APES Atmosphere, seasons, weather, and Climate

Distinguish between cold fronts and warm fronts. How would an observer determine which was coming?

A high pressure system has air that is cool and needs to spread down to the surface of earth while a low pressure system contains warm air. A warm front has very light precipitation and low clouds that are being pushed upwards. While a could front has a very high amount of precipitation.

What is climate change?

Climate change is the change in weather in a region during a long period of time. The earth's temperature is warming and the past 20 years have been the warmest ever recorded. The reason for the increase of temperature could be greenhouse gasses and carbon emissions.

What role does convection play in global atmospheric circulation patterns?

Convective circulation plays a massive role in global patterns. It can influence both climate and weather. Near the equator, solar radiation is created and is put into motion. The sun is the warmest near the equator which can create Hadley cells.

As one move upward in the troposphere the temperature

If you were to increase your altitude in the troposphere the temperature would begin to decrease.

How deep is the atmosphere compared to the rest of the earth?

The atmosphere seems very tall, vast, and that it can go on forever but in reality is just 1/100th of Earth's diameter.

What is relative humidity and why is it included with the weather report on TV?

The relative humidity is the amount of water vapor that air contains. For example, it was very humid outside, it would feel hotter than the given temperature because the human body can not cool itself efficiently. It is included in the weather report because people need to plan accordingly and when temperatures drop, high humidity can lead to rain.

Circle or highlight the two conditions that would create the densest air mass (choose one set):

warm, cool or moist, dry

Water vapor is one of the components of the air in the atmosphere. What change causes the vapor in the air to form clouds?

As air cools, water vapor in the air condenses to liquid or solid state.

What is meant by the term "Atmospheric Pressure"? What causes it?

Atmospheric pressure is a force per unit area that decreases with altitude because at higher altitudes less molecules are being pulled down by gravity. It is caused by the planet's gravitational pull of gases down closest to earth.

Think: In which layer is atmospheric pressure the greatest? Why?

Atmospheric pressure is greatest in the troposphere because closest to sea level has the greatest pressure. There is a clear correlation on the graph that at a low altitude Atmospheric pressure is greatest. Just like the density of air molecules.

Regions of Earth's surface are heated at different rates. Provide three reasons for or causes of this Differential Heating.

Positioning of the earth's axis - Because of Earth's curvature, polar regions receive less solar energy than equatorial regions. Angle of Sunlight - If different regions, earth's angle of sunlight is different. Since it is mismatched, regions might experience cooler temperatures because the air absorbs more sunlight. The region's Climate - For example, a desert is not going to experience a lot of rain due to the fact convective circulation is less likely to happen.

Which layer contains the protective atmospheric ozone layer?

The Ozone layer is located in the Stratosphere.

What are the 3 factors that influence global climate?

The Sun - The sun is the most important factor to the global climate because without it the earth would simply be dark and frozen. The Atmosphere - The atmosphere is also very important to the global climate because it protects gases from entering/ escaping. It also determines the weather and without it the average temperature would be roughly 59 degrees cooler. The Oceans - Without oceans there would be know where to store and transport heat and moisture. The ocean also produces over half the world's oxygen and absorbs 50 times more CO2 than our atmosphere.

what is meant by the "greenhouse effect" and why is it essential for life on Earth? (refer to diagram 18.2 if needed). What is causing it to increase in recent years?

The greenhouse effect is essential to the life we live on earth because that is how the Troposphere gets heat. Most re-emitted energy is lost to space but some travels back down to earth warming the lower atmosphere. Greenhouses gasses have caused an increase in overall temperature.

What are the top two gas components of the Atmosphere by percentage? What are the percentages of the greenhouse gases CO2 and H2O?

The top two gas components of the Atmosphere are Nitrogen (78%) and Oxygen (21%). Greenhouse gases make up very little in our Atmosphere. Carbon Dioxide is only 0.04% & water vapor can only range from 0-4%.

On what basis have we divided the atmosphere into layers? Name and describe them, starting at the earth's surface. In which layer of the atmosphere do you live?

Troposphere - The troposphere is where humans live and the air that they breathe. The way air moves throughout the Troposphere is what creates weather. At the top of the Troposphere, there is the "tropopause" which is a balance of temperature between the Stratosphere and the Troposphere. Stratosphere - The Stratosphere is roughly 7-31 miles above sea level and is much drier and denser than the Troposphere. Once pollutants enter the Stratosphere they stay for a long time due to the very minimal amount of mixing. The reason the Stratosphere's temperature increases with altitude is because of the ozone layer. A layer that absorbs UV radiation and protects humans from getting an excessive amount of radiation. Mesosphere - The mesosphere is the third layer of the atmosphere, directly above the stratosphere and directly below the thermosphere. In the mesosphere, temperature decreases as altitude increases. Thermosphere - The Thermosphere is right above the Mesosphere and Radiation causes the atmosphere particles in this layer to become electrically charged particles

In which layer does Earth's weather occur?

Weather is located in the Troposphere. Air moves throughout and that is how the weather is created.

Study Fig. 17.5 on p. 449. Describe the "reasons for the seasons".

When the sun is striking earth, depending on the season, the sunlight is spread over more surface area depending on the tilt. For example, when it is summer for North America the earth is tilted at a degree that the sun travels a shorter distance, so the air does not absorb as much heat.