EARTHS SYSTEMS
ATMOSPHERE
• Invisible layers of air primarily made up of Nitrogen (75%), Oxygen (20.9%),
and Argon (.9%) gases
GREENHOUSE EFFECT
• Radiation from the sun is reflected by earth and then bounced into the
atmosphere where the water particles in the air trap the heat; the water
particles remain in the troposphere causing the lowest layer of atmosphere
to be warmer
TROPOSPHERE
• Zone where weather occurs; a dense layer of air in which molecules are
fueled by sunlight and create energy for weather
STRATOSPHERE
• Above the troposphere; temperature increases and contains the ozone
layer
MESOSPHERE
• Above the stratosphere; has the same pattern as the troposphere
THERMOSPHERE
• Above the mesosphere; temperature increases with increasing altitude. This
layer is less dense because molecules are widely spaced and have less
pressure.
CORIOLIS EFFECT
• Affects the direction of winds
CUMULUS CLOUDS
• Moist air collects rapidly over a small area
• Cumulonimbus clouds cause thunderstorms
STRATUS
• Air rising gently over a large area and then cools slowly; makes sunlight
seemed filtered; they contain ice crystals that can make the sun or moon
appear to have a halo
CIRRUS
• High in the atmosphere and look wispy; they form when water vapor
condenses directly into ice crystals
AIR MASSES
• Large areas of air with the same temperature and moisture levels of the
surface
COLD AIR MASS
• Produces cold weather
WARM AIR MASS
• Produces warm weather
MARITIME AIR MASS
• Moist air that forms over the ocean
CONTINENTAL AIR MASS
• Dry air that forms over the continents
COLD FRONT
• Leading edge of a cold air mass; these fronts bring snow, thunderstorms, and
heavy rains
WARM FRONT
• Leading edge of a warm air mass; these bring rainy weather followed by
clear weather
LOW PRESSURE
• Causes cloudy and rainy weather; rapid low pressure changes cause storms
BAROMETER
• Measures the pressure of air
pushing down on the tube of
mercury
WIND VANE
• Measures the direction of the wind
ANEMOMETER
• Measures wind speed
RAIN GAUGE
• Measures the amount of rain
OCEAN CURRENTS
• Large rivers of water flow through the ocean
• Cold Currents- run deep below the surface and creep along the bottom of
the ocean until they reach the tropics
• Warm Currents- water heated by the sun and are pushed along by steady
winds from the equator
JET STREAM
• The jet stream is a fast flowing, river of air found in the atmosphere at around
12 km above the surface of the Earth just under the troposphere. It flows west
to east.
GULF STREAM
The warm current that flows from the equator; it originates in
the Gulf of Mexico and runs past the east coast of the United
States towards Newfoundland