UNIT D

Weather
and Space

Jet streams are powerful enough

to push airplanes backward!

Red Sea, Egypt

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 Literature

Magazine Article

358

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 from Time for Kids

LOS ANGELES, JANUARY 21, 2005

Severe weather pounded the western region
of the United States last week. Part of a
coastal town in California was buried in
sliding soil, rocks, and mud. Thirteen homes
were crushed. Rainstorms caused flooding
in many areas. According to the National
Weather Service, these were the wettest days
in a row on record for California.

A flood washed this California home

into a river.

Write About It
Response to Literature This
article describes the damage caused
by severe rainstorms in California.
Research the damage that severe
rainstorms can cause. Write a report
about the effects of severe rainstorms.
Include facts and details from this
article and your own research.

Corte Madera Creek, -0(

0/ -Journal Write about it online
San Anselmo, California at [Link]

359

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 CHAPTER 7

Weather Patterns
Lesson 1
The Atmosphere
and Weather . . . . . . . 362
Lesson 2
Clouds and
Precipitation . . . . . . . 378
Lesson 3
Severe Storms . . . . . 392
Lesson 4
Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . 406

How can we tell what

the weather will be?

360 Stovepipe tornado over New Mexico

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 More Vocabulary
Key Vocabulary
weather insolation, p. 364
what the lower
troposphere, p. 366
atmosphere is like at
any given place and global wind, p. 370
time (p. 366)
barometer, p. 374
front, p. 384
air pressure
weather map, p. 388
the force put on a
given area by the thunderstorm, p. 394
weight of the air
above it (p. 367) blizzard, p. 396
tornado, p. 398
storm surge, p. 401
humidity
the amount of water cyclone, p. 401
vapor in the air (p. 369)
current, p. 410
rain shadow, p. 411
El Niño, p. 412
air mass
a large region of the
atmosphere in which
the air has similar
properties (p. 384)

hurricane
a large rotating storm
with low pressure at
its center (p. 400)

climate
the average weather
pattern of a region
(p. 408)

361

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 Lesson 1

The Atmosphere
and Weather
Sossusvlei, Namibia, Africa

Look and Wonder

As the angle of sunlight changes, so does the
length of the shadows cast by this tree. What else
changes as the angle of the sunlight changes?

362
ENGAGE

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 Explore Inquiry Activity

How does the angle of sunlight Materials

affect temperature?
Form a Hypothesis
What happens to the temperature of Earth when sunlight
reaches it at different angles? Write your answer as
a hypothesis in the form “If the angle of the sunlight
increases, then . . .” • scissors
• 3 thermometers
Test Your Hypothesis
• 3 sheets of black
1 Be Careful. Cut a slot for the thermometers in construction paper
the middle of each piece of construction paper.
• masking tape
2 Tape each sheet of construction paper to one of
• 3 pieces
the pieces of cardboard. of cardboard
3 Place a thermometer into each slot so the bulb is • protractor
between the construction paper and the cardboard.
4 Tape the thermometers in place. Place the
thermometers in the shade until they read the
same temperature. Record this temperature.
5 Be Careful. Do not look directly at the Sun.
Put the thermometers in the sunlight as shown.
6 Record Data Every two minutes, record the
temperature shown on each thermometer.

Draw Conclusions
7 What are the independent and dependent Step 3
variables in this experiment?
8 Interpret Data Graph the change in temperature
over time for each thermometer setup. Which
thermometer’s temperature rose fastest?

Explore More
You know that sunlight warms Earth’s surface. Which
is warmed faster by sunlight—soil or water? Form
a hypothesis, design an experiment to test it, record
your data, and communicate your results. Step 5

363
EXPLORE

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 How does the Sun warm Earth?
On the first day of spring, the thermometer
▶ Main Idea outside your window in New York City, NY, reads
Heat energy from the Sun 41°F (5°C). Your friend lives in Miami, FL, about
changes air pressure and 2,080 kilometers (1,290 miles) to the south. She
causes winds. says that the temperature there is 72°F (22°C). What
causes the temperature to be warmer in Miami than
▶ Vocabulary in New York City?
insolation, p. 364
troposphere, p. 366 When sunlight shines on Earth, energy
weather, p. 366 from the Sun warms Earth’s surface. The solar
air pressure, p. 367 energy that reaches a planet is called insolation
humidity, p. 369 (in•suh•LAY•shuhn). However, insolation does not
global wind, p. 370 warm all places on Earth equally.
barometer, p. 374 One reason for the difference in temperature
has to do with Earth’s shape. Earth is shaped like
-0(
0/ -Glossary a sphere, or a ball. An imaginary line called the
at [Link] equator (ee•KWAY•tuhr) runs around Earth’s middle.
▶ Reading Skill
Compare and Contrast Angles of Sunlight on the First Day of Spring
Different Alike Different

▶ Technology
Explore the atmosphere with
Team Earth.

Read a Diagram

How does the angle of the sunlight equator

affect the area of the ground that the
sunlight covers?
Clue: Look at the arrows that indicate
where the sunlight is hitting Earth. Then
compare that to the boxes that show
how much area the sunlight covers.

364
EXPLAIN

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 Sunlight strikes with the most vertical energy. Areas that are farther north
angle at or near the equator. or south of the equator receive less
If you think of sunlight as a beam heat energy from sunlight than areas
of light, the beam shines on Earth in that are closer to the equator. Since
a circle at the equator. Since Earth’s New York City is farther away from
surface is curved, the same beam will the equator than Miami, it receives
strike Earth at a wider angle above or less of the Sun’s heat energy.
below the equator.
Quick Check
The beam of sunlight always has
Compare and Contrast What is
the same amount of heat energy.
one reason why Miami is warmer
However, a beam that warms Earth in
than New York?
an oval covers a greater area of Earth’s
surface than a beam that warms Earth Critical Thinking On what part
in a circle. The heat energy of the of Earth is sunlight the least
sunlight is spread over a greater area. concentrated?
Because the area is larger but the
heat energy in the sunlight is the same,
each part of that area receives less

180° sunlight 150° sunlight

120° sunlight 90° sunlight

▲ New York (top) is generally cooler than

Miami (bottom). Part of the reason for
this is that New York receives less heat
energy from sunlight than Miami.

365
EXPLAIN

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 What are the layers of the atmosphere?
When energy from the Sun hits Earth, about 50 percent
of the insolation is absorbed by Earth’s surface and about
5 percent of energy from insolation is reflected by Earth’s
surface. What happens to the rest of the energy?
The atmosphere forms five layers of gases around Earth.
The layer of gases closest to Earth’s surface is called the
troposphere (TROP•uh•sfeer). The troposphere is between
8 and 18 kilometers (5 to 11 miles) thick. The depth of the
troposphere is greatest at the equator and smallest at the poles.
Weather is the condition of the troposphere at a particular
time and place. Almost all weather occurs in the troposphere.
Weather can be hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, and
sunny or cloudy. Clouds may absorb or reflect about 45
percent of the Sun’s energy.
Above the troposphere are the stratosphere, mesosphere,
thermosphere, and exosphere. As the height above Earth
increases, the number of particles of gas in the atmosphere
decreases. The exosphere begins at about 640 kilometers
(400 miles) and ends at about 10,000 kilometers (6,200 miles)
above Earth’s surface. The particles of gas in the exosphere
are very far apart.

Insolation and Earth’s Atmosphere

5% reflected by
20% absorbed Earth’s surface
by clouds

25% reflected
by clouds

50% absorbed by
Earth’s surface

366
EXPLAIN

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 Layers of the Atmosphere
120

110
thermosphere
100 Key
90

80
change in
70 mesosphere temperature
60

50

40 stratosphere
30

20

10
troposphere
km 0

-100 -80 -60 -40 -20 0 20 40 °C

The particles of gas press on

Earth’s surface and on everything they
surround. The force put on a given
area by the weight of the air above it
is called air pressure or atmospheric
pressure. At sea level, the average air
pressure is 1.04 kilograms per square
centimeter (1.04 kg/cm2), or 14.7
pounds per square inch (14.7 lb/in.2).
You can think of this as the weight
of a column of air pressing on a patch
of Earth’s surface about the size of Air takes up space in a basketball.
your thumbnail. You do not feel this
weight because atmospheric pressure
pushes in all directions and these Quick Check
pushes balance each other.
Compare and Contrast How much
Even though air looks empty, it
of the Sun’s energy is absorbed or
contains a mixture of gases, such as
reflected by Earth’s surface?
nitrogen and oxygen. You can tell that
air takes up space because it fills up Critical Thinking Are there particles
blimps, balloons, and car or bike tires. of gas in space?

