Air, Weather, and Climate

• Climate: the weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period
• Weather: the state of the atmosphere at a particular place and time
• Temperature: the degree or intensity of heat present, usually represented as Kelvin (absolute), Celsius (centigrade), and Fahrenheit

  Thermometer: the common instrument used to measure temperature
• Humidity: the amount of water vapour in the air

  Hygrometer and Psychrometer: instruments used in measuring atmospheric humidity
• Precipitation: produced when the droplets in clouds grow large enough to fall to the ground (rain, drizzle, hail, snow, sleet, etc.)

  Rain Gauge: instrument used to measure the amount of precipitation
• Wind: horizontal movement of air caused by the uneven heating of the earth's surface

  Wind Vanes: instrument used to determine wind direction

  Anemometers: instrument used to measure wind speed
• Clouds: excess water vapor that condenses into liquid droplets or ice crystals
• Pressure: force of the air on a given area divided by the area of that surface

  Barometer: instrument used to measure air pressure
• Types of clouds:

  Cumulus clouds form from rising masses of air (thermals). Often has flat bases. Can grow into cumulunimbus cloud or thunderstorm
• Types of clouds:

  Cirrus clouds are formed in the troposphere. Appear wispy and thin.
• Types of clouds:

  Stratus clouds extend for hundreds of miles. Forms when an entire layer of air cools or ascends obliquely
• Coriolis effect is the deflection of moving objects due to the earth's rotation
• The atmosphere is 78% nitrogen and 20% oxygen
• The sun's energy is more concentrated at the equator than at the poles due to Earth's shape (oblique spheroid).
• Air flows from high-pressure areas to low-pressure areas
• When cool air sinks, it causes high-pressure cell to form and vice versa
• High pressure system pulls air downwards and disperses them bringing clearer skies
• Low pressure systems pull air upwards causing clouds to form bringing intense weather
• Front: booundary that forms when air masses of different temperatures collide
• Air masses: large body of air with uniform temperature and humidity
• Cold front: boundary between cold and warm air mass where the colder air replaces warmer air
• Warm front: boundary between cold and warm air mass where the warmer air replaces colder air
• Cold air is denser than warm air
• Layers of the atmosphere:

  Troposphere: thinnest in summer, thickest in winters

  • closest layer to the Earth (4/4)
• Layers of the atmosphere:

  Stratosphere: ozone layer lets light pass through and filters harmful wavelengths (UV)

  • UV absorption is the reason for increasing temperatures in the stratosphere
  • 3/4
• Layers of the atmosphere:

  Mesosphere: where most meteors burn up and temperature greatly decreases

  • part of ionosphere
  • 2/4
• Layers of the atmosphere:

  Thermosphere: high-energy wavelengths (UV and x-ray) are absorbed, causing great increase in temperature (incredibly hot layer)

  • part of ionosphere
  • farthest layer from Earth (1/4)