Grade 10 Science - Weather Name: Matthew Yin

Directions:
Watch the videos linked below (Hover over each link to open them easily). I
recommend that you watch each video once without worrying about these
questions at all (just try to follow along) and then watch it again to specifically
answer these questions (hit pause as needed in order to give a good answer to
each).

Below each question, write your answer in black. The questions are all green. The
directions and videos are all in blue.

Video #1 - Four Spheres Part 1 (Geo and Bio): Crash Course Kids #6.1
[Link]

1. The word “sphere” usually means a round shape, but in this video, it means
something a bit different. What is meant by the earth having “4 spheres”? This video
focuses on two of these spheres. Name and briefly describe these two spheres.
Each sphere is a different part, and all of the earth’s regions contain all four types of
sphere.
Geosphere contains grasslands, mountains, rocks, sands, soil and streambeds. Only
non-living solid things are a part of this sphere.
Biosphere contains all the living things including plants, insects, animals and any
organisms count.

Video #2 - Four Spheres Part 2 (Hydro and Atmo): Crash Course Kids #6.2
[Link]

2. This video focuses on the other two spheres. The first of these is the hydrosphere,
which is all of the earth’s non-gaseous water. List the places that the video mentions
where this water can more specifically be found, and whether the water is saltwater or
freshwater.

Oceans(saltwater), lakes(freshwater), glaciers(freshwater), water

underground(freshwater)
Rain, snow, hailstone.

3. The last sphere is the atmosphere, which is all of the earth’s gasses. List the layers of
the atmosphere and briefly describe the first two layers.
Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere
Troposphere is the least layer where weather happens.
The Stratosphere is the layer that reflects the ultraviolet rays back to space and it is the
highest level that our planes could reach.
4. Although the video does not explicitly say it, some water is not considered to be part
of the hydrosphere, but rather is part of the atmosphere. Where is this water?
In the clouds.
Video #3 - Intro to Atmosphere Albedo Effect
[Link]

5. What does“albedo” and “albedo effect” mean?

Albedo means the reflectiveness of the surface
Albedo effect means the amount of solar power that has been reflected back to
space.
6. What is meant by a small albedo, and what example is given in the video for a region
with low albedo?
Small albedo is like a rainforest which absorbs a huge amount of sunshine and reflects
only a little back to space.
7. What is meant by a large albedo, and what examples are given in the video for
regions with low albedo?
Large albedo means the small portion of the sunshine has been absorbed from the sun
and a huge portion of the sunshine has been reflected back to space.
8. Both regions discussed in the video have high temperatures during the day, but very
different temperatures at night. Why is this?
Because rainforests have held a huge portion of sunshine on itselves and when the sun
sets, the temperature still remains. Instead, deserts have reflected the sunshine back to
space and so it will be cold at night.
9. According to the video, what is the average albedo of Earth?
30%
10. Do clouds increase or decrease the albedo of Earth, and why?
Increase, because the greenhouse effect can help the surface to reflect more of the sun
rays back to space.
Video #4 - Global Warming 101 | National Geographic
[Link]

11. Has Earth’s climate been constant for all of history?

No, it is changing from very cold to hot(ice ages to warmer periods)
12. Has Earth’s climate been following its natural cycle over the last 100 years?
No, it is rising up from 1.2 to 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit
13. Carbon dioxide is described as being a “Greenhouse Gas” meaning that it
contributes to the “Greenhouse Effect”. Explain what this means.
Carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere helps trap the sun rays back to space.
The gas that’s being used in this process is carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas.
14. What evidence is given in the video for global warming?
A recent string of warming years. In both 1998 and 2005, carbon dioxide and methane
have reached their highest levels in the past 420,000 years. Arctic ices’ shrinking.
15. What are some of the likely outcomes of global warming given in the video?
Rising sea levels causing floods in coastal areas, weather patterns change causing
hurricanes more frequent, severe droughts in warm areas, and even species extinction.
16. What does the video suggest can be done to reduce global warming?
Cutting greenhouse gas emissions, saving energy around the house, switching to
compact fluorescent light bulbs, and driving fewer miles in the car each week.
Video #5 - What is global circulation? | Part One | Differential heating
[Link]