Air exerts air pressure in all directions.

367
EXPLAIN

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 What changes air pressure?
Many variables affect air pressure. These include volume,
temperature, height above Earth’s surface, and amount
of water vapor.

Volume
Volume is a measure of how much space an object takes up.
Think about a container with a bag taped over it. If you pull up
on the bag, you are increasing the total volume. Because the bag is
taped over the container, the amount of air cannot change. As you
pull, more space is available for the same amount of air. The air
pressure in the container decreases. Now, the air outside pushes in
harder than the air inside pushes out. As you pull the bag up, you
pull against that difference in air pressure.

Temperature
Air pressure also depends on temperature. When air is heated,
the gases speed up and spread out into a larger space. There are
now fewer particles of gas in the original space. The air pressure
decreases and the air weighs less.

Height Above Earth’s Surface

The column of air above a mountain is shorter than the column
of air above sea level. The column above the mountain weighs less
and pushes with a lower pressure.
Atmospheric pressure decreases with higher altitude (AL•ti•tewd).
Altitude is the height above Earth’s surface. Altitude is measured
from sea level.

As the volume of the As the temperature

container increases, increases, the air
the air pressure pressure decreases.
decreases.

368
EXPLAIN

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 Quick Lab
lower air pressure Air Pressure and Volume
at top of mountain
1 Make a Model Set up the bag
and container as shown. Make
sure your setup is sealed.
2 Observe Have a partner
place both hands on the
container and hold it
firmly. Slowly push the bag
into the container. Did the
volume or the amount of
air change as you pushed down?
How does it feel? Why?
3 Pull the bag back out of the
container. Using a pencil, carefully
poke a hole in the plastic bag.
4 Observe Push the bag into the
container again while holding your
hand near the hole in the bag.
Did the volume or the amount
of air change as you pushed
higher air pressure
down? How did it feel? Why?
at sea level

Amount of Water Vapor

Air is a mixture of gases. Water vapor weighs less than most of
the other gases in air. When water vapor is added to air, the mixture
of gases becomes lighter, and so exerts less pressure than dry air.
The humidity (hyew•MID•i•tee) is the amount of water vapor in air.

As the humidity increases, the air

pressure decreases. Quick Check
Compare and Contrast Would you
air air and water vapor expect higher atmospheric pressure
on a dry day or a rainy day?
Critical Thinking What happens
to air pressure when air is cooled?

369
EXPLAIN

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 A map of trade winds from 1775.

What are global winds?

Hundreds of years ago, sailing ships carried trade goods
around the world. When sailing from Europe to the Americas,
the captains wanted to travel from northeast to southwest.
They found that winds blow in this direction between the
equator and 30°N latitude (LAT•i•tewd). Latitude is a measure
of how far north or south a place is from the equator. Winds
that blow between about 30°N latitude and about 30°S latitude
became known as trade winds.
Trade winds are part of a system of winds called global
winds (GLOH•buhl windz). A global wind blows steadily over
long distances in a predictable direction. Global winds blow
because sunlight heats areas near Earth’s equator more than
it heats areas near Earth’s poles.

Global Winds

polar easterlies
60° N Key
prevailing westerlies
30° N
heated air
trade winds

0° equator cooled air

trade winds
wind
30° S
prevailing westerlies
60° S
polar easterlies

370
EXPLAIN

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 of particles in a specific volume of warm
Coriolis Effect
air, the cold air will have more particles.
The cold air is more dense, or packed
with particles, than the warm air. A cold,
more dense volume of air will sink. A
warm volume of air is less dense and
will rise.
As air is heated at the equator, it
rises up within the troposphere. As
the air goes higher, the temperature
decreases and the air begins to cool.
Because heated air continues to rise,
the cooled air above it is pushed away
from the equator to the north toward
the pole.
You might think that the cooling air
actual path projected path
would flow all the way to the North
Pole. Actually, air warms and cools
As Earth rotates, places near the poles in three different bands as it moves
travel a shorter distance than places north from the equator. In the middle
near the equator. This causes winds band, the direction of the cooling air
away from the equator to curve. In the is reversed and the winds blow in the
Northern Hemisphere, winds curve to opposite direction.
the right. In the Southern Hemisphere,
winds curve to the left. The Coriolis warm cold
effect (kawr•ee•OH•lis i•FEKT) describes
the change in direction of something Warm

on or above Earth’s surface because

of Earth’s rotation.
If the Coriolis effect was the only
factor in the movement of winds Warm Cold
Warm air is less dense than cold air.
from the North Pole to the equator,
you might predict that all of the
global winds would blow in the same
direction. However, between latitude Quick Check
30°N and 60°N, the global winds do Compare and Contrast
Cold
In which
not blow in the predicted direction. direction do winds in the Northern
What causes these global winds to and Southern Hemispheres curve?
change direction? If you measure the Critical Thinking What would
number of particles in a specific volume happen to the global winds if no
of cold air and compare it to the number more heat energy reached Earth?

371
EXPLAIN

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 What are local winds? the atmospheric pressure decreases,
and the warm air rises.
About 50 percent of the Sun’s
energy reaches Earth’s surface, and The air over the ocean now has
about three quarters of Earth’s surface a higher pressure than the air over
is covered in water and about one the land. The cooler, higher-pressure
quarter in land. What happens when air over the ocean moves toward
the Sun’s energy heats land and water? the warmer, lower-pressure air over
the land. If you visit a beach during
During the day, the Sun warms the
the day, you feel the wind blowing
water and the land. The temperature
from the ocean onto the land. This
of the land increases faster than the
movement of air from the water
temperature of the water. As the land
to the land is called a sea breeze.
warms up, it heats the air above it.
Air over the land becomes warmer As night falls, the Sun stops providing
than air over the sea. The warm air heat, so the land and water both begin
over the land becomes less dense, to cool. Land cools faster than water,

Air Movement in Sea and Land Breezes

Key

warm air
sea breeze
day
cold air

land breeze
Read a Diagram night

In which direction does

cool air move in sea and
land breezes?
Clue: Look at the direction
of the cool-air arrows.

372
EXPLAIN

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 so the air over the water stays warmer In the late afternoon or evening,
and has a lower pressure than the air the valley receives more heat from the
over the land. The air over the water Sun, while the mountain slopes cool
rises, and cooler, higher-pressure air over from the morning’s heat. As warm air
the land moves toward the water. If you rises over the valley, cool air from the
are at a beach in the evening, you feel the mountains flows down into the valley,
wind blowing from the land toward the forming a mountain breeze.
ocean. This movement of air from the
land to the water is called a land breeze. Quick Check
In the morning, sunlight reaches Compare and Contrast Compare
mountain slopes before it reaches valleys. the air pressure during a sea breeze
As the mountain slopes are warmed, the and a land breeze.
warm air begins to rise. Cool air moves
Critical Thinking How does the
up out of the valleys to replace the rising
Sun’s energy cause local winds?
warm air, forming a valley breeze.

Air Movement in Mountain and Valley Breezes

Key

warm air

cold air
valley breeze
morning

mountain breeze
evening

373
EXPLAIN

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 How do we measure aneroid barometer

air pressure and wind?

A barometer (buh•ROM•i•tuhr)
measures atmospheric pressure.
A mercury barometer measures the
pressure of air on an airtight tube of
mercury. The atmospheric pressure is
the height to which the mercury rises.
An aneroid barometer measures
changes in the size of an airtight
container. As air pressure increases,
the container is squeezed and becomes
smaller. As air pressure decreases, the
container expands.
A windsock is a large open-ended Air presses Levers move
1 2
tube of cloth attached to a pole. When on an airtight when the
the wind blows, the sock fills and container, which size of the
changes size as container
blows away from the wind.
the air pressure changes.
An anemometer (an•uh•MOM•i•tuhr) changes.
measures wind speed using cups that
rotate when the wind blows. The wind
speed can be calculated by measuring
anemometer
the number of rotations during a
period of time.
A weather vane is an instrument
that shows which way the wind is
blowing. One side is larger to catch
the wind. The other side points in the
direction in which the wind is blowing.
For an accurate reading, a weather
vane must be away from tall objects
that might interfere with the wind.

Quick Check
Compare and Contrast Which
parts of mercury and aneroid
barometers are airtight?
Critical Thinking Why does part
of a barometer need to be airtight?

374
EXPLAIN

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 Lesson Review
Visual Summary Think, Talk, and Write
The Sun heats Earth’s 1 Main Idea What causes winds?
atmosphere unequally,
which changes air 2 Vocabulary The force put on a given
pressure. area by the weight of the air above
it is called .

