Heat Transfer/Global Winds

Obj 14: I can describe 3 different types of energy

transfer

Obj 15: I can describe convection currents

Objective 16: I can define wind, describe what causes

wind, and explain the different global wind belts
 Different types of energy transfer
• Conduction: the direct transfer of
thermal energy (heat) from one
substance to another substance
that is touching.
⦿Radiation – the direct transfer of
thermal energy (heat) by
electromagnetic waves.
⦿Convection: the transfer of
thermal energy (heat) by the
movement of a fluid.
Convection currents
⦿Convection currents
occur within the earth,
ocean, and the air. Warm
air or water rises because
it is less dense, cold air or
water sink because it is
more dense.
⦿Convection currents
cause wind
 Wind, cause of wind, and different
global wind belts
⦿Wind: the horizontal movement of air from an
area of high pressure to an area of low pressure.
⦿Winds are caused the unequal heating of the
earth’s surface creating convection currents which
cause differences in pressure.
⦿In North America winds move our weather from
WEST to EAST by the PREVAILING
WESTERLIES
Obj 16: continued
Prevailing Westerlies –
Blow away from the horse
Latitudes

Horse Latitudes
Are calm areas of
FALLING air

Doldrums: calm
areas of RISING air

Trade Winds:
Blow from the Horse
latitudes toward the
equator

Polar Easterlies:
Blows cold air away
from the poles
 Coriolis Effect
⦿The change that Earth’s rotation causes in the motion
of objects and explains how winds curve.
⦿As air moves from high to low pressure in the
northern hemisphere, it is deflected to the right by
the Coriolis force. In the southern hemisphere, air
moving from high to low pressure is deflected to the
left by the Coriolis force.
 Water Cycle, Relative
Humidity, and Dew Point
 The Water
Cycle
Water never leaves the Earth. It is constantly
being cycled through the atmosphere, ocean, and
land. This process, known as the water cycle, is
driven by energy from the sun. The water cycle is
crucial to the existence of life on our planet.
The Water Cycle
During part of the water cycle, the sun heats up
liquid water and changes it to a gas by the
process of evaporation. Water that
evaporates from Earth’s oceans, lakes, rivers,
and moist soil rises up into the atmosphere.
The process of evaporation from plants is called
transpiration. (In other words, it’s like plants
sweating.)
 As water (in the form of gas) rises higher in the
atmosphere, it starts to cool and become a liquid again.
This process is called condensation. When a large
amount of water vapor condenses, it results in the
formation of clouds.
When the water in the clouds gets too heavy, the
water falls back to the earth. This is called
precipitation.
- When rain falls on the land, some of the water is
absorbed into the ground forming pockets of
water called groundwater. Most groundwater
eventually returns to the ocean.
- Other precipitation runs directly into streams
or rivers. Water that collects in rivers streams,
and oceans is called runoff.
 Runoff
• Runoff contributes to pollution in our
water. As water runs off the surface of
the Earth it brings trash, oil from roads,
pesticides, and other pollutants into our
water systems
• Runoff can also causes flash flooding in
low lying areas
 The relationship between temperature
and water vapor in the atmosphere

•As temperatures increase the amount of

water vapor in the atmosphere increases
•Near the poles the amount of water vapor
decreases because of the low temperatures
•Warm air can hold more water vapor
 Relative Humidity
• The percentage of water vapor
that is actually in the air
compared to the maximum
amount of water vapor the air
can hold at a particular
temperature
 Dew Point
• Dew Point: The temperature at which
water vapor will start to condense out of
the air as liquid water.