Intro to wind

1. Intro to wind Anna Ward ~ Ridge RoadMS

2. Warm Up!!! Page 24

3. Webquest follow-up Part 1. Air Masses 1. a. What is an air mass? An air mass is___________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ b. What is the difference between a “polar” air mass, and a “tropical” air mass? ___________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. a. What causes an air mass to have a high pressure? _________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. a. What causes an air mass to have a low pressure?________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Look at this picture: http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/images/thermal2.GIF. Does air move from high pressure to low, or low to high? _______________________________________________________________.

4. Webquest: Part 2http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/fw/crls.rxml Part 2. Coriolis Effect 5.  a. In the video, why does the ball not roll straight across the merry-go-round? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________. b. How is the Earth similar to the merry-go-round? _____________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ c. What happens to objects in the Northern Hemisphere as a result of the Coriolis Effect? ______________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ d. Wind is an object that is affected by the Coriolis Effect. What happens to winds in the Northern Hemisphere as a result of the CoriolisEffect? _____________ _____________________________________________________________________________

5. Webquest follow-up 6. Use the animation at the following website to help you find out how the Coriolis Effect affects wind: http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/visualizations/es1905/es1905page01.cfm . a. Which way does the Coriolis Effect deflect wind in the Northern Hemisphere? _______________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________.

6. Webquest Part 3: Part 3. Pressure Centers and Weather 7. Go to the website listed here: http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/wx/surface.rxml . Then, find the picture that says “Sea Level Pressure with IR satellite”. Click on this figure to bring up a new window. Click on the button that says “Animate”. Choose “96 frames”. Answer the following questions: a. This map shows you isobars and cloud cover. What is an isobar? _________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________. b. Look at the map and find Chicago. Between which two isobars is Chicago? ________________________. c. Press “Play” on the window, and watch where the clouds travel. Do the clouds tend to be near High pressure centers (H) or Low pressure centers? ________________________________________________________. 8. This last website will help explain why High pressure centers usually mean good weather, and Low pressure centers usually mean bad weather: http://www.usatoday.com/weather/tg/whighlow/whighlow.htm . Go here and read to discover why this is true, and then answer the following questions: a. Air descends (comes down) at High pressure areas. Why does descending air not allow for clouds to form? ______________________________________________________________________________________________. b. Air ascends (goes up) at Low pressure areas. Why does ascending air allow for clouds to form? _________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________.

7. Part 4 (Complete Independently) • This should be attached on a separate sheet of paper.

8. Jet stream (PAGE 44) • The jet stream is a wind that flows in the upper troposphere from west to east over vast distances at great speeds.

9. Jet Stream: Explained • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgMWwx7Cll4

10. The jet Stream (Page 24) • The Jet Stream: • Wind speeds are very high in the upper troposphere. This is where you find the JET STREAM. • They are fairly narrow zones of very strong winds • Move from WEST to EAST • They influence the majority of weather patterns

11. Brain POP! Video and quiz • http://www.brainpop.com/science/weather/wind/

12. What is wind anyway???Page 25 • Wind is the horizontal movement of air caused by the differences in air pressure. • Wind moves from HIGH to LOW pressure. • Also affected by temperature. All winds result from the uneven heating of the atmosphere.

13. EXIT TICKET • What is the importance of the jet stream? • Moves weather patterns around the world • Helps eliminate greenhouse gasses • Shifts air movement so that pollen crosses state boundaries • Blocks solar radiation • What causes the movement of air we call wind? • As Earth rotates, the air above it is pushed in the same direction as Earth’s rotation. • As Earth rotates, the air above it moves in the opposite direction of Earth’s rotation. • As a result of Earth’s surface being heated unevenly, differences in density and air pressure develop, and air moves from high to low pressure areas, causing winds. • As a result of Earth’s surface being heated unevenly, differences in density and air pressure develop, and air moves from low to high pressure areas, causing winds.