3 Compare and Contrast How does the

Air moves from areas
heat energy over an area at the equator
of high pressure to
compare to an area at the poles?
areas of low pressure.
Different Alike Different

Changes in air pressure

cause winds.

4 Critical Thinking How does solar

energy cause global and local winds?

5 Test Prep Global winds

A move air in a loop.
Make a B have atmospheric pressure.
Study Guide C heat Earth unequally.
D blow over long distances.
Make a Three-Tab Book.
Use the titles shown.
On the inside of each 6 Test Prep What does a barometer
tab, compare and measure?
contrast information A air pressure
about the topic. B wind speed
C wind direction
D humidity

Writing Link Art Link

Fictional Narrative Weather Vanes
If you were a sailing captain traveling Design a weather vane. Include a way
from Europe to the Americas, what for the weather vane to rotate. Decorate
information about the winds would you your weather vane and then test how
record? How could you tell wind speed well it shows wind direction.
or direction while on your ship?

-0(
0/ -Review Summaries and quizzes online at [Link] 375
EVALUATE

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 Inquiry Skill: Communicate
When scientists complete an experiment, they
communicate their results. When you communicate,
you share information with others. You may do this
by speaking, writing, drawing, singing, or dancing.

▶ Learn It
In the following activity, you will test whether air can
lift a notebook off the table. Keep notes that include your
hypothesis, materials, observations, and conclusion.
Scientists often try new experiments based on work
that other scientists have done. If you communicate
the details of your experiment, other students can do
experiments based on yours. Writing down exactly
what you did also lets you plan more experiments with
different materials and different variables. If you get
an unexpected result or disprove your hypothesis,
you should communicate that as well.

▶ Try It
Materials notebook, balloons, tape, ruler

1 You know that air has weight and takes up space. Do

you think air in a balloon will be able to lift a notebook
off a table? If it can, how high will the notebook rise?

2 Tape two balloons to a notebook so the ends of the

balloons stick out. Flip the notebook over so it is on
top of the balloons.

376
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 3 Blow into one of the balloons. What
happens to the notebook? Fill both
balloons with as much air as you can.

4 Using a ruler, measure the height

between the table and notebook.

5 Communicate Exchange data about ▶ Apply It

the height to which air was able to Think about how you could use air
raise your notebook. to lift the book even higher. What would
happen if you used bigger balloons? If you
6 Using the data from your classmates, placed smaller balloons under each corner
figure out the average height that your of the notebook? How heavy of a book
class was able to lift the notebooks. could you lift using these materials?
Make a chart to compare your results.
Plan a new experiment. Test your
7 Communicate Who was able to hypothesis and draw conclusions about
raise their notebooks the highest? using the power of air to lift objects.
Was anyone unable to lift it? Discuss Then communicate to the class the
any problems that occurred or results of your experiment by writing
improvements that could be made a report, drawing a cartoon strip, or
to lift the notebook higher. composing and singing a song!

377
EXTEND

P5_UDC07_L1_ISA_SC07.indd 377 9/6/06 1:06:43 PM

 Lesson 2

Clouds and
Precipitation

Look and Wonder

When storm clouds roll over an area such as
these fields in Montana, rain often follows.
How much rain falls during a storm?

378
ENGAGE

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 Explore Inquiry Activity

How much rain falls in your Materials

community?
Purpose
To measure the amount of rainfall in your community.

Procedure
1 Be Careful. Use the scissors to cut the top • scissors
off the carton. • carton
2 Using tape, attach the carton to the baking pan. • masking tape
Then put the pan on the ground outside in an
• baking pan
open area.
• ruler
3 Measure Check the carton at the same time
every day. If there is water in it, measure the
Step 2
height of the water in centimeters.
4 Record Data Write down the daily results
on a table. Then empty the carton and put
it back in the same spot outside.

Draw Conclusions
5 Interpret Data Design and complete a graph
to display your results.
6 Use Numbers Convert your total measurement
of cubic centimeters of precipitation into liters.

Explore More
Step 4
How close were your results to an official rain
measurement for your area? Were there any
problems that you ran into with the experiment?
How could you improve your data collection?

379
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 How do clouds form?
Sometimes you look up at the sky and see
▶ Main Idea nothing but blue. First one fluffy, white cloud
Water vapor in the air appears, then another, and another. The clouds
can form clouds, fog, rain, grow larger and darker. Now the sky is covered
hail, sleet, or snow. Air by a gray blanket of clouds. How did these
masses and fronts change clouds form in what looked like an empty sky?
weather as they move.
Water vapor is one of the gases in the
▶ Vocabulary atmosphere. As water vapor particles are
air mass, p. 384 carried higher, they begin to lose heat energy
front, p. 384 and become colder. As they become colder,
weather map, p. 388 they lose speed and come closer together. When
water vapor particles have slowed enough, they
-0(
0/ -Glossary condense around tiny particles of dust.
at [Link]
You may have seen condensed drops of
▶ Reading Skill water on shower doors, on the sides of cold
Draw Conclusions
glasses of liquid, and on grass early in the
morning. These drops of water condense from
Text Clues Conclusions
water vapor in the air in the same way that
cloud droplets do.
The appearance of a cloud depends on how
high it forms in the atmosphere and what the
▶ Technology temperature there is. Cirrus clouds (SIR•uhs)
Explore air currents and winds
with Team Earth. form at the highest altitudes. They usually form
from ice crystals when liquid water is cooled
below its freezing point of 0°C (32°F).
Lower clouds form from water droplets.
These clouds may appear gray or black. This
occurs when the water droplets are so dense
that sunlight is unable to pass through.
Two of the kinds of clouds that form from
water droplets are cumulus clouds and stratus
clouds. Cumulus clouds (KYEW•myuh•luhs)
are puffy clouds that form at middle altitudes.
Stratus clouds (STRAY•tuhs) are layered and
form at low altitudes.
When the temperature near the ground
is cold, water vapor forms fog. Fog (fawg)
is a cloud that forms near the ground.

380
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 cirrus clouds
Quick Lab
Types of Clouds
1 Observe Look for clouds in the
sky. How many different types
of clouds do you see?
2 Classify Do the clouds that you
see look like cirrus, cumulus, or
stratus clouds?
3 Continue your data collection
for one week.

Cirrus clouds are wispy with fuzzy edges.

cumulus clouds

4 Which type of cloud did you see

most frequently?
5 Write a report about the types of
clouds that you saw. Do you think
you would get different results at a
different time of year? Explain.
Cumulus clouds are individual puffy clouds.

stratus clouds
Quick Check
Draw Conclusions If you observed
wispy clouds high in the sky, what
would you conclude these clouds are?
Critical Thinking What can you
learn about wind direction from
watching clouds?

Visible clouds are made of either

tiny droplets of water or ice.
Stratus clouds form in blanketlike layers.

381
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 How does precipitation precipitation, or raindrops. When the
air temperature is below the freezing
form? point of water, water vapor forms
While clouds are made of liquid solid precipitation. The types of solid
water, the water is in the form of very precipitation are sleet, hail, and snow.
small drops. As time passes, some
When raindrops fall through a
of these drops will collide with each
layer of very cold air near the ground,
other and form larger drops.
they freeze, changing into tiny bits of
As the drops collide, the cloud ice called sleet. Sleet only reaches the
becomes thicker and grayer. Soon the ground when air temperatures are cold
drops become too heavy for winds to near the ground.
keep them in the air. They fall to the
Hail forms in severe thunderstorm
ground as precipitation.
clouds when raindrops in the cloud
When the air temperature is collide with bits of ice. The drops
warm, water vapor forms liquid freeze, forming a hailstone. Winds

How Precipitation Forms

rain sleet hail

382
EXPLAIN

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 push the hailstones back up into the To measure the depth of rain,
cloud and the hailstones grow larger. the rain is caught in a rain gauge
The largest hailstones are about the (rayn gayj). A rain gauge is a container
size of a softball. that has a scale marked on it in
Snow forms when air temperature millimeters or inches. To measure the
is close to or below freezing. Then the depth of rainfall, someone must read
temperature is so cold that water vapor the level of the water in the rain gauge.
turns directly into a solid crystal. If you The depth of snowfall can be
look carefully at snowflakes landing measured using a meterstick or
on a window, you may see the shape of yardstick by pushing the stick through
the snowflake before it melts. the snow to the ground and reading
the mark at the top of the ruler.
Precipitation is measured in units of
Drifting snow may interfere with
depth. The measurements tell how deep
accurate measurements.
the rain would be in a container or
how deep the snow is on the ground.
Quick Check
Draw Conclusions
KEY If the air temperature was above
freezing, which type of precipitation
would fall?
snowflake Critical Thinking
Which type of precipitation
occurs when rain falls and the
hail
air temperature near the ground
is cold?

sleet

raindrop

Read a Diagram
snow
ice What is the first step in each
crystals type of precipitation?
Clue: Look at what happens
first in the clouds.
droplets
collide

condensation

383
EXPLAIN

P5_UDC07_L2_SC07.indd 383 9/6/06 12:05:10 PM

 What are air masses
and fronts?
The weather in an area is affected
by the air mass that is passing over
the area. An air mass is a large region
of air that has a similar temperature
and humidity. Air masses can cover
thousands of square kilometers of
land and water.
Depending on where they form,
air masses can be cold or warm and A warm front approaching a cold air mass.
dry or humid. An air mass that forms
above a warm area of water will be
warm and humid. An air mass that
forms over a cold area of land will be
cold and dry. The area from which
an air mass gets its characteristics is
called its source region.
When one air mass meets a
different air mass, this meeting place
between air masses is called a front.
A front marks the front edge of the
oncoming air mass.

