Overview of The AtmosphereThe Atmosphere has 4 layers. These layers are the troposphere, stratosphere, thermosphere, and mesosphere. When the wind blows and temperature changes in the different layers of the atmosphere it changes all the weather down on earth. When the ocean has strong winds from the position of the moon, things like hurricanes can happen. Hurricanes can happen when the winds is strong and in pushes the water in a circular motion, which causes hurricanes and other extreme weather.

Troposphere

This layer is the closest layer to Earth. There are 3 parts to this layer. The bottom most layer has 50% of the Earth's gases.

Stratosphere

This layer has the ozone. The ozone protects us from harmful sunlight. This layer is under the Troposphere.

Mesosphere

This layer sits above the Thermosphere. Meteorites burn up in this layer just like the Thermosphere.

Thermosphere

The thermosphere is the highest layer of the atmosphere.You can see the northern lights occur, and you can see small meteorites burn up.

Convection

Is one of the three main ways of heat transfer, it occurs though a solid. For example when you place a glass of liquid near a hot place such a burner you can feel the different levels of heat throughout the glass.

Ocean CurrentsOcean currents are continuous movements of water. There are 2 types of currents, Deep Ocean currents and Surface Currents. Deep Ocean currents flow underneath the surface of the water moving it from down below. Surface Currents cause different temperature changes in the water and they also cause a density increase in the water, they are also visible.

FrontsThere are 4 different types of fronts:Cold front- a front when a cold front replaces a warm front at the surface.Warm Front- a front when a warm front replaces a cold front a the surface.Stationary Fronts- A front that barely moves or does not move.Occluded Front- When a cold front takes over a warm front.

Hurricanes

Hurricanes rotate in a counter-clockwise motion. After gather heat and energy from warm ocean currents, they can damage trees, houses, and many other things.

Sun and Sun's energy

The sun is a hot ball of fiery gas in the center of the solar system.The sun's energy, is what gives us light and helps us grow plants. Without the sun, we would die. The sun gives the energy that makes convection to the atmosphere and oceans, giving us ocean and wind currents.

Wind Wind is created by difference of air pressure. There are two types of wind. One type of wind is called a local wind. A local wind is a wind that blows over a short distance. It is made by unequal heating of the earth in a small area. The other type is a global wind. A global wind is a wind that blows steadily over long distances. They are created by uneven heating of the earth .

Breezes There are two types of breezes; a sea breeze and a land breeze. When the air over land is warmer than the air over the sea,the warm air rises creating a low pressure area. Then the cool air from the ocean blows toward the land and moves under the warm land. This is called a Sea breeze. At night, when the air over the land is cooler than the air over the sea, the warm air over the ocean rises and the cool air from the land takes its place. This is called a land breeze. A Monsoon is a larger version of a sea and land breeze.

Global wind belts There are many different types of Global wind belts. Near the equator, air warms up and rises, creating a low pressure area. Cool air blows toward the low pressure area but quickly warms up and rises. This creates a Doldrum, an area with little to no wind. The warm air from the equator splits and flows both north and south. At 30 degrees latitude north and south, the air sinks creating another calm belt. These latitudes are called the horse latitudes. When cold air over the horse latitudes sink, a high pressure area is formed. This causes surface winds to blow toward the equator and away from the equator. The winds that blow to the equator, get turned west from the Coriolis Effect. This causes winds between 30 degrees latitude north and the equator, to blow northeast. The winds between the equator and 30 degrees latitude south to blow southeast. These winds that steadily blow east are called the trade winds. From 30 degrees and 60 degrees latitude north and south, winds that blow east to west are called the Prevailing Westerlies. When the prevailing Westerlies meet the Polar Easterlies, cold winds from the poles turned west by the Cornils effect, at 60 degrees latitude north and south, the warm and cold air can affect the United States weather a lot.

The Coriolis Effect

The Coriolis Effect is the way that Earth's rotation affects the winds. Earth's rotation makes the winds curve. Without the Coriolis Effect, global winds would just blow from the poles to the Equator.