17. What is the main source of energy received by Earth, and in what form does it
receive this energy?
Solar heat. It travels through space in the form of radiation.
18. Not all parts of Earth receive the same amount of energy. Explain why this is the
case.
Due to the curvature of the earth, at higher latitudes, the radiation from the sun is
spread over a larger surface area.
19. The video states that there is a “thermal gradient between the equator and the
poles”. What does this mean? You may need to look up the word “gradient” if you are
unsure of its meaning.
Gradient means a slope. It means the global circulation system made the earth a
thermal slope which in different parts of earth can have different temperatures.
20. What is notable about latitudes greater than 40 (North or South), in terms of energy
balance?
It loses more energy to space than it receives from the sun.
Video #6 - What is global circulation? | Part Two | The three cells
[Link]

21. If Earth did not rotate and was uniform, how would the air be expected to circulate?
In what direction would we expect the wind to blow near the surface of the earth?
There would only be one cell in each hemisphere with warm air rising near the equator,
flowing north where it would cool, descend and flow back to the equator. Winds near the surface
would generally blow South in the northern hemisphere.
22. Describe the actual Earth’s atmosphere in terms of cells.
Hadley Cells: At equator, less dense air rises, spreads out towards the poles and cools
and sinks before descending to the surface and flowing back to the equator.
Polar Cells: Leaves the polar regions and starts to warm and rise then return to where it
was at high levels.
Ferrel Cells: Not driven by temperature, transport heat from the equator to the poles.
23. What kind of pressure is associated with air that is rising and what kind of pressure
is associated with air that is descending?
When air is rising, low pressure is forming. When air is descending, high pressure is
forming.
Video #7 - What is global circulation? | Part Three | The Coriolis effect & winds
[Link]

24. The video states that due to the Earth’s rotation, the Earth’s surface moves fastest
at the equator (and so slower as you consider points on the Earth’s surface that are
further from the equator). Explain how this is possible.
The Earth is wider at the equator and more narrower at the poles.
When you throw a ball from either North Pole to the equator or from the equator to the
North Pole, the ball is curving.
25. What is the “Coriolis Effect” and how does it affect the motion of air?
The air moves to the north or south at different speeds because of rotations.
The difference makes the air shift to the right.
26. In what direction (west or east) does air moving away from the equator tend to
acquire due to the Coriolis effect? In what direction (west or east) does air moving
toward the equator tend to acquire due to the Coriolis effect?
Air moving away from the equator tends to have an eastward direction. Air moving
towards the equator tends to have a western movement.
27. In the northern hemisphere, air tends to circulate clockwise around high pressure
regions. Explain why this is the case.
Air moves away from the high pressure regions.
28. What is the cause of the eastward subtropical jet stream which occurs at latitudes
between 30 and 40 ?
When the air moves towards higher latitudes, it is deflected by the Coriolis force.
29. In latitudes near the equator, the “prevailing winds” (i.e. the wind that are most
typically experienced) near the surface is directed towards the west. These are known
as “trade winds”. Explain their direction and their name.
The Winds in the surface are subject to deflection from Hadley Cells. When air flows
towards the equator, it is deflected to the west. Forming northeast trade winds in the
northern hemisphere. And southeast trade winds are in the southern hemisphere. They
are called trade winds because they allowed the sailing ships to start the trading routes
from Europe to the American Continent.
30. The prevailing winds in Winnipeg are “westerly” and “south-westerly” winds. Note
that this means that the wind in Winnipeg tends to blow FROM the west or southwest
(i.e. the air actually moves to the east or northeastern direction). Explain why our wind is
partly directed to the north, and also why it is partly directed to the east (i.e. explain
each of these two components to our wind’s motion separately).
In Ferrel Cells where Winnipeg is located, wind flows from south to north. But the
Coriolis effect causes the wind to be deflected from the original direction. Instead, to the
right.
Video #8 - The Gulf Stream Explained
[Link]