A cold front approaching a warm air mass.

Air Mass Source Regions

mP cP mP

mP maritime polar
Att l a n t ic cool, moist air
Pac i fic O c e ann cP continental polar
O c e an cold, dry air
mT maritime tropical
warm, moist air
cT continental tropical
hot, dry air
mT cT mT

384
EXPLAIN

P5_UDC07_L2_SC07.indd 384 9/6/06 12:05:15 PM

 Moving Fronts

front on April 11 front on April 13

Read a Photo

In which direction is this front moving?

Clue: Look at the satellite photos to find the direction.

When a cold and dry air mass runs Over North America, the jet stream
into a warm and moist air mass, the blows from west to east. Since the jet
dense, heavy cold air pushes the lighter stream winds push air masses, almost
warm air up. As the warm air rises, all weather fronts in North America
the moisture in it condenses. Towering move from west to east as well.
clouds form and storms may follow. Warm and cold fronts help you
Sometimes the temperature and predict what the weather is going to be
humidity of the air masses behind a in the future. Today’s weather is likely
front are similar. When this happens, to be similar to whatever yesterday’s
the air masses do not move, and a weather was further west. As the jet
stationary front forms. A stationary stream winds blow one front to the
front is a boundary between two east, the fronts behind it are pushed
different air masses where neither one east as well.
is strong enough to replace the other.
Quick Check
What moves air masses? You
learned about global winds such as Draw Conclusions What happens
trade winds. Another type of global when a cold air mass moves into an
wind is the jet stream. The jet stream area where the air mass is warm?
is a high-altitude wind caused by Critical Thinking What would you
large temperature differences between need to know to estimate how long
air masses. The jet stream winds can it would take for a front to move
exceed speeds of 240 kilometers per across the United States?
hour (150 miles per hour).

385
EXPLAIN

P5_UDC07_L2_SC07.indd 385 9/6/06 12:05:19 PM

 What are highs and lows?
Knowing the location of low-pressure systems and high-
pressure systems can tell you about local weather conditions.
A low-pressure system is a large mass of air with low air
pressure in the center. A high-pressure system is a large mass
of air with the highest air pressure in the center.
Since warm, humid air has low pressure, low-pressure
systems usually bring warm and stormy weather. Moisture that
was held in a low-pressure air mass condenses as it rises and
cools, bringing clouds, rain, and other types of precipitation.

Low-Pressure Systems

warmer, humid air

1 Air moves inward toward the

low-pressure center from all
directions.

2 The wind turns in a

counterclockwise direction.

386
EXPLAIN

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 Since cool, dry air has high
Quick Check
pressure, high-pressure systems usually
bring dry, clear weather. Any moisture Draw Conclusions What causes
carried in a high-pressure system tends winds in low-pressure and
to evaporate, clearing the sky of clouds high-pressure systems to rotate
and precipitation. in different directions?
To figure out where high- and Critical Thinking How does
low-pressure systems are at a knowing the location of low- and
particular time, scientists plot the air high-pressure systems help you
pressure of different areas on a map. forecast the weather?
They then connect all the places that
have the same air pressure with a line
called an isobar (EYE•suh•bahr).

High-Pressure Systems
1

colder, drier air

1 Air moves outward from the

high-pressure center in all
directions.

2 The wind turns in a clockwise

direction.

387
EXPLAIN

P5_UDC07_L2_SC07.indd 387 9/6/06 12:05:33 PM

 0 200 400 miles
C A N A D A
U.S. Weather Map H 0 200 400 kilometers
30s
20s 30s
40s

30s L 40s
40s

50s H
H
40s
60s
PACI F IC L
OCEAN

AT L A N T IC
<0s 70s OCEAN
MEXICO
0s 70s
10s fronts pressure precipitation
20s HAWAII 80s cold H high cloudy
warm rain
L low snow
ALASKA 70s
temperature
<0 0s 10s 20s 30s 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s 90s 100+

What do weather maps about what weather will occur.

Meteorologists may forecast what the
tell you? weather will be for the next day, for
How could you find out where rain the next five days, or even for the next
is falling? A weather map shows the few months.
weather in a specific area at a specific Meteorologists constantly measure
time. Weather maps can show one variables because sudden changes in
variable, such as air pressure, or many one variable can change the weather.
different variables. This is why it may rain when a clear
On a weather map, a symbol is sky was predicted.
used to represent each variable. For
example, cold fronts are shown by
Quick Check
a blue line with blue triangles. The
triangles point in the direction that Draw Conclusions If a large high-
the cold front is moving. pressure system was moving toward
Meteorologists are scientists who your area, what would you predict
study Earth’s atmosphere and weather. for the next day’s weather?
Meteorologists track variables that Critical Thinking Which weather
might affect the weather so they variables do you want to know
can make forecasts, or predictions, about before you go outside? Why?

388
EXPLAIN

P5_UDC07_L2_SC07.indd 388 9/6/06 12:05:38 PM

 Lesson Review
Visual Summary Think, Talk, and Write
Clouds and 1 Main Idea What can water vapor form?
precipitation form
from water vapor in 2 Vocabulary Clouds that form close
the air. to the ground are called .

3 Draw Conclusions What type

of cloud is a blanketlike layer
Air masses and fronts
of low-altitude clouds?
affect the weather
in a large area. Text Clues Conclusions

Knowing where 4 Critical Thinking If you built your own

high- or low-pressure weather station, what instruments would
systems are can you include?
help you predict
the weather. 5 Test Prep Which of the following
is a variable that meteorologists track
to make weather forecasts?
A traffic
Make a B air pressure
Study Guide C barometer
Make a Trifold Book. Use the titles shown. D population
Then draw a conclusion about each topic.
6 Test Prep Which of the following is
NOT a type of solid precipitation?
A rain
B snow
C hail
D sleet

Math Link Art Link

Predict Rainfall Local Weather Map
During a 5 A.M. weather report, rain is Draw a map of your local area with your
reported to be falling at a rate of 2 inches weather prediction for tomorrow. Come
per hour. If the next report is at 7 A.M., up with symbols to include in a key.
how much rain will have fallen?

-0(
0/ -Review Summaries and quizzes online at [Link] 389
EVALUATE

P5_UDC07_L2_SC07.indd 389 9/6/06 12:05:46 PM

 Structured Inquiry
Materials
How can you tell that water vapor
is in the air?
Step 1
Form a Hypothesis
Cobalt chloride paper is blue
in dry air and turns pink in
2 bottles air that has water vapor in it.
Write a hypothesis in the form
“If water evaporates, then
cobalt chloride paper near
or above the water will . . .”
scissors
Test Your Hypothesis
Step 2
1 Be Careful. Cut the
tops off the 2 bottles.

tape 2 Tape 1 strip of cobalt

chloride paper in the
bottom of each bottle.
3 Place 1 bottle upside down
over an empty plastic cup.
Fill the other plastic cup
cobalt chloride half-full of water. Place
paper
a bottle upside down Step 3
over that cup.
4 Tape a third strip of cobalt
chloride paper to a sheet of
paper. Leave it in open air.
2 plastic cups 5 Observe Examine the
color of the strips of
cobalt chloride paper.
6 Record Data Write down
any changes in the color of
the cobalt chloride paper. Step 4

sheet of paper

390
EXTEND

P5_UDC07_L2_INV_SC07.indd 390 9/6/06 1:09:23 PM

 Draw Conclusions
1 Use Variables Identify the variables in this experiment.
What purpose does the cobalt chloride paper that is taped
to the piece of paper serve?
2 Draw Conclusions Does the evidence from your observations
support your hypothesis?