Air Masses

There are two types of air masses, Tropical and Polar. Tropical air masses are warm, and polar air masses are cold.

MaritimeMaritime air masses form over the ocean. This air is humid. There are two types of maritime air masses; polar and tropical. The maritime tropical is formed over the ocean near the tropics. When they form over the Atlantic ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, they move to the southeastern part of the United States. Then they move north and northeast where they affect the central and eastern part of the United States. If the maritime tropical forms over the Pacific Ocean, it mainly affects the west coast's weather. In the summer, the Maritime Tropical usually brings hot and humid weather. During the winter, it usually brings heavy rain or snow. The Maritime Polar is formed in the North Pacific and North Atlantic oceans. They affect the west coast more than the east coast. In the summer, these air masses bring fog, rain, and cool temperatures to the west coast.

ContinentalContinental air masses are formed over land. This air is dry. There are two types of Continental air masses; Polar and tropical. The Continental Tropical forms only in the summer over dry areas of southwest and northern Mexico. They bring dry and hot air. It does not cover as much area as the others do. It occasionally bring hot dry weather to the Great Plains. Large Continental Polar air masses form over central and northern Canada and Alaska. In the winter, this air mass brings clear, cold, and dry air to North America. The Continental Polar air masses that form in the Arctic, bring bitter cold air. In the summer, when the Maritime air masses moving north, meet with the Continental polar moving south, storms and occur.

Types of Precipitation There are 5 types of precipitation;Rain- Water droplets Hail- Balls of ice that freeze while in the air, it is 5 millimeters diameter or more. Snow- Small frozen ice crystals Sleet- Frozen or partly frozen rain that its diameter is no longer than 5 millimetersFreezing rain-rain that freezes when it touches the ground

Types of CloudsThere are four types of clouds;Cummulas- puffy and white looking, they will sometimes travel alone other times in packs. They have flat bottoms.Cirrus- high altitudes around 18,000 feet up, thin and fatherly looking. They are made of ice and are thin clouds.Stratus- they occur usually in hotter weather and they are scattered with harsher definitions. They are gray clouds that most of the time cover the entire sky.Cumulonimbus- they produce severe weather like thunderstorms and tornadoes,

Tornados Tornados are made from air or clouds moving in a circular motion going from a thunderstorm to the ground. These types of clouds are called funnel clouds. When funnel clouds touchdown, which means they touch the surface of the earth, on the land a tornado forms. When a funnel cloud touches down on the ocean it creates a hurricane.

High pressure

They increase the pressure in the atmosphere, they air spins in a clockwise position. The air blows toward low pressure areas called an anti cyclone. They are marked with a H on a weather map.

Low Pressure

Low pressure areas bring cloudy skies, wet weather, windy conditions. THe motion of air for low pressure is counter clockwise. The wind movement caused by low pressure is called a cyclone. It is marked as an L on a weather map.

Isotherms and Isobars

In isotherms and isobars, iso means equal. While Isotherms have equal temperature in the air, isobars have equal amounts of air pressure.

Dew Point

Dew point is the temperature in which water vapor turns into humidity. It is related to the relative humidity, since when the air temperature and the dew point temperatures are even the relative humidity is 100%. If the air temperature rises to the dew point the fog or small clouds will begin to form in the air.

How Scientists get images

Scientists use satellites to get images. They can also just send people to go study the land and take images of what they find.

Meteorological instruments used by scientists

Scientist use many different instruments to figure out the current weather conditions in many different places. They use a thermometer to find the currents temperature and a barometer to find they air pressure. Another type of instrument they use is called a wind vane that shows the direction the wind is blowing. These are all shown on weather maps.

OceansOceans are really big. They contain most of Earth's water. Oceans can cause many different things. Oceans provide many things for storm making. They provide moist air, very low pressure, and warm temperatures.

Convection

Fronts

Precipitation

Layers of the Atmosphere

Who did what slidesAlice Duong 1,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,21,28,29

Robyn Li 2,3,4,5,6,9,10,11,23,26,30,31,32, 33

Camille Brinegar 7, 8 , 17,20, 22, 25,24