ACS 1st ESO.

Oxford Education

THEME 4

TIME AND WEATHER

Upon finishing this topic you should be able to:

1.- Know some basic characteristics of the atmosphere.

2.- Know and identify 3 layers of the atmosphere: troposphere, exosphere and
extratosphere.
3.- Differentiate weather and climate.
4. - Know basic characteristics of temperature and precipitation
5.- Know the climates of the earth and identify their basic characteristics of temperature
and precipitation.
6.- Understand the characteristics of hurricanes and tornadoes.

If you want to pass the topic, you must listen to your teacher's explanations,
complete the following work plan, carry out other activities that they propose,
study the main concepts and pass the exam

You have already studied the relief and the hydrosphere, now it is time to know more
about another layer of the earth…….

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 ACS 1st ESO. Oxford Education

1. THE ATMOSPHERE

The atmosphere is the layer of gases that

surrounds the earth .

 Without atmosphere life on Earth would not be

possible because:

 It protects us from the sun's rays.

 and contains gases, such as oxygen, which is
necessary for animals and people to live.

 The most important gases in the atmosphere are: nitrogen, oxygen and carbon
dioxide . This last gas is needed by plants to be able to live.

The atmosphere measures about 1,000 kilometers and is divided into different
layers .

 The first layer of the atmosphere, the

one closest to the earth, is called the
troposphere and is the layer in which all
living beings live.

 Stratosphere : in this layer is the

ozone layer that protects living beings
from the Sun's radiation.

 In the last layer, the exosphere,

satellites orbit that send information to
Earth.

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 ACS 1st ESO. Oxford Education

 Answer.

 What is the atmosphere?

_________________________________________________

 Without an atmosphere, would life exist on Earth?_____ Why?

____________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
 What are the most important gases in the atmosphere?______________________
______________________________________________________________________
 What gas from the atmosphere do plants need to be able to live?_______________
_____________________________________________________________________
 How big is the atmosphere? ____________________________________________

 Look at the previous drawing and answer:

 What is the name of the first layer of the atmosphere?
___________________________
 What layer is the ozone layer in?____________________________
 In which layer does rain, snow….. occur?_____________________________
 In what layer do supersonic planes fly?___________________________
 In which layer do satellites orbit?______________________________________

 Answer true ( T ) or false ( F )

The atmosphere is the set of all the waters on the planet.

The atmosphere is the layer of gases that surrounds the earth.
The atmosphere is made up of a single gas, oxygen.
Without atmosphere life on earth would not be possible.
The atmosphere protects us from the sun's rays.
Carbon dioxide is a gas in the atmosphere that is necessary for the life of
animals and people.
The atmosphere measures 10 kilometers
The layer of the atmosphere closest to the earth is called the troposphere.
Weather phenomena such as rain and snow occur in the exosphere.

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 ACS 1st ESO. Oxford Education

Supersonic planes fly through the stratosphere.

The satellites that send information to Earth are in the exosphere.

1.2.

Greenhouse effect and global warming

Surely you have heard about the greenhouse effect on television. Let's see what it
consists of:










 The sun's rays heat the earth's surface.

 The heat from the ground is reflected and part of this heat escapes into space.

 Another part of the heat emitted by the ground tries to escape into space, but is
retained by a set of gases called greenhouse gases , which return it to the
surface.

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 ACS 1st ESO. Oxford Education

This

phenomenon is called the greenhouse effect , because it works like the plant
greenhouses that you know. It does not let heat escape from the ground into space.

 If the greenhouse effect did not exist, the earth would get too hot during the day
and too cold at night .

 Explain in your words what the greenhouse effect is.

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

 Pollution and the destruction of forests have caused greenhouse gases to

increase.

 By increasing greenhouse gases , they return much more heat to the earth.

 By returning more heat to the earth, the planet's temperature has increased .

Temperatures across the planet have increased in the last 100 years.

This increase in the temperature of the planet is called global warming .

 Explain in your words what global warming is and why it occurs.

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______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

 How do you think we can avoid global warming of the planet?

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

2. WEATHER AND CLIMATE.

We are going to study the difference that exists between weather and climate.

Weather tells us what the atmosphere is like in a place and at a specific

time .

To know what the weather is for a place, you have to look at:
.
 Temperature, which is the amount of heat the air has.

 Precipitation ; the water that falls from the clouds and can be in the form of:

RAIN SNOW HAIL

 Wind is air in motion.

For example: today in Aranda de Duero, we have a temperature of 2ºC, it is raining

and there is strong wind . This would be the weather in a place (Aranda de Duero) and
at a specific time (today)

Climate is the weather in a specific place over the years .

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For example: If we say that in Aranda the winters are cold, the summers are hot and
that it rains throughout the year, we are talking about the climate , because it is
repeated year after year.

The climate is different in different places on earth .

 Answer.