Guided Inquiry Open Inquiry

Does surface area affect What effect does wind have on the

rate of evaporation? evaporation rate of water? Come up

with a question to investigate. Design
an experiment to answer your question.
Form a Hypothesis
Your experiment must be organized to
You have already learned water vapor test only one variable or one item being
can be detected in the air. Does water changed. Your experiment must be
evaporate faster from a body of water written so that another can complete
with a bigger surface area? Write your it by following your instructions.
answer as a hypothesis in the form
“If you increase the surface area of
water, then the evaporation rate will . . .”

Test Your Hypothesis Remember to follow

the steps of the
Design a plan to test your hypothesis. Write scientific process.
out the materials, resources, and steps that
you need to take. Record your results and Ask a Question
observations as you follow your plan.
Form a Hypothesis
Draw Conclusions
Did your test support your hypothesis? Test Your Hypothesis
Why or why not? Present your results
to your classmates.
Draw Conclusions

391
EXTEND

P5_UDC07_L2_INV_SC07.indd 391 9/6/06 1:09:30 PM

 Lesson 3

Severe Storms
Tucson, AZ

Look and Wonder

On any given day, more than 40,000
thunderstorms are rumbling somewhere on
Earth. What causes these spectacular storms?

392
EnGaGE

P5_UDC07_L3_SC07.indd 392 9/6/06 12:55:09 PM

 Explore Inquiry Activity

What happens when air masses Materials

of different temperatures meet?

Form a Hypothesis
What happens to an air mass when it meets another
air mass of the same temperature or of a cooler
temperature? Write your answer as a hypothesis
in the form “If an air mass meets another air mass
of the same or of a cooler temperature, then . . .”
Like air, water flows and carries heat. Using water • scissors
as a model for air can help you test your hypothesis. • cardboard
• clear plastic box
Test Your Hypothesis • aluminum foil
1 Be Careful. Using scissors, cut the • cold water
cardboard so it fits tightly in the clear box.
• 2 containers
Wrap the cardboard in aluminum foil.
• warm water
2 Pour 4 cups of cold water into one container
and 4 cups of warm water into the other one. • food coloring
Place a few drops of blue food coloring into
the cold water and red into the warm water.
Step 3
3 Hold the cardboard tightly against the bottom
of the box. Pour the cold water on one side
and the warm water on the other.
4 Observe Watch the box from the side as you
remove the cardboard.
5 Now repeat the same test with warm water in
both containers and food coloring in only one.

Draw Conclusions
6 What are the variables in this experiment? Step 4

7 Infer Which test looked like it formed

storms? Why?

Explore More
Will a greater difference in temperature between
the warm and cold water increase the observable
effects? Form a hypothesis and test it.

393
ExplORE

P5_UDC07_L3_SC07.indd 393 9/6/06 12:55:18 PM

 What are thunderstorms?
Lightning flashed through the sky and thunder
▶ Main Idea rumbled over the city. Heavy rain fell during
Storms are caused by the the storm, flooding streets and sewer systems.
collision of air masses. Thunderstorms similar to this one happen all
over the world. A thunderstorm is a rainstorm
▶ Vocabulary that includes lightning and thunder.
thunderstorm, p. 394
blizzard, p. 396
In order for a thunderstorm to occur, warm air
tornado, p. 398
must rise, carrying moisture with it. Any upward
hurricane, p. 400
movement of air is called an updraft. Updrafts in a
storm surge, p. 401
thunderstorm cause a cloud to increase in height,
cyclone, p. 401
forming a tall cloud called a thunderhead. As rain
falls, a downdraft may occur. A downdraft is a
-0(
0/ -Glossary sudden downward movement of cool or cold air.
at [Link]
How a Thunderstorm Forms
▶ Reading Skill
Cause and Effect
Cause Effect

▶ Technology
Explore weather with
Team Earth.

1 Fronts A cold front moves

in and pushes warm, humid air
upward. As the air rises, it cools 1
and water vapor condenses.
2 Thunderheads Released
energy from condensation Read a Diagram
warms the air and causes
What happens to the temperature of air
updrafts. A thunderhead forms.
in a thunderhead?
The top of the thunderhead
flattens out when it reaches Clue: Red represents hot and blue represents cold.
winds at higher altitudes. -0(
0/ Science in Motion Watch how thunderstorms
3 Precipitation Rain falls. form at [Link]

394
Explain

P5_UDC07_L3_SC07.indd 394 9/6/06 12:55:21 PM

 Lightning and Thunder
Lightning is the spark caused
when electricity that has built up in a
thunderhead discharges. Lightning can
jump between parts of the same cloud,
between different clouds, or between
A lightning strike
a cloud and the ground. left a scar on
One theory about the cause of this oak tree.
lightning is that air in motion rubs
particles of ice and rain moving
downward against particles moving
upward. As the particles rub, they
become charged with static electricity.
This is similar to what happens
when you shuffle your feet across a
carpet and a charge of static electricity How Lightning Forms
builds up in your body. When you
then touch your finger to a metal
object, you feel a tingle as a spark
jumps between you and the object. Static electricity
That spark is a discharge of electricity. builds up.
Gravity Wind
Lightning raises the temperature pulls pushes
of the air around it to more than five water water
times the temperature of the surface of particles particles
the Sun. This burst of heat makes the down. up.

air expand violently. Thunder is the

sound of the rapidly expanding air.
The dangers in thunderstorms are
lightning, windblown objects, and Static electricity is released
flash floods. Stay indoors and away as lightning.
from windows. If you are outside,
stay away from tall objects.

Quick Check
Cause and Effect What happens
as a thunderstorm forms?
Critical Thinking How is thunder
similar to the “pop” produced by
a pricked balloon?

395
Explain

P5_UDC07_L3_SC07.indd 395 9/6/06 12:55:27 PM

 What are winter storms?
Winter storms occur when two air masses of different
temperatures and moisture levels meet. In the United
States, winter storms often form when a continental
polar air mass from Canada moves south and meets a
maritime tropical air mass moving north from the Gulf
of Mexico. One type of winter storm is a storm in which
the main types of precipitation, such as snow or sleet,
occur with cold air temperatures. Another type of winter
storm is a rainstorm where ground temperatures are
cold enough that ice forms on outside surfaces.

Blizzards
People often refer to any severe snowstorm as a
blizzard (BLIZ•uhrd). In the United States, the official
definition of a blizzard is a snowstorm with 35-mile-
per-hour winds and enough snowfall that you can only
see up to one quarter of a mile.

Winter Storms

North Dakota New York

Read a Photo

Which photo shows an ice storm?

Clue: Look for ice in the photo.

396
Explain

P5_UDC07_L3_SC07.indd 396 9/6/06 12:55:44 PM

 Blizzards often drop several The weight of ice and snow on
feet of snow on an area over a few power lines and tree branches can
days. Wind can move the snow cause them to break. Ice and snow
into drifts that can be significantly can also make streets slippery and
deeper than the total amount of dangerous for walking or driving.
snow that has fallen. Another danger from winter
When the snow that falls is storms is exposure to cold. To stay
light and flaky, strong winds may safe, stay indoors. Keep warm
continue to blow it around after clothes and blankets available in
the snowfall has stopped. When case you lose power.
weather conditions for a blizzard
are met after snow has stopped Quick Check
falling, meteorologists refer to the Cause and Effect Under
storm as a ground blizzard. what conditions does a ground
Sometimes heavy snowfall blizzard occur?
during a blizzard combines with
Critical Thinking If you were
strong updrafts and downdrafts.
stuck in a car during a blizzard,
Snow blows rapidly around and
how would tying a colored
makes it difficult to distinguish
object to the antenna help?
the ground from the air. People
can quickly lose their sense of
direction. These conditions are
called a whiteout.

Ice Storms
When a warm front approaches
a cold air mass, the warm air mass
usually pushes the cold air mass
away. Sometimes, in areas with
a lower altitude such as valleys,
a thin layer of cold air remains
behind. If rain falls as the warm air
mass cools, the rain will freeze as it
hits the cold air near the ground.
If the ground is also cold, the
sleet or freezing rain will coat
Traveling during winter
everything it lands on with a thin
storms can be difficult.
layer of ice. An ice storm is a storm
in which freezing rain forms a layer
of ice on outside surfaces.

