Air Masses
Overview:
The earth has a variety of climatic patterns, which consist of different conditions of temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind, air pressure, and other atmospheric phenomena. The sun, (in the form of solar radiation) is the basic energy source for heating the land, ocean, and air. Layers of different temperatures in the air and oceans result from the transfer of this heat energy, causing winds and ocean currents to vary as they carry heat energy between warm and cool regions. The cycling of water in and out of the atmosphere also plays an important part in determining climatic patterns—evaporating from the surface, rising and cooling, condensing into clouds and then into snow or rain, and falling again to the surface, where it collects in rivers, lakes, and porous layers of rock. There are also large areas on the earth's surface covered by thick ice (such as Antarctica). This thick ice interacts with the atmosphere and oceans in affecting worldwide variations in climate. The earth's climates continue to change and even minor changes of atmosphere or ocean temperature, if sustained long enough, can have widespread effects on climate. Climates have sometimes changed abruptly in the past as a result of volcanic eruptions or impacts of huge rocks from space. In the water cycle, water evaporates from the surface of the earth, rises and cools, condenses into rain or snow, and falls again to the surface. This cycling of water in and out of the atmosphere is a significant aspect of the weather patterns on earth. Finally, they also should understand that thermal energy carried by ocean currents has a strong influence on climates around the world. Areas near oceans tend to have more moderate temperatures than they would if they were farther inland but at the same latitude because water in the oceans can hold a large amount of thermal energy.
Air Mass - Intro Activity:
http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/crclm/act/arms.rxml
Web-Quest
http://poster.4teachers.org/worksheet/view.php?ID=94053
Song: http://youtu.be/g4O9z_R5ZSc
Study Jams: Air Masses & Fronts http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/weather-and-climate/air-masses-and-fronts.htm
The earth has a variety of climatic patterns, which consist of different conditions of temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind, air pressure, and other atmospheric phenomena. The sun, (in the form of solar radiation) is the basic energy source for heating the land, ocean, and air. Layers of different temperatures in the air and oceans result from the transfer of this heat energy, causing winds and ocean currents to vary as they carry heat energy between warm and cool regions. The cycling of water in and out of the atmosphere also plays an important part in determining climatic patterns—evaporating from the surface, rising and cooling, condensing into clouds and then into snow or rain, and falling again to the surface, where it collects in rivers, lakes, and porous layers of rock. There are also large areas on the earth's surface covered by thick ice (such as Antarctica). This thick ice interacts with the atmosphere and oceans in affecting worldwide variations in climate. The earth's climates continue to change and even minor changes of atmosphere or ocean temperature, if sustained long enough, can have widespread effects on climate. Climates have sometimes changed abruptly in the past as a result of volcanic eruptions or impacts of huge rocks from space. In the water cycle, water evaporates from the surface of the earth, rises and cools, condenses into rain or snow, and falls again to the surface. This cycling of water in and out of the atmosphere is a significant aspect of the weather patterns on earth. Finally, they also should understand that thermal energy carried by ocean currents has a strong influence on climates around the world. Areas near oceans tend to have more moderate temperatures than they would if they were farther inland but at the same latitude because water in the oceans can hold a large amount of thermal energy.
Air Mass - Intro Activity:
http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/crclm/act/arms.rxml
Web-Quest
http://poster.4teachers.org/worksheet/view.php?ID=94053
Song: http://youtu.be/g4O9z_R5ZSc
Study Jams: Air Masses & Fronts http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/weather-and-climate/air-masses-and-fronts.htm
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Use this link for the weather symbols for the webquest below: http://prognoza.hr/wsymbols.html
Link for Wind WebQuest: http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-wind.htm
Reading weather symbols tutorials:
http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/%28Gh%29/guides/maps/sfcobs/home.rxml
http://mysite.du.edu/~etuttle/weather/weather.htm#Symb
http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/%28Gh%29/guides/maps/sfcobs/home.rxml
http://mysite.du.edu/~etuttle/weather/weather.htm#Symb