1
Meteorology Part 1:
I. Weather
State of the atmosphere at a given time & place
•
___________________– the study of the atmosphere
•
___________________ – person who studies weather
Weather cont’
•
Factors Effecting the State of the Weather:
1. _____________________
2. _____________________
3. _____________________
II. Energy
•
______________________ - total energy of all the particles in a sample of matter
•
Temperature –
_______________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________.
Energy cont’
•
Heat –
_______________________________________________________________________
______________________________.
Insolation – Energy from
the sun
From 3 words: ____________
_____________
_____________
2
E. 3 Ways Heat Moves
•
•
•
•
Radiation
•Sun emits energy in ___________________
•Earth emits energy as __________________
Conduction
Energy ________________________________
Convection - Energy _____________________________________
________________________ is based on the rate of heat loss from exposed skin caused by wind and
cold.
As the wind increases, it draws heat from
the body, driving down skin temperature
and eventually the internal body
temperature.
III. Composition of the Atmosphere
________________ Nitrogen
_______________ Oxygen
D. Ozone (O3)
Present in the ___________________________________________________________.
In the upper atmosphere it acts as a ________________ for the Earth, blocking out harmful rays
The Ozone Layer
- The ozone depletion process begins when CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons) and other ozone-depleting
substances (ODS) leak from equipment.
- Winds efficiently mix the troposphere and evenly distribute the gases. CFCs are extremely stable, and they
do not dissolve in rain. After a period of several years, CFC molecules reach the stratosphere, about 10
kilometers above the Earth's surface
The Ozone Layer
-Strong______________ light breaks apart the CFC molecule. CFCs release chlorine atoms.
- These chlorine atoms _______________________
3
-It is estimated that one chlorine atom can destroy over 100,000 ozone molecules before finally being
removed from the stratosphere.
E. Common solids found in the Air
•
•
•
Ice-__________________
Dust- ________________
Salt- ___________________
IV. Layers of the Atmosphere
•
•
•
•
•
A. Troposphere
- _____________________________________ of the atmosphere
- Contains 75% of the atmospheric gases, dust, ice, & liquid water
- Temperatures  as you go 
-
The surface of the Earth
__________________________________________________________________________
________________.
-
__________________ occurs here
B. Stratosphere
- ____________________________ of the atmosphere
Lower Part Contains the ________________________________.
4
_______________________ is here protecting the Earth like _________________.
-
Airplane fly here to escape _____________________________.
C. Mesosphere - ___________ burn up in the mesosphere
-_________________________________________________________.
D. Thermosphere
- Contains the Ionosphere – ____________________________________________________.
-Makes long distance radio communications possible by _____________________________________.
-Area of ____________________________.
-Some satellites orbit in the thermosphere
E. Exosphere
- ____________________________________________________________________________________.
- ________________________________ as you go 
V. Green House Effect
- Is a Good thing
-A bigger greenhouse effect could be a bad thing.
V. Green House Effect
Green house gases __________________________________________________.
-3 Examples of Greenhouse Gases:
1.
2.
3.
VI. Normal Lapse Rate
-Earth’s surface _______________________________________________________________.
5
-Troposphere - ___________________________________________________________
- Air ______________ as it rises due to decrease in _________________, so it cools.
Temperature
*Land is coolest just before _____________________.
Land is warmest around _____________.
Temperature
-Temperature varies ________________________________________.
-Sun’s rays _________________ heat the Earth’s surface evenly.
Warmest month is ____________.
Coldest month is ______________.
A. Temp on Continents Vs. Oceans
-Water & Land ________________________________________________.
-Water warms much __________________________________than land
-Water cools more slowly than land because _______________________________________________.
VII. Water Vapor
Dew _____________________________________________________________________________.
Frost – occurs when the surface temperature at condensation is _______________________________.
-Water vapor can also condense into droplets forming a ______________.
-Clouds at ground level are called ______________.
D. Humidity
6
________________________– the amount of water vapor actually present in the air
_______________________ – Temperature at which the air is saturated with water vapor
-The more water vapor the air starts with, _________________________________.
- When water vapor cools below the dew point, ________________________.
*The ________________ the air, the more _______________ it can hold.
The amount of water needed to saturate air increases as the air’s temperature increases.
E. Relative Humidity
- ______________________________________________________________________________.
_________________________ X ___________ = Relative Humidity
Amount of Vapor Air Can Hold
Instruments used to measure amounts of Humidity
- 1. Hygrometer- uses ___________________________________________________.
2. Sling Psychrometer - Uses ___________________________________________________________.
a. Distilled water from a small reservoir is used to keep the sleeve wet.
b. The psychrometer is whirled around in the air, _____________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
c. If the relative humidity is low and the temperature is high, moisture will evaporate very quickly
Its cooling effect will be more significant than if the relative humidity was already high
d. The evaporation rate would ____________________________________.
e. The difference between the wet bulb and dry bulb temperature
______________________________________________.
A. How Winds Blow
- Wind is the movement of air _________________________________________________.
- The closer the _________________________ the faster the windspeed.
- Anemometer - ____________________________________.
7
* Wind on Land and Sea
- Sea Breeze - ________________________________________________________________.
