meterorology

Question 1

what is earths atmosphere made of

Answer 1

79% Nitrogen (N), 21% Oxygen (O), 1% trace gases

Question 2

where does oxygen come from?

Answer 2

photosynthesis of ancient bacteria (cyanobacteria or blue-green algae

Question 3

lowest lower of the atmosphere. contains all weather. temperature decreases as you go up

Answer 3

troposphere

Question 4

second layer and contains the ozone layer, which blocks UV radiation. temperature increases as you go up.

Answer 4

stratosphere

Question 5

third layer where meteors burn up. temperature decreases as you go up, the coldest

Answer 5

mesosphere

Question 6

forth layer that contains the ionosphere and exosphere. temperature increases as you go up

Answer 6

thermosphere

Question 7

there is no distinct line where the atmosphere ends and space begins

Answer 7

outer space

Question 8

what is insolation

Answer 8

the amount of solar heat that makes it into a specific area

Question 9

what is conduction

Answer 9

transfer of heat from one substance to another by touching

Question 10

what is convection

Answer 10

heat circulates within a substance like with currents.( liquid and air)
(most common in this class)

Question 11

what is radiation

Answer 11

heat travels in all directions. comes from the sun

Question 12

how does air movement work

Answer 12

as air is heated the molecules move faster and spread out. this causes air to be less dense and to rise

Question 13

define weather

Answer 13

daily atmospheric conditions that can change by the minute

Question 14

define climate

Answer 14

typical weather patterns for a given area,
-takes many years to change
-average temp and rainfall each month

Question 15

what do you use to measure temperature

Answer 15

thermometer ( fahrenheit or celsius)

Question 16

what do you use to measure air pressure

Answer 16

barometer, unit is in millibars

Question 17

what do you use to measure wind speed

Answer 17

anemometer, units is in mph

Question 18

what do you use to measure wind direction

Answer 18

wind vane/weather vane; cardinal directions

Question 19

what do you use to measure humidity

Answer 19

psychrometer; percentage

Question 20

what do you use to measure precipitation

Answer 20

rain gauge or meter stick, in inches

Question 21

how to measure dew point

Answer 21

temperature

Question 22

how do you measure visibility

Answer 22

visibility sensor; unit is miles

Question 23

what is air pressure caused by

Answer 23

it is caused by the weight of air molecules above

Question 24

what is dew point

Answer 24

the temperature that water condenses (goes from gas to liquid)

Question 25

what is relative humidity

Answer 25

the measure of how much water is in the air divided by how much water it can hold

Question 26

what causes wind

Answer 26

wind is caused by the uneven heating of earth and pressure systems

Question 27

jet stream

Answer 27

-narrow zone of strong winds in the stratosphere -bring different weather depending on the origin of the jet stream

Question 28

sea breeze

Answer 28

-comes from the sea. -when near a large body of water during the day and the land warms up faster than the water. -warm air over the land rises, and the cool air over the water sinks

Question 29

land breeze

Answer 29

-when near a large body of water at night the land cools off faster and the air rises over the water and sinks over the land. -breeze comes from the land

Question 30

what are cumulus clouds

Answer 30

“fair weather clouds” , puffy cotton like clouds formed from vertical rising air

Question 31

what are cumulonimbus clouds

Answer 31

towering storm clouds, anvil shape top, can generate tornadoes

Question 32

when do thunderstorms occur

Answer 32

inside warm, moist air masses and fronts. when warm air cools quickly and condenses cumulonimbus

Question 33

when does thunder occur

Answer 33

occurs from rapid heating around lightning. the cooling expansion of that air can be heard as thunder

Question 34

when does lightning occur

Answer 34

forms when the static electricity builds up within the cloud

Question 35

tornado

Answer 35

-narrow funnel shaped column of wind that have formed along a front -measured with the Fujita scale

Question 36

hurricane

Answer 36

intense tropical low- pressure area with sustained winds of 74mph that forms over warm tropical oceans

Question 37

eye of hurricane

Answer 37

central portion of the hurricane where the weather is calm

Question 38

eye wall

Answer 38

outer edge of the eye where the greatest wind speeds are reached

Question 39

what is doppler radar

Answer 39

bounces microwaves off clouds to produce images

Question 40

what is modeling

Answer 40

computers have multiple models to predict what might happen