causes of weather chapter 12 section 1. meteorology study of atmospheric phenomenon meteor –...
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Meteorology
• Study of atmospheric phenomenon• Meteor– Anything high in the sky• Rain droplets• Clouds• Rainbows• snowflakes
Weather vs. Climate
Weather• Short-term atmospheric
phenomena that interact and interfere in the environment
Climate• Long-term average of
variations in weather for a particular area
Heating Earth’s Surface
• Imbalanced heating– Earth’s axis of rotation is tilted relative to the
plane of Earth’s orbit
Thermal Energy Redistribution
• Areas maintain the same average temperatures over time due to the constant movement of air and water over the surface.
• Weather moves thermal energy over the planet.
Air Masses
• Conduction- warm air rises and cool air sinks
• Warm air is less dense than cool air
• Air Mass: – A large volume of air
that has the same characteristics of its source region.
Tropical Air Masses• Maritime tropical air originates over bodies of water
– Gulf of Mexico– Caribbean Sea– Tropical and subtropical Atlantic and Pacific Oceans– Brings hot humid weather to eastern 2/3 of North America
• Continental Tropical Air originates in Mexico and Southern United States.– Hot and dry
Polar Air Masses• Maritime Polar Air Masses– Form over cold waters of the North Atlantic and
North Pacific
Polar Air Masses
• Continental Polar Air Masses for over the interior of Canada– Cold frigid temperature
in winter– Brings relief to hot
summers
Arctic Air Masses
• Arctic Air Masses originate over snow covered surfaces above 60⁰ N Latitude– Areas get almost no
solar radiation– Extremely cold
especially during the winter
Air Mass Modification• Air masses move constantly• Thermal energy is
transferred from one area to another when they move
• Air masses can take on characteristics of another region as it travels over it
• Modification occurs when this happens– Thermal energy is exchanged
with the surface it travels over
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