- Land Breeze- ______________________________________________________________.
VIII. Pressure
-Pressure – is _____________________________________________.
-Air Pressure- is ______________________________________________,
-The weight of the gases at the top _____________________________________________________.
-Molecules _______________________ & the density of the air close to Earth is ______________________.
*A line drawn on a weather map connecting points of equal pressure is called an ________________.
* The Isobars are generated from ______________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________.
At every point along the top isobar, the pressure is 996 mb and at every point along the bottom isobar the
pressure is 1000 mb.
Any point in between these two isobars will have a pressure somewhere between ______________ and
____________. Point A, for example, has a pressure of 998 mb and is therefore located between the 996
mb isobar and the 1000 mb isobar.
8
Coriolis Effect - _________________________________________________________________
________________________________________.
-Cause of the Coriolis Effect = ________________________________.
High Pressure System
Low Pressure System
VIIII. Temperature, Air Masses, Clouds
-Thermometer - ______________________________________________________________________.
Invented by _______________________________________.
Air Mass- ______________________________________________________________________________.
- Named for their Source Regions
Air Mass
Continental Polar (cP)
Continental Arctic (cA)
Continental Tropical (cT)
Maritime Polar (mP)
Maritime Tropical (mT)
Characteristic
Cold, dry
Very cold, dry
Hot, dry
Cool, moist
Warm, moist
Clouds
-The shape of a cloud depends on the air movement that forms it.
- Clouds are identified by 2 factors:
1.
2.
1. Height – Low, Middle, High, Vertical
2. Shape – Cirrus, Cumulus, Status, Nimbus
9
Clouds
1. Stratus – _________________________________________________________________
2. Cumulus –
______________________________________________________________________
3. Cirrus – _________________________________________________________________
4. Cumulonimbus – _______________________________________________________
Prefixes for clouds:
___________ – Highest
___________ – Middle- High
___________- Lowest
__________ – Rain cloud
Heated air
-
molecules are further apart
molecules are moving faster
is less dense
is absorbing energy from the sun
Cold Air
- is more dense
- molecules are closer together
- molecules are moving slower
- exerts a higher pressure
Fronts –
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Types of Fronts
Warm front
Cold front
10
Stationary front
Occluded front
Warm Front –
______________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________
-
-
Stratiform (stratified) cloud cover. The leading clouds, cirrus, are a good indicator of an impending
change in the weather.
Long duration. ________________ rainfall.
-Warmer Weather
Cold Front –
______________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________
-Characterized by _________________________________ & _________________________
- Cumulus (flat based or anvil-shaped) development.
-Short duration _________________________ & __________________________.
Stationary Front –
______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________
- Cause ________________________________________________________.
-Warm fronts can move over cold fronts but the cold fronts can't move over the colder fronts
Occluded Front ______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________.
-Occluded Fronts can cause long times of rain and precipitation.
Precipitation
-
________________________________________________________________________
11
Ex. – Rain, Snow, Sleet, & Hail
•
•
1” of rain = 10” of snow
Cloud Seeding – process of artificially making rain
Pellets of dry ice (cold solid CO2)
Crystals of silver Iodide
Acid Rain
caused by __________________ (from volcanoes & fuel burning) or_______________ (cars) particles
forming condensation nuclei
-
Changes pH of soil, makes stone weather faster, kills plants & animals, & damages metals
pH of Acid Rain = _______________________________
pH of Normal Rain = _____________________________
Windward –
________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________
Leeward-
Temperature Inversion
- ________________________________________________________ occurring when
surface air is colder than the air above it.
-Occurs during clear dry nights
-Ground cools rapidly & so does the air above it
Temp Inversion Cont’
- Smoke & other pollutants are
trapped in this
cold air that can
not rise
-
Wind & sunlight
can destroy the
inversion
12
Severe Weather
Thunderstorms – heavy rains, lightning,
thunder, & possibly hail
A. Lightning
- ______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________.
-
Rising & falling air creates _______________________ in a cloud
As a result, strips water in the air of e- (electrons) & the cloud becomes charged
Electrical charges build up in the cloud & once the charge builds up to great amounts the charges move
across the air & travel to an oppositely charged object such as the ground or other clouds.
Lightning may go from:
_______________ to ___________________
________________ to ___________________
________________to ____________________
B. Thunder
Loud sound ______________________________________________________________________________
-
Causes the air to expand & cool quickly
- Air contracts creating ______________________________________ heard as a clap of Thunder
B. Tornado –
_________________________________________________________________________
- Moves over a narrow path over land
Usually moving from Southwest to Northeast
- Forms along ______________________.
Caused by Shear winds (winds at different speeds & in different directions)
Strong updraft will tilt wind shear & produce rotation inside a thunderstorm
__________________________ Forms
USA has the most tornadoes in the world
Tornado Alley = Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas Missouri
13
D. Hurricane - The most powerful storm
- A large ____________________________________________________________________
- Forms over a tropical ocean
- Gains energy & strength from ________________________________________.
E. Watches & Warnings
•
•
________________ - indicates the possibility that you
could experience a
specific weather
condition
______________________ -indicates that sustained weather conditions have been sighted &
are expected within 24 hours or less in your area
Station Models
Weather Symbols