397
Explain

P5_UDC07_L3_SC07.indd 397 9/6/06 12:55:50 PM

 What are tornados?
Under the right conditions, a thunderstorm can turn into
a tornado (tawr•NAY•doh). A tornado is a rotating, funnel-
shaped cloud with wind speeds up to 500 kilometers (300
miles) per hour. People refer to these storms as “twisters.”
Tornados begin to form when warm air moves upward in
a thunderhead, creating an area of low pressure. The low air
pressure draws air inward and upward. As air flows into the
low-pressure area, it rotates faster and faster.
From the ground, the shape of the cloud looks like a
funnel. Warm air rises up the center of the spinning funnel
cloud. Rain falls outside of the cloud. When the tip of the
funnel cloud touches the ground, it becomes a tornado.
Because only a relatively small section of the tornado
actually touches the ground, tornados have been known to
destroy houses on one side of a street while leaving houses
on the other side untouched.
The dangers during a tornado are flying objects and
powerful winds. If you hear a tornado warning, seek shelter
in a tornado shelter or in a basement, bathroom, or closet
on the lowest floor. If you are in a car or a mobile home,
get out and seek shelter.

Quick Check
Cause and Effect What causes tornado winds to rotate?

Critical Thinking Why might differences in air pressure

cause a closed building to explode outward as a tornado
passes over it?

How a Tornado Forms

1 Warm air moves 2 A funnel cloud

upward in a forms when
thunderhead. the air starts
rotating.
398
Explain

P5_UDC07_L3_SC07.indd 398 9/6/06 12:56:02 PM

 Quick Lab
Tornado in a Bottle
1 Fill a 2-liter plastic bottle
one-third full of water.
2 Place an empty 2-liter
plastic bottle upside down
over the mouth of the first
bottle. Use masking tape
or a connector to join the
two bottles together.
3 Make a Model Holding the
bottles by the necks, flip
them upside down so the
bottle with the water in it
is now on top. Place the
bottles on a desk.
4 Observe What do you see?
5 How is this model similar to the
movement of wind in a tornado?

3 The funnel cloud

becomes a tornado
when it touches
the ground.

399
Explain

P5_UDC07_L3_SC07.indd 399 9/6/06 12:56:08 PM

 What are hurricanes?
Thunderstorms can turn into a
tracking wind speed
tropical storm. A tropical storm has
rotating winds with low pressure at
its center. It forms near the equator
where the ocean is warm. Water vapor
evaporates from the warm water.
As the warm, moist air rises, cooler
air flows toward the space where the
warm air had been.
Water continues to evaporate,
which lowers the air pressure even
more. Surrounding high-pressure
air moves into the area of low air
pressure and causes rotating winds.
A tropical storm turns into a
hurricane (HUR•i•kayn) when the wind
speed of the storm reaches more than
119 kilometers per hour (74 miles per
hour). From space, hurricanes look
like a spiral of clouds with a hole in
the middle. The hole is the center of tracking location
the low-pressure area, which is called
the “eye” of the hurricane. Clouds
form a border around the eye and
spread out beyond it.
A hurricane’s fastest winds and
heaviest rains occur next to the eye.
Winds near an eye can reach speeds
of almost 300 kilometers per hour
(190 miles per hour). The area inside
the low-pressure area of the eye is
calm, with no precipitation or wind.
Hurricanes can pull nearby
thunderstorms into the growing
storm. Large hurricanes may be up
to 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) in
diameter and may cover many states.

400
Explain

P5_UDC07_L3_SC07.indd 400 9/6/06 12:56:16 PM

 Storm surges can damage shorelines as well as buildings near the water.

Storm Surges Cyclones

Hurricane winds whip up large Any storm with a low-pressure
waves in the ocean. These waves cause center that causes a circular pattern
a bulge of water in the ocean known of winds to form is called a cyclone
as a storm surge (stawrm surj). As (SYE•klohn). Tropical storms,
a storm moves over a coast, the hurricanes, and tornados have low-
storm surge can cause water levels to pressure centers and spinning winds
suddenly rise, or surge, several meters. and are all cyclones.
The main dangers in a hurricane
are flying objects, strong winds, and
flooding. If possible, leave areas Quick Check
threatened by a hurricane. Take Cause and Effect At what
prescription medicines with you. point does a tropical storm
If you stay in a building, board up turn into a hurricane?
windows and stay away from windows
Critical Thinking Is a
and doors. Store food, bottled water,
thunderstorm a cyclone?
flashlights, and battery operated
radios. Stay away from beaches
and areas that may become flooded.

401
Explain

P5_UDC07_L3_SC07.indd 401 9/6/06 12:56:19 PM

 Doppler radar How are storms tracked?
Meteorologists use different kinds of
instruments to collect data about the variables
that can affect a storm. Weather stations
around the world use instruments such as
weather vanes, barometers, and rain gauges
to gather data about local weather conditions.
Many local weather stations have Doppler
radar. Doppler radar tracks the speed and
direction of winds and rain by measuring
changes in the motion of an object as the object
moves toward or away from the radar detector.
weather balloons
Scientists use weather balloons to gather
data about weather conditions in the upper
atmosphere. The instruments in the balloons
use radio transmitters to send air pressure,
temperature, and humidity data back to the
ground station. By monitoring the balloon’s
movement, meteorologists gather data about
the winds at its altitude.
Weather satellites take pictures of the
atmosphere from space. One kind of camera
takes pictures of the heat of the ground
and the ocean. Another type of camera takes
pictures of cloud cover and can track the
size and location of a hurricane.
Satellite photos cannot tell the wind
airplane speeds in a hurricane. Meteorologists fly into
hurricanes and drop instruments to collect this
data. By gathering accurate information about
the wind speed and pressure, meteorologists are
better able to predict the path of a hurricane.

Quick Check
Cause and Effect What instruments could
measure the wind speed of a storm?
From inside the eye of a hurricane, Critical Thinking What would tracking the
this airplane gathers weather data. ocean temperature during the year tell you?

402
Explain

P5_UDC07_L3_SC07.indd 402 9/6/06 12:56:24 PM

 Lesson Review
Visual Summary Think, Talk, and Write
Thunderstorms and 1 Main Idea What causes storms?
winter storms occur
when two air masses 2 Vocabulary Tornados and hurricanes
of different are examples of a(n) .
temperatures and
moisture levels meet. 3 Cause and Effect What causes a
hurricane to form?
Cyclones, such
as hurricanes and Cause Effect
tornados, are storms
with a low-pressure
center and circular
winds.
Meteorologists 4 Critical Thinking What is the
use different kinds reason why most thunderstorms
of instruments to do not become cyclones?
gather data about
weather variables. 5 Test Prep What is a storm surge?
A a circular pattern of winds
B a bulge of water in the ocean
C a winter storm with freezing rain
Make a D a large region of cold air
Study Guide
Make a Trifold 6 Test Prep Which of the following
Book. Use the is a storm with a low-pressure center?
titles shown. A thunderstorm
Discuss the B ice storm
topic on the C tornado
inside of D blizzard
each fold.

Writing Link Social Studies Link

Fictional Narrative Tornado Frequency
Write about what it would be like to work Research and write a report about
as a meteorologist. Discuss the daily tasks Tornado Alley. Include information
that you would do. about how people that live in Tornado
Alley prepare for tornados.

-0(
0/ -Review Summaries and quizzes online at [Link] 403
EValUaTE

P5_UDC07_L3_SC07.indd 403 9/6/06 12:56:29 PM

 Writing in Science

April 15
Last night it rained very hard. As I was
getting ready to leave for school this morning,
I heard loud booming and cracking sounds.
My whole family ran out of the house in our
pajamas. Dad said, “It must be a mudslide.
We have to get to higher ground.”
First, Dad got us all in the van and drove
to the top of a nearby hill. Then we turned
on the car radio. We heard that about a half Water and dirt
from a
mile below us the mudslide was carrying cars
gh a Mudsli
mudslide blocke

h r o u de
d the road.

Living T
and trees down the road. A few people were
taken to the hospital with minor injuries, but
fortunately no one was badly hurt.
Personal Narrative
We could not go back home for hours.
A good personal story
Finally, we were told that it was safe to
▶ tells a story from personal
return. We were lucky that our house was only
experience
damaged a little.
▶ expresses the writer’s
Rocks and a tree washed dow
nhill by a feelings by using the first
mudslide blocked the road. person point of view

▶ uses time-order words to

connect ideas and show
the sequence of events

Write About It
Personal Narrative Write a personal narrative
about a storm, mudslide, or other severe
weather condition that you have experienced.
Use a clear sequence of events to tell what
happened and what you did.
-0(
0/ -Journal Research and write about
it online at [Link]
404
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P5_UDC07_L3_WISMIS_SC07.indd 404 10/11/06 3:21:06 PM

 Math in Science

How Far Away

Is Lightning?

