Atmosphere Study Guide

Climate: the pattern of weather over a long period of time (the average weather conditions,
usually over many years)
a. Climate is affected by temperature, precipitation, latitude, wind, ocean currents, and the shape
of the land (mountains-colder temperatures at the top of mountain)

Weather: the state of the atmosphere at a given time; the short-term conditions, such as
temperature, precipitation, wind, humidity, and air pressure.

What is the atmosphere? Thin envelope of gases that surrounds the Earth and is held in place by
gravity

S6E4.b. What layer of the atmosphere with the gases nitrogen, hydrogen, argon & water vapor does
weather occur? Troposphere
The properties of warm air (L) are low pressure and low density, molecules spread apart, and rain
may happen
S6E4.b. In the atmosphere, what happens in a convection current? Cool air falls (H) and warm air
rises (L) causing wind
S6E4.a. Explain why the wind changes in daytime weather and nighttime weather in the diagrams
above? Land cools faster than water. The unequal heating of the Earth's surface affects weather.
Winds move from areas of high pressure (H) to areas of low pressure (L).
What is the relationship of air pressure to increasing altitude?
As we increase altitude, air pressure decreases

The uneven heating of Earth has curved surface causes global winds from the equator to the poles.
The Coriolis Effect prevents winds from flowing directly from high pressure over the poles to low
pressure over the equator. Hemispheres divide three belts of winds, trade winds, westerlies, and
easterlies. These winds belts are separated by calm regions of high (poles) or low pressure
(equator): doldrums, horse latitudes, subpolar lows, and polar highs.