Module 9: Weather and Climate
Our daily lives are impacted by weather, so this lesson should feel a little more familiar than some have been. Yet, you might not yet know the processes involved. In this lesson, you will delve into these processes and explore some of the major storm types.
A ★ indicates that this page contains content related to that LO.
CC9.1 Differentiate components of the Earth’s weather and climate
★ LO9.1.1 Analyze the types cloud-forming processes and the origin of precipitation
★ LO9.1.2 Describe the major storms formed on Earth
LO9.1.3 Describe climate change and its causes
Read Chapter 23 of Physical Science, 13th edition by Bill Tillery McGraw Hill Education
This is a lesson that includes some useful interactive activities. You can do the whole lesson if you wish, but on the first page you will find a shortcut to take you immediately to the Interactive and Labs section. If you miss it, you can also use the little box at the top left to open up the table of contents and jump to "Try It".
This video from the NOAA covers the basics of how hurricanes are formed.
Time: 2:22
The NOAA Hurricane Tracks has the track patterns of all of the hurricanes that have impacted the United States. Enter the website and select a zip code or location of interest to you. Then examine the hurricane tracks.
In this brief video by James Spann, he covers the fundamentals of how tornadoes are formed.
Time: 2:22
Channel: Ted-Ed
Just how extreme can weather get on Earth This video focuses on the most extreme.
Time: 12:53
PROMT Define precipitation.
Answer
Answer: Water that returns to the earth, in either solid or liquid form.
PROMPT Define convection.
Answer
Air movement that results from the rise of warm air masses which are less dense than cold air masses
PROMPT What is a front?
Answer
It is the boundary between air masses of different temperature.
The colder of the two fronts is called a cold front.
It generally ranges from 3 to 20 miles wide. The differences in densities between the air at differing temperatures cause the warmer mass to move upward quickly and the cold to end up underneath the other one. If the warm front carries with it a lot of moisture, the dropping temperatures of the collision with the cold front cause the humidity to condense forming clouds and eventually precipitation.
PROMPT What is the process that forms tornadoes?
Answer
Warm and humid air rises creating a supercell. The rising air starts to move rapidly, a huge cloud base forms, and a vortex develops creating a spinning tube called a mesocyclone. Cold air on from the outside is pulled in rear flank downdraft. This creates a temperature difference between the inside and outside of the tornado. The funnel of the mesocyclone gets tighter near the bottom, and when it touches the Earth's surface it becomes a tornado.