Multiply Fractions
To multiply a fraction
by a whole number
▶ write the whole
number as a fraction
by placing it over the
denominator 1
When you see a lightning bolt, a few seconds will ▶ then multiply
pass before you hear thunder. The sound of thunder numerators and
travels at about –51 of a mile per second. Once you denominators
see the lightning bolt, count the seconds until you
▶ then reduce the
hear thunder. If you know how to multiply fractions,
fraction
you can use this information to find out how far
away the lightning bolt was. 1 x 20 = 1 x 20 = 20 = 4
5 5 1 5

Solve It
1. A rumble of thunder takes 15 seconds to reach your ears.
How far away is it?
2. You see a bolt of lightning and 25 seconds later you hear
thunder. How far away was the lightning?
3. If a lightning flash is seen 8 seconds before thunder
is heard, how far away was the lightning?

405
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P5_UDC07_L3_WISMIS_SC07.indd 405 10/11/06 3:21:11 PM

 Lesson 4

Climate
Igloolik Island, Nunavut, Canada

Look and Wonder

People around the world live in areas with
very different temperatures. In some places,
the temperature is cold throughout the year,
while in other places, it is hot. What causes
these differences?

406
ENGAGE

P5_UDC07_L4_SC07.indd 406 9/6/06 1:00:56 PM

 Explore Inquiry Activity

How does distance from an Average High

Temperature (°F)
ocean affect temperature? Month
San
Stockton
Francisco
Make a Prediction Jan. 55.7 53.4
San Francisco, CA, is closer to the Pacific Ocean than Feb. 59.1 60.5
Stockton, CA. Make a prediction about how distance
Mar. 61.3 65.9
from an ocean affects the temperature of a city.
Apr. 63.9 72.9

Test Your Prediction May 66.8 81.0

Jun. 70.0 88.4

1 Use the temperature data in the charts to
compare the monthly high temperatures of Jul. 71.4 94.1

the two cities. Aug. 72.1 92.5

2 Use the temperature data in the charts to Sep. 73.5 88.2

compare the monthly low temperatures of Oct. 70.2 78.4

the two cities. Nov. 62.9 64.2

Dec. 56.4 53.7

Draw Conclusions
3 Interpret Data Which city has the greater Average Low
change in temperature during the year? Temperature (°F)
Which city has the smaller change in San
Month Stockton
temperature during the year? Francisco

4 Infer How might the ocean affect the Jan. 42.4 37.7

temperature changes in these cities? Feb. 44.9 40.5

5 Communicate Write a report explaining how Mar. 46.1 42.6

the data for these two cities either support Apr. 47.6 46.1
or do not support your prediction. Would May 50.1 51.6
examining data for more cities improve the
Jun. 52.6 57.0
accuracy of your prediction?
Jul. 53.9 60.4

Explore More Aug. 54.9 59.8

Sep. 54.7 57.2

Write a prediction explaining how being near an
ocean will affect another weather variable. Collect and Oct. 51.8 50.2
compare weather data for both cities. Write a report Nov. 47.3 42.2
explaining how the data support or do not support Dec. 43.1 37.5
your prediction.

407
EXPLORE

P5_UDC07_L4_SC07.indd 407 9/6/06 1:01:03 PM

 What is climate?
Weather changes from day to day. However,
▶ Main Idea the weather in any area tends to follow a pattern.
Average weather For example, in Seattle, WA, rain usually falls
patterns determine between November and March, and daytime
an area’s climate. temperatures throughout the year are mild.
▶ Vocabulary Seattle has a wet and mild climate (KLYE•mit).
climate, p. 408 Climate means the average weather of a place.
current, p. 410 Although other weather information is considered,
rain shadow, p. 411 average temperature and average rainfall are
El Niño, p. 412 important variables in determining climate.
Climate can be determined for different areas,
-0(
0/ -Glossary different periods of time, and different locations.
at [Link]
Because of the effect of insolation on temperature,
▶ Reading Skill latitude has the strongest effect on climate. On a
Classify
global scale, the United States is in the temperate
zone. The United States can also be divided into
more specific local climate zones.

Climate Zones
0 200 400 miles
C A N A D A
0 200 400 kilometers

PAC I F IC
OCEAN AT L A N T IC
OCEAN

MEXICO
Gulf of Mexico
ALASKA HAWAII

tropical wet semiarid marine west coast subarctic

tropical wet and dry Mediterranean humid continental warm tundra
arid humid subtropical humid continental cool highland

408
EXPLAIN

P5_UDC07_L4_SC07.indd 408 9/6/06 1:01:07 PM

 Climate by Plants
coniferous ice cap
tundra
forest

boreal
taiga grassland desert

steppe
CO

deciduous
LD

savannah
forest

rain forest
te

Y
m

DR
pe
ra
tu
re

ion
p i tat
c i
pre
HO
T

Read a Diagram
T
WE
What type of climate has plants
that grow in wet, cold conditions?
Clue: Use the scales on either side
Another way to categorize an area’s of the diagram to find cold and wet.
climate is to describe the plants that
grow there. Each kind of plant has
When fossil fuels are burned, they
its own conditions for growth. Since
release greenhouse gases. Burning
these conditions include precipitation,
trees also increases the amount of
sunlight, and temperature, plants can
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
be used to determine an area’s climate.
As the amount of greenhouse gases
Many scientists are concerned in the atmosphere increases, more
that the global climate is warming. heat radiates back toward Earth.
Heat energy from sunlight absorbed This may be slowly causing the
by Earth’s surface radiates back into global temperature to increase.
the atmosphere as the ground cools
at night. Much of this radiated heat Quick Check
is absorbed by a layer of greenhouse
Classify What is the climate of the
gases, which include water vapor,
states near the Gulf of Mexico?
carbon dioxide, and ozone. Some of
the heat absorbed by greenhouse gases Critical Thinking What is the
then radiates back and warms Earth. climate like where you live?
409
EXPLAIN

P5_UDC07_L4_SC07.indd 409 9/6/06 1:01:09 PM

 What affects climate? Ocean Currents
In addition to latitude, factors such A current is a constant movement
as distance from water, ocean currents, of ocean water. The Gulf Stream,
winds, altitude, and mountain ranges which runs along the East Coast
may affect the climate of an area. of the United States and across the
Atlantic Ocean, carries warm water
from near the equator toward the
Distance from Water poles. Other currents carry cold water
Most of Earth’s surface is covered from the poles toward the equator.
by water. However, some places can be The temperature of the current affects
located far from a large body of water. the climate of the land nearby. For
The temperature of an inland city is example, the warm water in the Gulf
generally warmer in summer and cooler Stream causes mild temperatures
in winter than a city near the ocean. in the British Isles.

Ocean Currents of the World nt

u r re

ARCTIC
nd C

OCEAN
enla
G re

rift
ic D
ant
At l

th
Lab Nor cold currents
ra d

warm currents
or

C alif
orni
aC
urr
e
ATLANTIC
am
t re OCEAN
nt

S
G ul f

t
rren
Canary Cu

equator
South Equatorial Current
torial Current S o u t h E q u a to r i a l C
h Eq u a u r re n
out t
S

ATLANTIC INDIAN
PACIFIC OCEAN OCEAN
OCEAN r re n t
nd Cu
lk l a
Fa

West Wind Drift West Wind Drift

West Wind Drift
SOUTHERN OCEAN

Read a Map

What temperature are the currents that run

along the equator?
Clue: Locate the currents along the equator
and use the key to find their temperature.

410
EXPLAIN

P5_UDC07_L4_SC07.indd 410 9/6/06 1:01:11 PM

 Rain Shadow
Quick Lab
Climate and Rain Shadow
1 Make a Model Honolulu and
Kailua are on opposite sides of a
mountain range in Hawaii. In order
windward leeward to figure out the location of the
side side cities compared to the mountain
range, what weather information
would you need?

Annual Annual
Cities Temperature Precipitation
(°F) (inches)

Honolulu 77.1 20.73

Kailua 70.2 118.97

2 Which location receives more rain?

warm, cold, hot,
moist air moist air dry air 3 Which location is warmer?
4 Infer Which city is on the windward
side of the mountain range?

