Essential Questions:
- What is the difference between weather and climate?
- How do imbalances in the heating of Earth create weather?
- How do air masses form?
- What are the 5 types of air masses?
Vocabulary:
- weather
- climate
- air mass
- source region
Weather vs Climate
Weather = Short-term variations in atmospheric conditions.
Climate = Long-term average of variations in weather for a particular area.
Imbalanced Heating
Two factors affect the temperatures on Earth
1. Tilt of the Earth
Key West, Florida USA | Calgary, Alberta Canada | Hours of daylight | |
Sun rise | 7:11 | 5:50 | |
Sun set | 8:4- | 4:40 |
2. Earth is a sphere and light intensity varies at different latitudes due to the angle at which the Sun’s rays strike Earth. If image is unclear, use this link: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/skytellers/seasons/about.shtml
Areas around Earth maintain about the same average temperature due to these two factors due to constant movement of air and water among Earth’s surface and currents within the oceans.
Weather = from thunderstorms to large scale weather systems is due to this redistribution of Earth’s thermal energy.
Bill Nye Wind Difference in heating produce wind 1:53
mhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBqohRu2RRk
Bill Nye Wind Full Episode 22:31
mhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMyBheIn2DA
Air Masses page 316
Air mass = a large volume of air that has the same characteristics such as humidity and temperature as its source region.
The source region is the area over which the air mass forms.
There are 5 types of air masses. Examine the diagram and complete the table.
Air Mass Modification
Air masses to do stay in one place but rather, travel. When traveling over land or water that has different characteristics, they acquire those different characteristics.
Check yourself!
Can you answer the Essential Questions for this section?
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