Post on 28-Mar-2015
Weather
What is weather? • Weather is defined as the conditions of the
atmosphere at a particular time and place.
• What is the atmosphere?– The mixture of gases that surround the Earth. – Weather takes place in the troposphere.
Factors that influence weather:
• Heat energy• Air pressure• Winds• Moisture
What drives (is responsible) for
weather?• Solar energy!
• The sun provides the energy that drives all of the Earth’s atmospheric movement and ocean currents resulting in weather and climate!
Earth’s Revolution
In either picture, where are most of the
sun’s rays hitting?
The sun’s rays hit the equator!
From Tropic to Tropic!
How do the sun’s rays affect Earth’s
land temperatures? • The sun’s rays heat/warm the land (continents).
The land is warmer near the equator because of the direct rays and cooler towards the poles.
How do the sun’s rays affect Earth’s
ocean temperatures? • The sun’s rays heat/warm the oceans. The water
is warmer near the equator because of the direct rays and cooler towards the poles.
How do the ocean and land temperatures affect air masses above them?
Oceans take 4x longer to heat and cool verses land!
Land warms faster causing the air
above it rise because it has less density and more
volume . This creates a LOW
pressure system
The air cools becomes more dense and sinks because it has less volume. This creates a HIGH pressure system.
This movement of air results
in a SEABREEZE!
How do the ocean and land temperatures affect air masses above them?
Oceans take 4x longer to heat and cool verses land!
Ocean water takes longer to cool so it is warmer causing
the air above it rise because it has less density and more
volume . This creates a LOW
pressure system
The air cools becomes more dense and sinks because it has less volume. This creates a HIGH pressure system.
This movement of air results
in a LANDBREEZE!
If most of the sun’s energy hits the equator, how does radiant energy reach the
poles?
• Winds!
Why does weather change?
• Weather changes each day because the air in our atmosphere is always moving, distributing energy from the sun!
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/science/earth-sci/weather-101-sci/