Review KEY: Weather & Climate
Define or describe the following:
Convection Current – Uneven heating of the Earth's surface that produces weather systems
El Nino – mass of warm water that moves eastward as trade winds relax
Hurricane – is a huge storm that forms over warm ocean water- low pressure area
Air Pressure – is the amount of pressure exerted on a surface by the atmosphere above it
Barometer – Instrument used to measure air pressure measured in millibars (Mb)
Coriolis Effect – Winds are forced to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in
the southern hemisphere due to ROTATION OF THE EARTH
Front – boundaries between two air masses
For the following DESCRIBE what type of weather they cause and draw their SYMBOL
used on weather maps.
Low Pressure System – (L) Hurricanes, cyclones and other storms
High Pressure System – (H) weather is generally calm around a high pressure center
Cold Front –
heavy rain or snow
Stationary Front –
often bring many days of clouds and precipitation
Warm Front –
warmer and more humid
Occluded Front –
cause weather to turn cloudy and rain or snow may fall
Describe the following types of air masses (include SYMBOL and WEATHER caused)
Continental – (C) dry and form over land
Maritime – (M) moist and form over water
Arctic – (A) bitterly cold dry air mass
Polar – (P) cold dry air mass (not as cold as arctic)
Equatorial – (E) warmest air mass
Tropical – (T) warm air mass (not as warm as equatorial)
Circle the correct answer choice:
Hot air is more or less dense than cold air.
Winds are caused by convection currents or Earth’s tilt.
High or low pressure systems tend to have dry conditions, light winds and fair skies.
When two air masses of different pressures and temperatures meet it causes a front or humidity.
A jet stream is a wind or air current.
Weather takes place in the troposphere or exosphere in the atmosphere.
Answer the following questions.
Do you think cities cause air to get warmer or cooler? Explain!
Warmer because of the high specific heat of concrete, it slowly releases warm air.
Which area on the Earth receives direct rays from the Sun? Which areas receive indirect rays?
(Equator)
(Poles)
What is the main thing that causes convection currents to occur?
Heat for the sun
What does El Niño do to the trade winds?
Blow less or stop blowing at all
What does El Niño do to the temperature of water in the Pacific Ocean?
Warms it
What causes hurricanes to form?
Clusters of thunderstorms over tropical ocean water but water must be warmer than
26ºC (81ºF)
If a hurricane were to travel over cold ocean water, what do you think would happen to the
hurricane?
Weaken rapidly
How does the Coriolis Effect change wind directions?
Winds are forced to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern
hemisphere
Draw on the globe the direction each wind will blow: (use arrows)
Label by each number the NAME of each air masses listed on the map.
1. Continental Arctic (cA)
#1
2. Maritime Polar (mP)
3. Maritime Tropical (mT)
#2
4. Continental Polar (cP)
#5
#4
5. Maritime Polar (mP)
6. Maritime Tropical (mT)
#3
#6
Answer the following questions based on the weather map below.
What type of front is moving across Texas? Cold front
What type of pressure system is around Dallas,Tx? Low
So what kind of weather can Dallas expect to have? Cold and rainy
What type of pressure system is in Louisiana? High