31. What is meant by the term “ocean conveyor belt” and “thermohaline circulation”?
It means the currents are flowing into different parts of the earth’s surface and circulate
in a certain direction to form a loop. Thermohaline circulation is about the temperature
and the salt current of the water circulating.
32. How is the density of water affected by temperature and salt content?
Warm water has lower density and rises and cold water has higher density and sinks.
The salt content also makes the water more dense.
33. Why does the water tend to be more dense near the equator?
Because the sun’s energy is strong at the equator and the rise in salt water content
makes the water more dense.
34. Why does water near the equator tend to move to the west?
Because the trade winds push the water to the west.
35. What makes the ocean water that was moving to the north along the east coast of
North America (the “Gulf Stream”) end up going to the east, towards Europe?
Coriolis Effect, the wind shifts to the right.
36. How does the North Atlantic Current lead to Europe being warmer on average than
Canada, even though they are at similar latitudes?
Because the water has been warmed up in the Gulf of Mexico, and water has
evaporated and risen from there. When Europe has received the subjected water, it is
always warmer than Canada due to the amount of warm currents.
37. The water around Greenland sinks deeper. Why is this?
Because cold water sinks and becomes more dense and saltier due to the evaporation.
38. How could melting ice disrupt the above ocean currents?
The ice dilutes the density of the salt, and the current would no longer be heavy enough
to sink.
39. If the currents described above became disrupted, how would the climate be
expected to change?
That would bring the Gulf Stream to a stop, which would bring the temperature at least 5
to 10 degrees colder.
Video #9 - El Niño 101 | National Geographic
[Link]

40. In which ocean does El Niño originate, and what happens in this ocean during El
Niño, compared to more typical conditions?
It originates from the Pacific Ocean. The surface water warms up leading to complex
weather patterns.
41. What does“El Nino” mean in Spanish, and what was the origin of this term for the
weather phenomenon now known as El Niño?
“The blessed child.” South American fishermen in the 19th century described the
warmer waters than usual during Christmas time.
42. What criteria must be met in order for El Niño to be declared?
Temperature rises 0.5 degree Celsius in three consecutive months and both
atmospheric conditions and rainfall patterns change according to the change in
temperature.
43. Approximately how often does El Niño occur?
Approximately 2 to 7 years
44. What change in wind triggers El Niño?
Trade winds over the Pacific Ocean weaken.
45. What changes does El Niño cause to fish in the Pacific?
The warmer waters push the nutrient-rich cold water downwards, which makes most of
the marine creatures migrate to the colder water at the bottom. That causes fishers to
fish the marine animals harder than usual.
46. What type of weather is associated with El Niño in the western parts of North and
South America?
Warmer air and moisture causes flooding.
47. What type of weather is associated with El Niño in Southeast Asia?
Dry air and cooler temperature causes droughts and wildfires.
48. When did the most severe El Niño occur in recorded history, and what were some of
its impacts on people?
1997 to 1998. It caused 2100 people dead, 33 billion dollars were damaged.
Video #10 - El Nino - What is it?
[Link]

49. What do the trade winds usually do to the water in the Pacific Ocean?
It blows from east to west and pushes the warm water near the surface
50. What is the result of the above motion to the water along the west coast of South
America?
The water near the coast of South America gets replaced by cold water and it makes
the surface water cooler.
51. What is the usual direction of the air flow across the Pacific ocean, and why does it
tend to flow that way?
It is to the west and the warm air caused by warm water in the west would rise and
descend to the east and cool it down. Because the warm water is pushed from the east
to west.
52. What happens to the ocean water during El Niño?
Because of the weakened trade winds, colder water in the east is canceled out by the
warm water from the west, which causes the whole sea to warm.
53. At what time of year do the effects of El Niño tend to be greatest?
Around Christmas time.
54. What is La Niña?
A strengthening in trade winds which pushes the warmer water to the far east tropical
area around the Pacific Ocean. It is an opposite effect of El Niño.
Video #11 - Severe Weather: Crash Course Kids #28.2
[Link]

55. The video gives a definition of “severe weather”. Explain what severe weather is in
your own words (do not merely copy down their definition)!
Any devastating natural disasters which put human and animal lives at stake. Such as
tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, blizzards, or even typhoons.
56. What are the six examples of severe weather given in the video, and give a brief
description of each.
Tornado: a fast spinning whirlwind, usually gigantic and is able to destroy almost any
buildings on the earth.
Blizzard: a storm with heavy cold snow, strong winds and extreme cold temperature.
Hurricane: a storm comes from the ocean with much rain and strong winds.
Flood: an overflow of water when the winds push streams, rivers and lakes to flow out of
the beds.
Drought: when an area does not receive enough rainfall, with all the waters from the
lake, river, or stream dried up.
Thunderstorm: a storm with heavy rain and lightning which might hit the plants and
sometimes even humans.
Video #12 - Top 10 Most Destructive Storms to Ever Hit Planet Earth
[Link]

