Science 1206

Weather dynamics is the study of how the

motion of water and air causes weather

patterns.
Energy from the Sun drives the motion of
clouds, air, and water.
Earths tilt at an angle of 23.5 degrees to the
plane of its orbit around the Sun.
Major components of Earth that influence
weather are: atmosphere, land forms, and
water. ( all states)
About 70% of Earths surface is covered by
oceans.

The atmosphere contains air, water vapour, and

particles of dust and chemicals, all of which affect
weather, especially when the atmosphere is in
motion.

Weather is the set of environmental conditions

encountered from day to day.
Climate is the set of environmental conditions
averaged over many years.

Longitude is the angle measured North or South from

the 0 degree line which passes through Greenwich,
England.
Latitude is the angle measured East or West
of the equator.

The Tropic of Cancer is at 23.5 degrees north latitude. It is

the most northerly location reached by the Suns vertical rays
on the first day of summer, June 21, each year.
The Arctic Circle is at 66.5 degrees north latitude. It is the
most northerly location reached by any of the Suns rays on
the first day of winter, December 21.
In the southern hemisphere we have the Tropic of Capricorn
and the Antarctic Circle.
The region between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of
Capricorn is referred to as the tropics.
Most of Canadas population lives in the mid-latitude region.
Polar regions would be any land that fall in between the
earths 2 poles and the tropic of Cancer and Capricorn.
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Most of the energy used on Earth to sustain life and

cause changing weather systems comes from the
Sun.
The average surface temperature is 15 degrees C.
Different types of EM energy are emitted from the Sun.
Energy can be transferred from one place to another
by 4 methods:
1)
2)
3)
4)

Radiation
Conduction
Convection
Advection

Radiation -transfer of energy by means of waves or

particles. Radiation does not need a medium.
The waves can travel from the Sun, through space,
and reach Earth.
Visible light is energy that can travel through space.
Other examples are:
1) Radio waves
2) Microwaves
3) X-rays
4) Gamma rays
5) Infrared rays
These travel at 300,000 km/s in a vacuum.

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The set of waves that can travel through empty

space at the speed of light is called the
electromagnetic spectrum.

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The other methods of energy transfer require

particles of matter.
Conduction -the transfer of energy through the
collision of particles. Occurs most easily in metals
, but also to a smaller extent in rock, sand soil and
water.

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Convection and advection are the transfer of

energy by the movement of particles in a fluid.
A fluid is either a liquid (water) or a
gas(atmosphere).
Convection transfers energy vertically .
Advection transfers energy horizontally.
Weather systems involve convection and
advection.

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EM waves from the Sun reach Earth, some is reflected off the
atmosphere and clouds back into space; some pass through the
atmosphere and bounce off Earths surface; some get absorbed by
the atmosphere, the ground, or the water at the surface.

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The portion of energy reflected depends on the

albedo of the material.
Clean snow has a high albedo, it reflects a lot of
incoming energy. Black soil has a low albedo, it
absorbs more energy than it reflects.
Any object or material that absorbs energy and
becomes warmer is called a heat sink.
Water has a higher albedo than land and soil, the
oceans are good heat sinks.
When solar energy hits water , the water begins
to move(convection), and transfer energy deep
into the oceans.

Soil and rock are poor heat sinks. Heat is

conducted slowly into these materials.

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An important property of all substances is their heat

capacity, the measure of how much heat a substance
requires to increase its temperature or how much heat it
releases as its temperature decreases.
Water has a high heat capacity. This means it can hold a lot
of heat.

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Energy Transfer Worksheet

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All of Earths water, both fresh and salt, forms what is called
the hydrosphere.
About 70% of Earths surface is covered by water.
Freshwater makes up 2.5% of the total water on Earth. Most
of this occurs as polar ice.

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Water vapour is essential to the water cycle

and weather patterns.
Water vapour is responsible for clouds, fog,
rain and snow.

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Precipitation Worksheet

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The thin layer of gases that surround the

earth is the atmosphere.
The atmosphere is where all the weather
happens.
The atmosphere acts like a blanket which
controls the temperature of the earth.

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The earth's atmosphere is made up of dust

and a mixture of invisible gases. Some of
these gases include:
Nitrogen (N2) 78%
Oxygen (O2) 21%
Other gases: 1% combined
[water vapour, argon, carbon dioxide, neon,
helium, krypton, hydrogen, ozone...]

