Weather & Climate

Question 1

Solid

Answer 1

The state of matter in which molecules are locked together in bonds.

Question 2

Liquid

Answer 2

The state of matter in which molecules are freed from their bonds but still “tumble” around each other, attracting and repelling each other. Liquids fill the shape of the container they are in.

Question 3

Gas

Answer 3

The state of matter in which molecules are more energetic and move more freely than liquids. The atoms do not attract each other like in liquids. Gases also fill the container they are put in (depends).

Question 4

Water Cycle

Answer 4

The water cycle is the process of water moving around the Earth in different states.

Question 5

Evaporation

Answer 5

Molecules in a liquid state gain energy (for example, being heated by the sun) and become more energized, escaping into the air as a gas.

Question 6

Transpiration

Answer 6

Transpiration is the process by which water is lost from a plant through its stomata, leaves, and stems.

Question 7

Condensation

Answer 7

The process of molecules in a gas state becoming denser, clumping together, and forming stronger bonds–becoming a liquid.

Question 8

Precipitation

Answer 8

Precipitation is water up in the atmosphere falling back towards earth. This can be in the form of rain, snow, sleet, and hail.

Question 9

Infiltration

Answer 9

Infiltration is the process by which water enters the soil.

Question 10

Runoff

Answer 10

Runoff is when infiltration reaches a point where it fills up all of the soil bed. With no more soil to absorb the water, it becomes runoff, water that travels along the surface.

Question 11

Ground Water

Answer 11

Ground water is the water contained in the soil, or between rock spaces.

Question 12

Surface Water

Answer 12

Surface water is fresh water present on the surface, such as rivers, lakes, ponds, and creeks.

Question 13

Cold Front

Answer 13

A cold front is when a cold airmass pushes a warmer airmass out of the way. The warmer airmass is shoved upward, while the cold airmass tends to stay at the bottom. Cold fronts tend to move pretty quickly.

Question 14

Warm Front

Answer 14

A warm front is when a warm airmass pushes a colder airmass out of the way. Warm air masses shift above colder air masses and move more gradually.

Question 15

Occluded Front

Answer 15

An occluded front is when you have a warm, cooler, and cold air mass that all meet. The cooler air pushes the warmer air up into the atmosphere, so the temperature drops.

Question 16

Stationary Front

Answer 16

A stationary front is when two airmasses meet but neither move. They are equally pushing each other until one eventually pushes over the other.

Question 17

Density

Answer 17

Density is a way to measure a substance’s mass per unit of volume (d = m/v).

Question 18

Maritime Tropical (mT)

Answer 18

A mT airmass is one that forms over the oceans in the tropics. mTs are humid and warm.

Question 19

Maritime Polar (mP)

Answer 19

A mP airmass is one that forms over the polar oceans. mPs are humid and cold.

Question 20

Continental Tropical (cT)

Answer 20

A cT airmass forms over land in the tropics. They are dry and warm.

Question 21

Continental Polar (cP)

Answer 21

A cP airmass forms over land in the polar regions. They are dry and cold.

Question 22

High-Pressure System

Answer 22

A high-pressure system is when air is concentrated in a smaller area and wants to blow out. High-pressure systems push air out and around them.

Question 23

Low-Pressure System

Answer 23

A low-pressure system is when there is not a lot of density in an area, and so air tends to rush into low-pressure systems in order to balance everything out.

Question 24

Coriolis Effect

Answer 24

The Coriolis Effect causes the major air currents on Earth to be deflected toward the right in the Northern hemisphere and toward the left in the Southern hemisphere.

Question 25

Gyre

Answer 25

An ocean gyre is a large system of circular ocean currents powered by global wind patterns created by the Earth’s rotation (Coriolis effect). The world’s major ocean gyres drive the ocean conveyor belt, which is a large current that circulates water around the entire planet.

Question 26

Clockwise

Answer 26

When something rotates clockwise, it rotates in the same direction a clock's hands would (to the right).

Question 27

Counter-Clockwise

Answer 27

When something rotates counter-clockwise, it rotates in the opposite a clock's hands would (to the left).

Question 28

Thermohaline Circulation

Answer 28

Deep ocean currents are driven by differences in the water’s density, which is controlled by temperature and salinity. This process is thermohaline circulation.

Question 29

Atmosphere

Answer 29

The layer of gases surrounding a planet.

Question 30

Latitude

Answer 30

The latitude of a point on Earth measures the distance North or South of the equator.

Question 31

Longitude

Answer 31

The longitude of a point specifies its east-west position on Earth.

Question 32

Current

Answer 32

A current is a large amount of water flowing in a certain direction.

Question 33

Tidal Currents

Answer 33

The vertical motion of the tides near the shore causes water to move horizontally, creating tidal currents.

Question 34

Surface Currents

Answer 34

Surface currents are currents that occur within 400 m of the ocean surface, powered by the wind.

Question 35

Migrate

Answer 35

To move from one region of the Earth to another.

Question 36

Climate

Answer 36

Climate is the long-term weather patterns in an area. For instance, the average summer temperatures in Maryland.

Question 37

Weather

Answer 37

Weather is the atmospheric conditions at a specific place and a specific time, such as the forecast for the week.

Question 38

Rain Shadow

Answer 38

A rain shadow is a patch of land that has become a desert due to mountain ranges blocking all the rain clouds from coming to that land.

Question 39

Windward

Answer 39

The direction from which the wind is blowing. On a mountain, for example, the winds would be traveling up one side (the windward side), then cross to the other side.

Question 40

Leeward

Answer 40

The leeward side is opposite of the windward side; it is facing away from the wind, sheltered by hills and/or mountains.

Question 41

Wet Latitude

Answer 41

Wet latitude refers to the latitude levels at which rising air is common. The air tends to rise a lot near the equator and in the midlatitudes, 40° to 60°, so these tend to be “wet” areas.

Question 42

Dry Latitude

Answer 42

As air from the tropics spreads to the north and south, it draws moisture from the land, creating “dry” latitude zones of about 30° north/south of the equator.

Question 43

Greenhouse Gases

Answer 43

Greenhouse gases are gases in Earth’s atmosphere that trap heat. During the day, sunlight strikes the Earth’s surface, which releases that energy as heat. When night falls, that heat is released back into space, but some of it is trapped by these greenhouse gases (they’re called greenhouse gases because they work like a greenhouse-- trapping heat inside). The top three greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, all of which occur naturally.