57. What are the “Top 10 Most Destructive Storms” according to this video.
10. Hurricane Camille
9. Hurricane Mitch
8. Typhoon Nina
7. The Dust Bowl
6. Hurricane Katrina
5. Bhola Cyclone
4. Iran Blizzard
3. Tri-State Tornado
2. Daulatpur-Saturia Tornado
1. The Great Galveston Hurricane
Video #13- The Science Behind Hurricanes
[Link]

58. How do hurricanes get started?

They start as a group of thunderstorms moving west off the coast of Africa.
59. What causes the hurricanes to travel west across the ocean and circulate
counterclockwise?
The Coriolis effect.
60. What are the “key ingredients” for a hurricane to keep growing?
Water temperature at or above 79 degrees, ocean water versus land, and high pressure
above
61. What causes the “eye” of a hurricane?
It forms as air rotates up and out of the hurricane and sinks back into the center.
62. Where are the most intense winds in a hurricane found?
In the center of the eye wall.
Video #14 - Storm Surge Like You've Never Experienced it Before
[Link]

63. The video here shows what a storm surge looks like, but doesn’t explain what
causes it. Do some additional research and briefly explain how a storm surge is caused
by a hurricane.
A storm surge is caused by an unusual rise in water levels and both the wind and the
pressure push the water onto the shores.
Video #15 - Meteorologist Ryan Davidson Explains Weather Maps
[Link]

64. What is a cold front, and how is it shown on a weather map?

A direction where cold air is moving, it is shown as a few surrounding triangles with the
blue lines.
65. What is a warm front, and how is it shown on a weather map?
A direction where warm air is moving, it is shown as a few surrounding half-circles with
the red lines.
66. How does air move with respect to High and Low Pressure systems, and what kind
of weather is associated with each?
Low pressure system moves counterclockwise and inwards. In wam front part, there is
going to be broad areas of rain and the cold front part would be thunderstorms.
High pressure system moves clockwise and outwards. Nice weather.
67. Where do storms tend to develop, and why?
In the cold front, because the warm moist air it displaces is moving upwards and when it
meets with the warm front, it starts to go up and form storms in the convergence air.
Video #16 - Climate Change, Chaos, and The Little Ice Age - Crash Course World
History 206
[Link]

68. What was the “Little Ice Age” and when did it occur?
It was a period when average temperatures were cooler than they are now and it lasted
from the 13th century to the 19th century.
69. What scientific and historical evidence does the video provide for the Little Ice Age?
Scientific: Tree rings and ice cores were colder back then.
Historical: Bad harvests caused less food related to colder temperatures.
70. According to the video, the 17th century was the worst part of the Little Ice Age. It
lists numerous crises including a number of wars. How might the Little Ice Age have
contributed to these crises happening?
Riots are caused by food shortages and taxes, and high taxes and the shortage of food
are caused by the bad harvests. The bad harvests are caused by the bad weather
during the Little Ice Age.
71. Other than witches, what did people at the time think may have been causing the
Little Ice Age?
Eclipses, earthquakes, comets, or sunspots.
72. According to the video, how much of an effect would a 2 C drop in average
temperature affect rice harvests?
It reduces rice harvest yields by between 30% and 50%.
73. What are the effects of each 0.5 C drop in the average summer temperature for the
temperate zone?
Each fall decreases the number of days on which crops ripen by 10%. Doubles the risk
of a single harvest failure and increases the risk of a double failure six fold.
74. The video then describes in detail the impact that food shortages had on people all
around the world. Give a brief summary of some of these impacts.
The food shortages cause the food price to go up and if people can only afford food,
that would make other occupations unemployed. And hunger causes people to have
less energy to work and diseases and natural disasters lead the world to a population
decline.
75. The Little Ice Age is believed to have one of the causes of a number of wars during
this time. The video describes some of the impacts that these wars had. Give a brief
summary of some of these impacts.
Looted soldiers caused the peasants to suffer and they even had to pay taxes to their
king.
76. One way to lessen some of the above impacts was to “trying to reduce the number
of mouths they had to feed”. List 3 ways in which this was done.
Reducing the number of births through postponed marriages.
Infanticide, and suicide.
77. How might learning about the Little Ice Age help somebody today better understand
the idea of climate change and its significance to modern society?
For people who do not care about what we are facing today, the Little Ice Age is like a
reference for people to get to know. And including the faults our human beings have
made, we all can learn the lessons from the past. Also, if we couldn’t do things to
prevent climate change, we might suffer the same thing as people who were in the past
have suffered. Eventually we want our earth to be eternally liveable.