◊ Is weather the same as climate?___________

◊ The weather indicates ____________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

◊ The climate is
__________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
◊ To know what the weather is like in a place you have to look at:_______
_____________ , ____________________ and
_________________________________

◊ The temperature is ____________________________________________________

◊ Precipitation is ___________________________________________ and

They can be in the form of ___________; ____________ ; _____________________
◊ The wind is __________________________________________________________

  Answer:

◊ What is the weather like today, where you live?________________

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 ACS 1st ESO. Oxford Education

______________________________________________________________

________

◊ Name some characteristics of the climate of the place where you live

___________________

______________________________________________________________

_______
______________________________________________________________________

 ADAPTATION OF ANIMALS TO EXTREME NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS

.

Some animals, despite living in very cold or very hot climates, survive and reproduce
thanks to their ability to adapt to the characteristics of that area.
Living in the desert is not the same as living in the North Pole.

 For example, the polar bear , which lives in the Arctic, has abundant white hair full of
air that insulates it from the cold, and its skin is black to better absorb the sun's energy.

Camels and dromedaries that live in deserts store fat

in their hump and water in their enormous stomach,
which allows them to survive without drinking water for
between 5 and 10 days.

 Investigate how the emperor penguins manage to

adapt to their environment.

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 ACS 1st ESO. Oxford Education

These penguins live in ___________________________

and to protect themselves from the
cold___________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________

 WEATHER PREDICTION

Every day on television news, we see the weather man or woman, informing us of the
temperatures, rain, storms... that are expected for the following day or days.

 These people who are in charge of predicting the weather are

meteorologists.

 Meteorology is the science that studies the phenomena that occur in the
atmosphere

 To make these predictions, meteorological satellites are used, which send

information to the Earth from the stratosphere, with which meteorologists create maps.

On weather maps, different symbols appear, very easy to interpret.

The only one you may not

know is the wind symbol:

 The wind is
represented with an
arrow , on which different
stripes appear depending
on how strong it is . This
arrow also indicates the
direction of the wind.

 Answer

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 ACS 1st ESO. Oxford Education

◊ What is meteorology?_______________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
◊ What are the names of people who predict the weather?_______________________

◊ Where do meteorologists get information from to predict the weather?_____

______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

 Look at the map on the previous page and answer:

◊ What weather is expected in the South of Spain?

________________________________
◊ What weather is expected in the North of Spain?______________________________
◊ What weather is expected in central Spain?______________________________
◊How is the direction and strength of the wind indicated?
_____________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
 What do the following symbols mean?

____________________ _________________ _______________________

3.- ELEMENTS and FACTORS OF THE CLIMATE

To know the climate of an area of the earth, we have to analyze the main elements that
make up the climate. These elements are:

 The temperature


Precipitation

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 ACS 1st ESO. Oxford Education

3.1. TEMPERATURE
It is the amount of heat that the air has .
We measure it with the
thermometer .
It is expressed in degrees
Celsius (ºC)

 The temperature of an area will

depend on the amount of sun that
reaches that area.

The Sun is a large star that gives light

and heat to the Earth , but the Sun's
rays do not heat equally in all areas
of the Earth .

 Look at the drawing :

The Sun's rays heat less at the Poles (because they fall more inclined)
The sun's rays heat up more in the central area of the planet (because they fall
straighter).
.
For this reason the earth is divided into 3 large Climatic zones , that is, areas of
the earth that have similar temperatures.

COLD ZONE TEMPERATE ZONE AND WARM ZONE

 Warm Zone : It is located in the center of the earth, above and below the
Equator. Its temperature is higher than 20ºC

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 ACS 1st ESO. Oxford Education

 Temperate Zones : They are located above and below the warm zone and near
the Poles. Its temperature is between 20º C and 0ºC

 Cold Zones : These are those near the poles . The sun's rays barely reach
these areas, so temperatures are very low all year round. They are usually
covered in ice.

 Answer

◊ To know the climate of a specific area, what two elements do we have to analyze or
study? ___________________________________________________
◊ What is temperature?_____________________________________________

◊ With what instrument do we measure temperature?______________________ How is

temperature expressed?_______________________________________________
◊ What does the temperature of an area depend on?
______________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

◊Why is it warmer in the central zone of the earth?_______________________

__________________________________________________________________
◊ Why is it so cold at the poles? _____________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

 Complete:

◊On Earth there are 3 climatic zones that are: ________________________,

_____________________________;________________________________________.
◊ The warm zone is located ______________________________________________
______________________________________________.Its temperature is______
◊ The temperate zones are located
___________________________________________ ___________and
_________________________ Their temperature is between__________
◊ Cold areas are _________________________________. In these areas the
temperatures are _____________________________ all year round.

 Point out and write the name of the climatic zones:

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 ACS 1st ESO. Oxford Education

3.2. THE PRECIPITATIONS

We said at the beginning of this

section that to know the climate
of a place, we had to analyze
its temperature and precipitation .

We call precipitation the amount of water that falls from the atmosphere to the
earth in the form of rain , snow or hail.

In the previous topic, when you studied the water cycle, you saw how the water in rivers
and seas, when heated by the sun, evaporates and rises .

This water vapor condenses ,

forming clouds and then falls back
to the earth in the form of
precipitation that can be rain,
snow or hail.