Mountain Ranges 5 Infer Which city is in the

rain shadow?
Mountain ranges affect precipitation
patterns. As warm, moist air moves
up a mountain, it gets colder, water
vapor condenses, and precipitation Altitude
falls on the windward side of the The higher a place is above sea
mountain. The air that moves down level, the cooler its climate is. Along
the leeward side of the mountain the base of a mountain near the
is dry and hot. The dry area on the equator, you may find tropical plants
leeward side of the mountain is called growing. At the peak of the mountain,
a rain shadow. you may find permanent ice and snow.

Winds
As water vapor evaporates from Quick Check
warm ocean currents around the Classify If one side of a mountain
equator, winds carry the water vapor range is hot and dry, is that the
away from the equator to cooler leeward side or the windward side?
regions. There the water vapor
condenses and releases heat into the Critical Thinking How much
atmosphere. Global winds also move rainfall would you expect on coastal
air masses and fronts. areas near the Gulf Stream?
411
EXPLAIN

P5_UDC07_L4_SC07.indd 411 9/6/06 1:01:14 PM

 What is El Niño?
Most of the time, a cold current along
the coast of Peru keeps the ocean water
there cool. This causes high air pressure
in the eastern Pacific Ocean. In the
western Pacific Ocean, the water is warm,
which causes low air pressure. The winds
that blow across the Pacific Ocean usually
blow from east to west.
Every two to seven years, the cold normal conditions
current sinks and stops pushing cold
water up to the surface. This causes
a change in weather conditions known
as an El Niño (el NEEN•yoh).
During an El Niño, the warmer
temperature at the surface of the water
near Peru causes the air pressure there to
decrease. The change in air pressure may
cause the winds to reverse direction and
blow from west to east. The winds move
ocean water and cause higher tides on the
coasts of North and South America. The
El Niño conditions
winds also move moist air, causing heavy
rains and storms.
Sometimes the cold current moves
closer to the surface. When this happens,
the air pressure in the western Pacific
Ocean decreases and the air pressure
in the eastern Pacific Ocean increases.
The weather is dryer in South America
and wetter in Australia. This change in
weather conditions is called La Niña.

Quick Check
Classify What weather patterns could La Niña conditions
be occuring if the air pressure along the
coast of Peru is low? Key

Critical Thinking What conditions wind temperature range

direction
occur in Australia during an El Niño?
hot cold

412
EXPLAIN

P5_UDC07_L4_SC07.indd 412 9/6/06 1:01:17 PM

 Lesson Review
Visual Summary Think, Talk, and Write
1 Main Idea How is climate determined?
Plant growth is one
way to define the
type of climate. 2 Vocabulary The average weather
of a place is the .

3 Classify If data showed the cold current

along the coast of Peru moved closer
Areas in the rain to the surface, which weather condition
shadow of a mountain is happening?
range are usually dry.

El Niño causes
climate changes in 4 Critical Thinking Draw the normal
North America, South condition of the Pacific Ocean and then
America, and Australia. draw the changes that occur during
an El Niño and a La Niña.

5 Test Prep What is a constant

movement of ocean water called?
Make a A precipitation
Study Guide B El Niño
Make a Three-Tab Book. C high tide
Use the titles shown. On D current
the inside of each tab,
classify the titles shown. 6 Test Prep Which of the following is
NOT a variable that may affect the
climate of an area?
A temperate zone
B altitude
C latitude
D ocean currents

Math Link Social Studies Link

Average Temperature Effects of El Niño and La Niña
Research the temperature in your area Research and write about how people
for the last year. Calculate the average in North and South America are
monthly temperature and then make a affected by El Niño and La Niña.
graph or chart to compare the data.

-0(
0/ -Review Summaries and quizzes online at [Link] 413
EVALUATE

P5_UDC07_L4_SC07.indd 413 9/6/06 1:01:24 PM

 Scientists at the American Museum of Natural History
study the natural world and the people who live in it. They
collect stories and objects from people around the world.
Read these letters to find out how weather affects children
in different countries at the same time of year.

June 13
Dear Museum Scientists,
Hola! (That’s “hello” in Spanish.) It’s the dry season
here in Palmdale right now and it’s muy caliente—very
hot! We haven’t had rain in weeks.
It’s usually hot and dry here from May to
November. We don’t have a lot of water, so it has to be
piped in from other areas. People have to watch how
much water they use. Restaurants only serve water to
people who ask for it.
Some people plant cactuses and shrubs
around their homes. These plants need a lot less
water than a thick, green lawn. I planted jalapeño
peppers and pumpkins with mi hermana, my sister.
We water the plants in the evening. That way the hot
sunlight won’t dry up all of the water. Carlos and his sister

Carlos Alicia plant pumpkins.

414
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P5_UDC07_L4_RIS_SC07.indd 414 10/11/06 3:24:00 PM

 Science, Technology, and Society

June 23
Dear Museum Scientists,
The gio mua, or monsoons, have brought wet weather
to our land. Everything here is soaked! Our monsoon
season lasts from May to October. Many inches of rain
can fall during heavy storms. But the storms only last
for about an hour each day. It’s very hot, so we don’t
mind getting wet. It’s actually a lot of fun, and we dry
off right away.
Our farm is near the Mekong River. Water floods
our rice fields and helps the rice grow. It’s hard work
walking through the swampy ground. We carry the
rice with quang ganh. These are baskets that we
balance on the end of a pole.
People here are used to a lot of water. We build
our homes on stilts so the water won’t get in. We
ride boats down the river and sell our rice on a
floating market. Some years, there is more water
than we expect! Rice is carried in

Vang quang ganh.

Compare and Contrast

▶ To compare, look for
Write About It
similarities, or things that
Compare and Contrast
are the same.
1. How does the weather in Palmdale
compare to the weather near the ▶ To contrast, look for
Mekong River? differences, or things that
2. What activity do both Carlos and are not the same.
Vang do?
-0(
0/ -Journal Research and write about it online
at [Link]

415
EXTEND

P5_UDC07_L4_RIS_SC07.indd 415 10/11/06 3:24:08 PM

 CHAPTER 7 Review Vocabulary

Fill in each blank with the best term

Visual Summary from the list.
Lesson 1 Heat energy
from the Sun changes air climate, p. 408 humidity, p. 369
pressure and causes winds. current, p. 410 storm surge, p. 401

cyclone, p. 401 weather, p. 366

front, p. 384 weather map, p. 388

Lesson 2 Water vapor
in the air can form clouds, 1. Weather in a specific area at a specific
fog, rain, hail, sleet, or time is shown on a(n) .
snow. Air masses and
fronts change weather 2. Waves caused by a hurricane can
as they move. lead to a(n) .
Lesson 3 Storms are
caused by the collision 3. Air masses meet at a(n) .
of air masses.
4. The average weather of a place
is its .

5. The amount of water vapor in the air

Lesson 4 Average is called .
weather patterns determine
an area’s climate. 6. A constant movement of ocean water
is a(n) .

7. The condition of the atmosphere

at a particular time and place is called
Make a the .
Study Guide
Assemble your lesson study 8. A circular pattern of winds with
guides as shown. Use your study a low-pressure center is a .
guides to review what you have
learned in this chapter.

416
-0(
0/ -Review Summaries and quizzes online at [Link]

P5_UDC07_CR_SC07.indd 416 9/6/06 1:11:09 PM

 Skills and Concepts Performance Assessment

Answer each of the following in

complete sentences.
Be a Weather Tracker
9. Main Idea and Details How does the
What to Do
Sun affect Earth’s weather? 1. Record the temperature, precipitation,
and cloud cover at the same time each
10. Classify Which type of severe weather day for one week.
is shown below? Explain your answer. 2. Write the highest and lowest
temperatures you recorded each day
in a chart. Include the precipitation and
cloud cover in your chart as well.
3. Create a line graph showing the high
and low temperatures you recorded
in your chart.

Analyze Your Results

▶ Use your graph to draw conclusions
about the weather patterns in your
area during the week.

11. Communicate Suppose that you are

giving a friend a windsock. Write a note
that explains how the windsock works
and what it measures. 1. What type of cloud is shown in this
photograph?
12. Critical Thinking Why might people be
concerned about an El Niño?

13. Personal Narrative Write a personal

narrative about how you or your family
prepared for a storm. How did you
stay safe? Did you need any special
supplies? If you have never prepared
for a storm, write about how you could
prepare for future storms.

A stratus
14. How do scientists predict the B cumulus
weather?
C cirrus
D nimbostratus

417

P5_UDC07_CR_SC07.indd 417 9/6/06 1:11:13 PM