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Nitrogen and ozone act as a protection

shield that blocks out harmful radiation
from space( UV ).
Oxygen is essential for life. Plants
produce oxygen and we breathe it in.

Carbon dioxide is essential for life

too. We breathe out carbon dioxide and
plants breathe it in.
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The atmosphere can be divided up into

distinctive layers.
Exosphere
Thermosphere
Mesosphere
Stratosphere
Tropopause
Troposphere

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Worksheet # 8 - Layers of the Atmosphere

Layer and Gas in the Atmosphere - Worksheet

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The word aneroid means without liquid.

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High air pressure in a region indicates

fair weather while low pressure
indicates that storms are more likely.

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A Psychrometer measures
relative humidity

Two thermometers
One dry, one kept wet
Spun in the air, temp drops
The difference between the
two is used to find relative
humidity

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Weather satellite

Weather Balloons

Computers

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Atmospheric pressure is the pressure the air exerts as

gravity pulls it toward the center of Earth.
It is greatest at sea level, where the molecules are closet
together.
At higher altitudes atmospheric pressure decreases.
Atmospheric pressure at a particular altitude depends on
whether the air is rising or falling. There are two variations
to consider :
vertical and horizontal.
Pressure gradient is a measure of the amount the
atmospheric pressure changes across a set distance.
Pressure gradients can be vertical or horizontal.

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What happens to the pressure of air when air speed is increased?

Bernoulli's principle:

Bernoullis principle helps explain that an aircraft can

achieve lift because of the shape of its wings. They are
shaped so that that air flows faster over the top of the wing
and slower underneath. Fast moving air equals low air
pressure while slow moving air equals high air pressure.
The high air pressure underneath the wings will therefore
push the aircraft up through the lower air pressure.

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Worksheet # 7 Atmospheric Pressure

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As air rises it begins to cool and expand.

Cooled air can no longer hold all its moisture.

The water vapour begins to condense on dust

particles as very tiny water droplets.
Depending on the temperature clouds may be
made up of tiny water droplets and or tiny ice
crystals.
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For Newfoundland it may bring cooler

wetter conditions - lots of snow!

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1. Convective: formed when a land mass is

heated and the warmed air begins to rise,

expand, cool and water condenses.

We see these types of clouds

where thermals and sea
breezes are formed.

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2. Frontal:
form at the frontal zone where two large
air masses meet.
The warmer air mass is forced to rise up
over the cooler air mass.
It expands and cools resulting in the
formation of condensation.

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3. Orographic:
formed because of geography when air is
forced to rise up a large hill or
mountain.

As the wind blows into the side of the

mountain it rises up.
As the air rises it expands and cools
causing water vapour to condense as
clouds.
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Cloud shapes tell us about atmospheric

conditions.

Two general shapes of clouds:

1. Cumulus Clouds
2. Stratus Clouds

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Heaped" or "lumpy" clouds result when strong

vertical (upward) motions exist in the
atmosphere.
This shows us that the air mass is being
forced to rise very rapidly.

A clue that the atmosphere is unstable and

are usually associated with stormy or severe
weather.
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Wide spread out, smooth, layered

clouds.
These clouds gives a clue that the air
motion is horizontal (across) rather than
vertical (up and down).
The forming clouds are rising slowly
which is a sign of a stable atmosphere.
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they are named by altitude in the atmosphere.

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altocumulus

stratocumulus

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cumulonimbus

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Clouds have a duel role:

1) Quite simply clouds act as a blanket.

Cloudy nights: traps heat keeping the air warm.

Clear night sky: heat escapes and air cools quickly.

2) Keep the earth cool during the day.

The formation of white cloud cover reflects the
sun's energy away.

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Gravity pulls down on all matter.

Gases are matter and gravity pulls down
on them.
This is why the troposphere (layer closest
to the earth) has 99% of all the gases in
the atmosphere.

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A cloud that forms near the ground

Can form on cool, cloudless nights
When warm air passes over snow-covered ground
When moist sea air drifts over a cold current
When moist air rises up a mountain side
Forms when warm moist air moves over a colder surface
(land or water) releasing its moisture as very fine water
droplets.