The amount of water

falling in a place is
measured with an
instrument called a rain
gauge .

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 ACS 1st ESO. Oxford Education

The rain gauge measures the liters of water that fall per square meter

On land, we can find humid areas , where it rains a lot; dry areas , where it rains little
or desert areas , where it hardly rains

 Answer True ( T ) or

False ( F )

Precipitation is the amount of water that falls from the atmosphere to the Earth.
The only precipitation is rain.
Precipitation is measured with a thermometer
Precipitation is measured with a rain gauge
The water in the seas and rivers evaporates when heated by the sun.
When water vapor condenses we call it precipitation.
The rain gauge measures the number of liters of water that falls on a square
kilometer.

 Complete

Precipitation is the _____________________________ that exists in the ________

______________ and that falls to the _____________ in the form
of____________________
_____________________________________________________________________
The _______________________ measures the liters of water that fall per square
meter.
In the humid areas of the earth, it rains_______________________; In dry areas, it
rains_________________ and in desert areas_____________________
______________________________________________________________________

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 ACS 1st ESO. Oxford Education

4.- THE CLIMATES ON EARTH

On Earth there are 3 major climates (climatic zones) and within each of them we also
find different climates. :

Warm climates: equatorial, tropical and desert.

Temperate climates: Mediterranean, oceanic and continental.
Cold climates: polar and high mountains.

We are going to study the main characteristics of each climate.

WARM CLIMATES: Located above and below the Equator.

Within warm climates we can find:
 Equatorial climate:
Temperatures are high all year round (there are no seasons).
It rains all year round
Its rivers carry a lot of water.
 Tropical climate:
The temperatures are high.
It has two seasons, one very rainy and the other dry.
Rivers carry less water depending on the season.

 Desert climate:
It barely rains.
Temperatures are high throughout the year.
The rivers are dry or carry very little water.

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 ACS 1st ESO. Oxford Education

 Answer:

◊ The three great climates of the earth are :

____________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
◊ Warm climates are
located____________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
◊ Within warm climates, we find three different types of climate that are:____
______________________________________________________________________

 Write what type of warm climate the following characteristics correspond to:

◊ It barely rains and the temperatures are high______________________________

◊ There are no seasons, because it is very hot all year
round______________________
◊ It is very hot and rainy all year round ______________________________
◊ It has two seasons, one in which it rains a lot, and the other is
dry__________________
◊ Its rivers carry a lot of water because it rains a
lot_______________________________

TEMPERATE CLIMATES: Located above and below the warm climatic zone.
Within temperate climates we can find:
 Mediterranean Climate:
Mild temperatures in winter and hot in summer.
It rains in spring and autumn; summer is dry.

 Oceanic climate:
Mild temperatures throughout the year.
It rains a lot throughout the year.

 Continental climate:
Very cold winters and hot summers.
It rains especially in summer and snows in winter.

 Answer:
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 ACS 1st ESO. Oxford Education

◊ Within temperate climates, we find three different types of climate, which are:
______________________________________________________________________

 Write what type of temperate climate the following characteristics correspond to:

◊ It rains in spring and autumn, summer is dry______________________________

◊ It rains a lot throughout the year ________________________________________
◊ It rains in summer and it snows in winter
______________________________________
◊ The temperature is mild in winter and hot in summer _____________________
◊ Temperatures are mild all year round ___________________________________
◊ Very cold winters and very hot summers_________________________________

COLD CLIMATES: They are located in the areas of the poles and at the top of very
high mountains.
Within cold climates we can find:
 Polar Climate:

Temperatures below 0º C throughout the year. Frozen landscape.

It rains very little and when there is precipitation it is in the form of snow.

 High mountain climate:

Very cold temperatures throughout the year.

Abundant precipitation in the form of snow throughout the year.

 Answer.

◊ What two types of cold climates exist?_____________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

 Classify the following world climates according to whether they correspond to

warm, temperate or cold climates:
continental, high mountain, equatorial, Mediterranean, desert, oceanic, polar, tropical.

warm climates

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temperate climates

Cold climates

5.- METEOROLOGICAL RISKS

Sometimes meteorological phenomena occur in the atmosphere that can cause

major disasters for nature and human beings.
Among these meteorological phenomena are: hurricanes and tornadoes

It is a very strong wind that

HURRICANE reaches high speed . It is usually
accompanied by torrential rains
that cause flooding.
On the coast, it forms large waves
that destroy cities.

TWISTER
It is formed by a funnel-shaped
cloud where the winds spin at
enormous speed , destroying
everything in their path.

Other meteorological phenomena that can cause major disasters are: torrential
rains, hail, heavy snowfall or high temperatures.

 Answer:

◊ What meteorological phenomena can have serious consequences for nature and

humans?__________________________________________

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 ACS 1st ESO. Oxford Education

◊ What is a hurricane?__________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
What is a tornado?_____________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

________

◊ Search the internet for information about Hurricane “Patricia”.

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

◊ Research any tornado that occurred in the United States in 2016.

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

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