Apologia Physical Science, Factor's That Affect Earth's Weather - Module 7: Study Guide

5) If stratus clouds are dark, what are they called?

The proper term is nimbostratus. Stratonimbus would also be correct. When a cloud is dark, you add a suffix "nimbus" or a prefix "nimbo."

3) What are the three main factors that affect earth's weather?

1) Thermal energy 2) Uneven distribution of thermal energy 3) Water vapor in the atmosphere

15) At nighttime, high elevations usually cool faster than low elevations. Thus, at night, the land on a mountain is usually cooler than the land in the valley next to the mountain. Will the local wind produced by this effect blow from the mountain into the valley or from the valley up to the mountain?

Along the surface of the earth, winds blow from cold to warm. Thus, the wind will blow from the mountain to the valley.

6) If you find lenticular clouds higher than normal, what are they called?

Altolenticular clouds. When a cloud is higher than usual, you add the "alto" prefix.

4) Be sure you can identify the four basic cloud types when you see a picture of them.

Cumulus, Cirrus, Status, Lenticular

8) In the Northern Hemisphere, is the length of the days greater than or less 12 hours between June 21 and September 22? Are the day lengths increasing or decreasing during that time?

In the Northern Hemisphere, June 21 is the summer solstice. The days are greater than 12 hours but are decreasing in length.

9) In the Southern Hemisphere, between what dates are the day lengths less than 12 hours but increasing?

In the Summer Hemisphere, the days get longer between June 21 and December 21. on September 22 the day is is exactly 12 hours long. Therefore from June 21-September 22, the days are getting longer, but are under 12 hours.

7) What does "insolation" stand for?

Incoming Solar Radiation

16) Is the humidity high or low in a continental polar air mass? Is this air mass warm or cold?

Since it is continental, the humidity is low. Since it is polar, the air mass is cold.

17) Is the humidity high or low in a maritime tropical air mass? Is this air mass warm or cold?

Since it is maritime, the humidity is high. Since it is tropical, the air mass is warm.

11) What causes wind?

Temperature differences cause wind.

13) What causes the wind patterns to bend in different regions of the globe?

The Coriolis effect bends the wind patterns.

10) Is the Northern Hemisphere's summer during aphelion or perihelion?

The Northern Hemisphere's summer is during aphelion when it's pointing towards the sun.

14) Suppose you are in Alaska and would like to fire a missile to hit a target at the equator, due south of your location. Ignoring the effects of wind and air resistance, in which direction should you aim the missile?

The ground in Alaska rotates slower than the ground at the equator. As the missile travels, the ground underneath will rotate faster underneath it as it travels closer to the equator resulting in the missile's trajectory bending to the west in relation to the ground. To adjust for this altered trajectory, you will have to fire the missile to the southeast.

12) Why isn't there a constant stream of wind blowing from the poles to the equator?

There isn't a steady stream of wind blowing from the poles to the equator because the temperature of the air changes as it changes latitude which causes loops of wind to develop at different latitudes.

20) In less than a day, dark cumulonimbus clouds form and unleash a thunderstorm that lasts only a few hours. After the thunderstorm is over and the sky clears, do you expect cooler or warmer temperatures as compared to the temperatures before the clouds began forming?

This kind of cloud pattern and resulting rain is indicative of a cold front. Thus, you should expect cooler temperatures.

19) Over a period of a few days, you notice cirrus clouds forming, followed by stratus and nimbostratus clouds. In just a few hours, however, dark cumulonimbus clouds form, heralding a thunderstorm. What kind of front causes this?

This kind of cloud progression is caused by an occluded front.

18) Over a period of a couple of days, the clouds slowly build and then a gentle, long rain ensues that lasts about 20 hours. What kind of front causes this weather?

This kind of weather is indicative of a warm front. It is not a stationary front because the rain would have lasted several days.

2) What is the difference between weather and climate?

Weather changes day to day, while climate does not. Climate is what you generally expect from a region. Weather is what actually happens day to day.