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The atmosphere is made up of areas of

different densities.

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Assignment:
Cloud Formation

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Precipitation and Humidity

Humidity:
a measure of the amount of
water vapor in the air
Warm air can hold more
moisture then cold air

Relative Humidity:
The measure of the amount
of water vapor compared to
the Maximum amount
possible

Saturated Air
Relative humidity is 100%
Over 100% results in condensation

Dew Point
Temp at which dew forms
As air gets colder, it holds less moisture
Releases excess as dew

Figure 1, pg. 214 Maximum Amounts

Relative Humidity

concentration
x100%
maximum concentration

Ex 1:
What is the relative humidity if 1.9 g/kg of water in air is present at 0oC?

Ex 2:
What is the conc of H2O in the air at 20oC if the relative humidity is 50%?

Dry Bulb

Wet Bulb

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Relative
Humidity

Higher humidity
causes perspiration to evaporate slowly.
Sweating doesnt cool us as well

Low humidity
Air is dryer
Skin may be uncomfortable

Humidex:
Reports how hot the humidity makes us feel

Hail:
created in
cumulonimbus clouds
Frozen raindrops are
circulated up and down
Layers of ice are formed

Dew:
Water vapour condenses
near the ground as the
air cools
Cold Days : Frost

Water in the Air Worksheet #4

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Sailors discovered that in certain areas the

winds tend to blow in the same directions
most of the time.
Close to the equator the winds would blow to
the west (from the east).
Further North they found that the winds
would blow most often to the east (from the
west).

This regular pattern of winds is known as

prevailing winds.
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Wind is a movement of air in the atmosphere

from areas of high pressure to areas of low
pressure.

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Winds that affect large areas in regular

patterns.

Blowing to the east they called the

Northeast trade winds.

The winds blowing from the west (taking

them back home) were called the
mid-latitude Westerlies (prevailing
Westerlies).
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Spin
The earth rotates east to west.

As the earth spins it deflects the wind.

Winds blowing north get deflected to the right.
Winds blowing south get deflected to the left.

The deflection of the wind caused by the

earth's rotation is called the Coriolis effect.

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Earths rotation causes anything that moves, to appear

to change direction. This apparent change of direction
of a moving object in a rotating system is called the
Coriolis effect.
Viewed above the North pole, Earth rotates eastward or
counter clockwise.
Objects in the Northern hemisphere appear to move to
the right.
In the Southern hemisphere moving objects appear to
move to the left.

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Early explorers like Columbus used trade winds

to cross the Atlantic Ocean.

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Prevailing winds are caused by convection currents and

rotation.

In the Northern hemisphere....

Solar energy strikes the equator, heating the air, land,
water
The warm air rises and expands, leaving a low pressure
area
Rising air moves northward
At 30 degrees latitude the cooled air sinks, creating high
pressure
The moving air is twisted right as it moves south

(Northeast Trade Winds)

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In the Northern hemisphere.....

At 30 degrees latitude descending air is deflected
northward, to an area of low pressure at 60
degrees latitude.
The surface air moving northward to the low
pressure area twists to the right causing the midlatitude westerlies.

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At the North Pole the air is cold and dense, so

it sinks, creating a high pressure region. This
surface air moves south, twisting to the right
and creating the polar easterlies.

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A narrow band of spinning air is created in

the places where these convection currents
rise and fall.
The spinning causes the air to speed up
creating a tube of fast moving air known as
a jet stream.
The winds of the jet stream travel from west
to east and can reach speeds of up to
roughly 500 km/h.
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Aircraft use this to their advantage when

flying form west to east.
pick up to a 500 km/h tail wind which saves
time and fuel.

Going from east to west pilots try to avoid the

jet streams.
Jet streams steer major
weather systems.

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Jet Streams high speed winds in the troposphere

(241 to 482 kilometres per hour)

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Prevailing winds help to distribute large amounts of solar

energy from the equator to colder parts of the world.
Convection currents create a return flow of air southward.
Prevailing winds carry moisture causing rain, snow.

Rising air is warm and moist.

Falling air is cool and dry.
At 30 degrees N latitude we have cool, dry air. Many deserts
are found in this latitude.
At 60 degrees N latitude two air systems meet and rise
giving birth to winter storms.

