Weather and Climate Study Guide

1. Water Cycle: the continuous process by which water is used and re-used on earth;
responsible for weather and climate.
a. Evaporation: when a liquid (water) is changed to a gas (water vapor) because it
has been heated by the sun
b. Condensation: when a gas (water vapor) changes to a liquid (water droplets)
because it has been cooled Water vapor must lose heat energy to form these
clouds.
i. This process forms clouds.
c. Precipitation: rain, sleet, snow, or ice that falls from the sky to earth; happens
when the clouds become too full or heavy; measured with a rain gauge
d. Transpiration: when plants give off water vapor through their stomata (tiny
wholes in their leaves)
This allows plants control over the amount of water that stays stored in their
leaves.
Excess (extra) water is released into the atmosphere/air

2. Weather: the state of the atmosphere at a given time; the short-term conditions, such
as temperature, precipitation, wind, humidity, and air pressure.

3. Climate: the pattern of weather over a long period of time (the average weather
conditions, usually over many years)
a. Climate is affected by temperature, precipitation, latitude, wind, ocean currents,
and the shape of the land (mountains-colder temperatures at the top of mountain)

4. Humidity: the amount of water in the air; measured by a hygrometer

5. Temperature: measured by a thermometer

6. Air pressure: the weight of the atmosphere; measured by a barometer

a. High pressure: cool, dry conditions (clear skies)
b. Low pressure: warm, wet conditions (stormy or rainy)

7. Wind: caused by changes in temperature; moves from areas of high pressure to areas of
low pressure; wind speed is measured by an anemometer; wind direction is measured by a
wind vane.

8. Prevailing winds: winds that constantly blow from the same direction.
a. Our prevailing winds are known as the “prevailing westerlies”
a. (always blow from west to east)

9. Jet Stream: a wavy air current in the upper atmosphere that has a powerful influence on
the weather because it is a boundary between cold and warm air
a. It flows from west to east
b. It changes location depending on global conditions

*winds at the beach change direction between day and night because of
changes of temperature of the land and water*
[Link] Breeze: winds that blow from the sea toward the land; happens during the
daytime when the air is cooler (high pressure) over the water and warmer (low
pressure) over the land.
11. Land Breeze: winds that blow from the land toward the sea; happens during the nighttime when the air
is cooler (high pressure) over the land and warmer (low pressure) over the sea.

[Link] clouds: large, puffy clouds that look like cotton balls or cotton candy
a. Name means “heap”
b. Usually mean fair weather, but can bring rain
c. Usually white in color

[Link] clouds: thin, wispy clouds that form high in the sky
a. May contain ice crystals
b. Usually white in color
c. Associated with fair weather and high pressure
d. Name means “curl of hair”

14. Stratus clouds: low, flat clouds that form in layers

a. Cause fog to form
b. Usually gray in color
c. Typically associated with rain or snow
d. Cover the sky like a blanket

15. Nimbus clouds: rain clouds

16. Cumulonimbus clouds: very tall clouds which produce stormy weather
a. Usually gray or black in color
b. Very tall
c. Also known as “thunderheads”

17. Tropical Climate Zone: found near the equator; hot year-round; heavy precipitation
a. Aligns with the tropical rain forest biome

18. Temperate Climate Zone: cold winters, warm summers, moderate precipitation
a. This is the climate zone in which we live.

19. Desert Climate Zone: hot summers, cool winters, light precipitation
a. Aligns with the desert biome.

20. Mountain Climate Zone: cold winters, cool summers, moderate to heavy precipitation

21. Polar Climate Zone: cold year-round; light precipitation

a. Aligns with the tundra and taiga biomes.

[Link] Niño: a short-term climate change which happens as a result of an abnormal

cooling of surface ocean currents in the Pacific Ocean (by California) due to
oscillation(moving back and forth) ; happens every 2 to 10 years. Can cause drought
(very little rain for long period of time) or flooding on the Pacific coast of South America

[Link] Niña: a short-term climate change which happens as a result of an abnormal

cooling of surface ocean currents in the Pacific Ocean (by California) ; due to
oscillation(moving back and forth, happens every 3 to 7 years. Impacts the climate of
North and South America for long periods of time.

[Link] Stream: a warm ocean current (always there) in the Atlantic Ocean that influences
weather along the east coast of the United States
 a. Makes winters by the beach/coast of North Carolina have milder/warmer
temperatures than areas not by the Atlantic Ocean
b. It moderates weather to not be too cold or too hot along the eastern seaboard,
warming the air and land during the cooler months
c. Summers tend to be a bit cooler due to Sea Breezes

Additional Information:
 All weather occurs in the atmosphere. Most weather occurs in the lowest layer of the
atmosphere, called the troposphere.

 Land heats up faster than water, and also cools down faster than water.

 Most evaporation occurs over oceans because there is more water to evaporate.

 Clouds forms when water vapor condenses into water droplets. These water droplets
combine with dust in the atmosphere to form visible clouds.

 When warm air and cool air collide (differences in air pressure), wind forms.

 Convection Currents- Warm air rises. As it rises high into the atmosphere, it begins
to cool, which therefore causes it to sink.

 Hurricanes: major storms that form over warm ocean water and are caused by global
weather patterns
o Hurricanes slow down when they don’t have warm air/wet air to fuel them and
they reach land