Module 7 factors That Affect Earth's Weather

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

a occluded front.

18. Over a period of a couple of days, the clouds slowly build and then a gentle, long rain ensues that lasts less than a full day. What kind of front causes this weather?

a warm front.

7.2 If a group of cumulus clouds were higher than typical cumulus clouds but were also dark, what would they be called?

altocumulonimbus clouds.

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

altolenticular clouds

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

aphelion.

7.5 Suppose the earth's orbit around the sun were circular rather than elliptical. If that were true, the earth would always be the same distance from the sun. Under these conditions, would there still be seasons.

Yes, there would be seasons.

1.e. weather front

A boundary between two air masses.

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

A continental polar air mass would be cold with low humidity.

1.d. air mass

A large body of air with relatively uniform pressure, temperature, and humidity.

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

A maritime tropical air mass is warm with high humidity.

9. In the Southern Hemisphere, when are the day lengths less than 12 hours but increasing.

After the summer solstice.

2. What is the difference between weather and climate?

Climate is a region's steady condition that prevails overall. Weather is the condition in the earth's atmosphere at any particular time.

7.4 Between what dates is the length of the day less than 12 hours in the Southern Hemisphere and at the same time decreasing from day to day?

From spring equinox to the summer solstice.

11. Why are we "lucky" that the earth has an axial tilt?

If the earth did not have an axial tilt then less of the earth would be exposed to the sun at a time creating a bigger difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures. If it were the case year-round, there would be enormous temperature imbalances and the earth would be hostile to life.

7.1 Is it possible to have altocirrus clouds? Why or why not?

It is not possible to have altrocirrus clouds because they are already the highest they can possibly be.

7.8 The global patterns of wind circulation in Figure 7.9 indicate that in Mexico, the winds should be blowing basically east to west. Does this mean that in Mexico the wind will never blow from west to east?

No, because it doesn't factor in weather and local winds.

7.3 Suppose the earth were tilted opposite of the way it is now. Would the Northern Hemisphere experience summer at the earth's aphelion or perihelion?

Summer would happen at perihelion for the Northern Hemisphere.

12. what causes wind?

Temperature imbalances cause winds.

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

The air from the poles heats up and rises before it can reach the equator. -changing air temperature

8. In the Northern Hemisphere, are the length of the days greater than or less than 12 hours between the summer solstice and the autumnal equinox? Are the day lengths increasing or decreasing during that time?

The length in the days are decreasing, but they are greater then 12 hours long.

1.b. perihelion

The point at which the earth is closest to the sun.

1.a. aphelion

The point at which the earth is farthest from the sun.

1.c. Coriolis effect

The way in which the rotation of the earth bends the path of winds, sea currents, and objects that fly through different latitudes.

7.6 On a day at the beach, you notice that the sand is so hot that it is hard to walk on it with bare feet. At the same time, however, the ocean is quite cool. When you left your hotel, you noticed no breeze at all, but when you got to the beach, you noticed a reasonably strong breeze. Is the wind blowing from the ocean to the shore or vice-versa?

The wind is blowing from the ocean to the shore.

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

Thermal energy, uneven distribution of thermal energy, and water vapor in the atmosphere.

7.10 Why can't an occluded front start out with the weather typical of a cold front and then end with the weather typical of a warm front?

Warm fronts move slower then cold fronts. So a warm front isn't fast enough to occlude with a cold front to form that kind of weather. Cold fronts, on the other hand, are faster then warm front, so they can overtake them.

14. What causes the wind patterns to bend in different regions of the globe?

When the wind flows down towards the equator, it does not increase in speed fast enough to stay a lined with the swifter rotating area of earth. In other words, wind does not flow in a straight line; it is bent by the rotation of the earth. This is called the Coriolis effect.

4. Be sure that you can identify each of the cloud types in Figure 7.1.

cumulus clouds- are fluffy clouds that look like piles of cotton and are usually dark at the bottom and whiter at the top. cirrus clouds- are wispy, feathery clouds that look thin, and flowing. stratus clouds- are a flat layer of clouds relatively close to the ground. lenticular clouds- are lens-shaped, oval clouds that form in mountainous regions.

7. What does "insolation" stand for?

incoming solar radiation.

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

nimbostratus clouds.

7.7 Suppose you want to fire a missile from southern California to a point in northern Canada that is due north of your location in California. Ignoring the effects of wind and weather, would you aim the missile due north, northwest, or northeast?

northwest

7.9 Suppose you were to observe a long, light rain. After the rain is over and the sky is clear, would you expect warmer temperatures or colder temperatures?

warmer temperatures.

15. At night time, 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 into the mountain?

wind will blow from the mountains into the valley.

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 temperature before the clouds began forming?

you expect cooler temperatures