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Normal Year

El Nio Year

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During an El Nio year the Pacific Ocean

undergoes a greater than normal amount
of heating.
This disrupts and changes the normal
patterns of convection currents and wind
patterns in the Pacific Ocean.

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During El Nio years:

the jet stream tends to push further
north.
As result North America tends to receive
warmer than normal average
temperatures.

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About every four to five years, a pool of

cooler-than-normal water develops off
South America.
This usually shifts the jet stream farther
south which steers colder drier winters
to the Canadian west.

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Weather can be affected by local landforms

in a specific area

Thermal:
A local convection current set up during the
day
The sun heats the ground, causing the air to
rise

 From water to land

A thermal formed near water
The sun heats the land. The air rise, and a cool
breeze blows in from the water.

Where are the

highs and
lows?

from land to water

After sunset, the land cools quickly.
Air above the warmer water rises, replaced by air
from the land.

Where are the

highs and
lows?

When air moves over

water it picks up
moisture. In winter,
water is warmer
then the land (more
moisture)
When the air reaches
the cold land, the
moisture becomes
snow

A gentle warm, dry wind on the leeward side

of the Rocky mountains

Worksheet # 6 Wind

Worksheet #12 Movement of the Air

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Section 13.9

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In 1992 a container ship in the middle of the Pacific

Ocean lost 29 000 bath tub toys over the
side. Rubber duckies started washing ashore all over
the west coast of North America.
In 1990 in a similar type accident 80,000 pairs of
Nike shoes were swept off a Korean ship headed for
the United states. Nike shoes started showing up
from Hawaii to Oregon and as far north as Alaska.

These two accidents provided valuable information to

oceanographers regarding ocean currents.
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Another spill
occurred in
1999.

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An oceanographer is a scientist that

studies ocean currents.
Ocean currents are compared to large
conveyor belts that move around the
globe.
The ocean currents circulate the suns
energy from the equator to the poles.
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They serve to warm the poles and at the same

time cool the waters of the equator.
In other words the ocean current spread out
the heat energy all over the earth so that one
area doesn't become too hot or too cold.

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The main cause of ocean currents is

unequal heating of the ocean by the
sun.
At the equator the sun strongly heats the
water.
As the water warms is gets lighter (less
dense) and begins to rise.

Cooler, denser water sinks and rushes in

to replace the warmer water.
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This movement of water creates

enormous convection currents.

We see warm surface currents flowing

toward the poles (N & S).

At the same time, we get cold deep water

currents flowing toward the equator.
The surface currents are pushed along
and steered around the earth by the
prevailing winds.
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The warmer the air is above a body of

water, the more water it is capable of
holding.
Evaporation rate is high and clouds form.
Large amounts of precipitation.

Colder water has cool and dry air above it.

Weather it brings is cool and dry.

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Worksheet # 13 Major Ocean Currents

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Meteorology: The study of the atmosphere

and weather forecasting

Weather System:
A set of weather variables that move as a unit for a
few days

Air Mass:
Large body of air in which temp and moisture is
fairly uniform

6 different air masses

Combinations of
Maritime or Continental
(Moist or Dry)
Tropical or Polar
(Warm or cold)

Air Masses
Maritime Polar
(West Coast)
Maritime Polar
(East Coast)
Continental Polar

Maritime Tropical
(West Coast)
Maritime Tropical
(East Coast)

Continental Tropical

Temperature

Moisture
Content

Front:

Warm front: the leading edge

Cold front:

the boundary
between a cold air mass and a
warm air mass

of a warm air mass

the leading edge

of a cold air mass

Occluded Front
cold front catches
up with a warm
front; the warm air
is lifted above the
earths surface and
is cut off (occluded)
from the cooler air
below

Stationary front: warm and cold air masses

remains still for some time

A: Warm and
Cold front meet
B:Main Stage:
Warm air is
pushed up, lots
of precipitation

C: Occluding
Stage: Storm
weakens as
fronts combine

D:Final Stage
Flow of air
dissipates,
storm ends

Spins CCW in Northern Hemisphere

CW in Southern Hemisphere

Usually brings clear skies

Air moves outward from the centre of the
high
Rotates clockwise in the Northern
Hemisphere (CCW in S. Hemisphere)

Worksheet # 14 WEATHER FORECASTING

Worksheet # 15 Extreme Weather

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