- high, thin, wispy and cause fair weather but indicate that a change is coming
  1. The ozone layer is in the stratosphere, it

protects us from the sun’s harmful rays. The ozone

is getting weaker due to all the pollution in the ai

  1. Wind

a.The atmosphere absorbs some of the sun’s energy and reflects some back into space.

b.Earth’s surface reflects some of the sun’s energy’s, but absorbs most of it.

c.Land absorbs the sun’s energy faster than water, so it will also heat up faster than water. It can also cool down faster than water in the evening when the sun goes down.

d.With all of this movement, Earth reflecting energy, atmosphere absorbing energy, the air above Earth is in constant motion and causes wind

D. What do Atmospheric conditions mean?

1. We observe weather to make

predictions…changes in conditions= changes in weather

a. Cold air (Blue H)

* heavier= high air pressure-

* holds less water= low humidity

b. Hot air (Red L)

* lighter=low air pressure

* holds more water=high humidity

E. Weather Map

a. Key (shows meaning of map’s symbols):

L= low pressure area = warm front

H=high pressure area = cold front

F. Water Cycle

1.The sun provides energy for the water cycle. It heats water (such as large bodies of ocean water) causing evaporation (liquid to vapor) and transpiration(release of water to atmosphere from plants)

2.Condensation changes the gas(water vapor) back

into liquid, you see this process through clouds

Fog is condensation that forms near the ground

Dew on grass is condensation

3.Precipitation occurs when the clouds are condensed with water vapor and fall back to the Earth as rain, snow, sleet, hail, ice, by the force of Gravity

a.Rain- Vapor cooling back to a liquid and falling from clouds

b.Snow- Temperature is 0◦ C; Ground Temperature is 0◦ C

c.Sleet-Temperature is 0◦ C; Ground Temperature is above Freezing

d.Hail-Cumulonimbus Clouds produce hail; water vapor condenses and falls and freezes, the solid particles get caught in an updraft, within the cloud, and goes through the process until it becomes too heavy and falls to Earth as hail

  1. What is climate and how does it change?

A. Climate

1.Pattern of weather conditions over a certain amount of time

2.Temperature and rain are important factors that determine climate

3.Each climate in a certain area has microclimates

a.If the school is a climate, then each classroom,

hallway, etc. are microclimates

B. Climate and Latitude

1.Temperature differences are determined by latitude

a.near the equator, the sun is overhead nearly all year

b.near the poles, the sun is never overhead

c. Precipitation causes differences in climate C. World Climate

1. No two places on Earth have the exact same

climate because there are so many factors affecting

it

a. latitude

b. precipitation

c. temperature

d. ocean currents

e. shape of the land

2. There are 5 major climate zones

a. Polar- cold all year light precipitation

b. Mountain- cold winters, cool summers,

moderate to heavy precipitation

c. Temperate- cold winters, warm

summers, average precipitation

d. Tropical- hot all year average to heavy

precipitation

e. Desert- hot summers cool winters light

precipitation

2.Each zone has its own weather patterns and typical kinds of life.

III. Climate Changes

A. Earth’s climate is slowly warming

1. Earth’s climate has changed many times throughout

the years

a. periods of ice

b. periods of heat

3.El Nino occurs every 2 to 10 years and lasts for about a year.

It causes:

a. changes to the oceans currents

b. changes to rain patterns

B. Humans affect climate

  1. Cities are warmer than the countryside around

a. buildings, roads, and sidewalks hold heat longer than trees and grass

b. cars, trucks, etc. create more heat and pollution

  1. Burning fossil fuels create more heat
  2. The Greenhouse Effect is necessary for life. Without it, all of Earth’s heat would go off into space, making Earth cold
  3. Too much carbon dioxide is bad because it traps heat

C.Weather Instruments

  1. Thermometer= air temperature
  2. Barometer= air pressure
  3. Rain Gauge= amount of precipitation
  4. Anemometer= wind speed
  5. Wind Vane= direction wind is blowing
  6. Hygrometer= humidity(water in the air)