Name: ________________________________
Weather & Climate Notes
7th Grade Science – Mrs. Stabler & Mrs. Raimo
Date: __________________ Period: ________
Air
1. Although we cannot see air it has mass.
2. Because air has mass, it also has pressure.
3. What is air pressure?
the pressure caused by the weight of a column of air pushing down on an area
The Atmosphere
4. What is the atmosphere?
the atmosphere is the outermost Earth System of gases and
particles of matter
5. What are some reasons the atmosphere is essential to life on
Earth?

contains oxygen and carbon dioxide, and water necessary
for life

acts like insulation on a house to keep the Earth warm

protects living organisms from some of the Sun’s harmful
rays

protects Earth’s surface from being hit by meteoroids
6. Each layer has unique properties including composition of
gases, and how temperature changes with altitude.
7. What is altitude?
height above sea level
The Troposphere
8. What is the troposphere?
the atmospheric layer closest to Earth’s surface
9. The troposphere extends from the face of Earth’s surface to altitudes between
8 - 15 km.
10. What happens to temperature as you move up higher in the troposphere?
temperature decreases as you move away from the surface
11. This is the layer where most of Earth’s weather occurs.
The Stratosphere
12. What is the stratosphere?
the atmospheric layer directly above the troposphere
13. The stratosphere extends from about 15 km to about 50 km.
14. The stratosphere contains the ozone layer. What is the ozone layer?
the area of the stratosphere with a high concentration of ozone
15. Due to the ozone layer, temperatures increase as altitude increases within the
stratosphere.
The Mesosphere and Thermosphere
16. The mesosphere extends from the stratosphere (50 km) to about 85 km.
17. The thermosphere can extend from the mesosphere to more than 500 km above
Earth’s surface.
18. Compare the size of these layers to the troposphere and stratosphere.
these layers are much broader than the troposphere and stratosphere, yet only
1% of the atmosphere’s gas molecules are found here
19. The ionosphere is a region within the mesosphere and thermosphere that
contains ions.
20. Where is the ionosphere? (in terms of altitude) between 60 km and 500 km
21. What are auroras? and how are they created?
stunning display of lights in the ionosphere, ions from the Sun strike air
molecules, causing them to emit vivid colors of light
The Exosphere
22. What is the exosphere?
the atmospheric layer furthest from Earth’s surface
23. The exosphere extends from 500 km out to space. It has no definite end, the
molecules here can escape Earth’s gravity and travel into space.
24. Pressure and density is so low here that individual gas molecules rarely strike
each other.
25. What causes the molecules here to move at incredibly fast speeds?
they absorb radiation from the Sun
Energy in the Atmosphere
26. Energy in the form of heat is transferred throughout the atmosphere.
27.
Type of Heat
Transfer
Definition
Radiation
Transfer of heat through space
Conduction
Transfer of heat through direct contact
Convection
Transfer of heat within a fluid/air
28. How is the troposphere mostly heated? through convection
Weather Patterns
Winds
29. What is wind?
the horizontal movement of air from an area of high pressure to and area of low
pressure
30. Winds are caused by differences in air pressure
31. How are winds described? by their direction and speed
32. Wind direction is determined with a wind vane.
33. Wind speed is measured with an anemometer.
Local Winds
34. What are local winds?
winds that blow over short distances
35. Local winds are caused by unequal heating of Earth’s surface within a small area.
Global Winds
36. What are global winds?
winds that blow steadily from specific directions over long distances
37. What causes global winds?
unequal heating of Earth’s atmosphere
38. Warm air rises at the equator and cold air sinks at the poles, therefore air
pressure tends to be lower near the equator and greater near the poles.
The Coriolis Effect
39. What is the Coriolis Effect?
the change that Earth’s rotation causes in the
motion of objects and that explain how winds
curve
40. Global winds in the Northern hemisphere
gradually turn towards the right and in the
Southern hemisphere winds cure to the left.
Global Wind Belts
41.
Wind Belt
Definition
Doldrums
Near equator, little or no wind. Calm area where
warm air rises
Horse Latitudes
Areas 30 degrees north and south of the equator;
calm areas of falling air
Trade Winds
Blow from horse latitudes toward the equator;
generally blow from the northeast in the
Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in
the Southern Hemisphere
Prevailing
Westerlies
Blow west to east and away from the horse
latitudes; play an important role in the weather
of the United States.
Polar Easterlies
Cold air near the poles sinks and flows back
toward the lower latitudes; blow east to west;
major effect on the weather in the U.S.
Jet Streams
Bands of high-speed winds about 10 kilometers
above Earth's surface.
Air Masses
42. Scientists classify air masses according to two characteristics:
temperature and humidity.
43. Temperature affects air pressure.
44. Cold, dense air has higher pressure, while warm, less dense air has lower
pressure.
Type of Air
Mass
Description
Tropical
warm, forms in tropics, low air pressure
Polar
cold, forms at the poles, high air
pressure
Maritime
humid, forms over oceans
Continental
dry, forms over land
Type of Air
Mass
Description
Maritime
Tropical
humid, warm air mass
Maritime
Polar
humid, cold air mass
Continental
Tropical
dry, warm air mass
Continental
Polar
dry, cold air mass