• Unit Seven-Weather Systems

    What You'll Learn 1:

    • What determines global weather patterns.
    • How air masses move and change.
    • How the strangths and weaknesses of weather forcasts differ.
    • How to create a weather chart.

    Why It's Important 1:

    Few aspects of the environment have as much impact on our everyday decisions as weathr does.  A basic knowledge of weather can make those decisions easier and sometimes safer.

    Key Vocabulary 1:

    air mass
    		 air mass modification
    		 climate
    meteorology
    		 weather
    		 Coriolis effect
    front
    		 jet streams
    		 polar easterlies
    prevailing westerlies
    		 trade winds
    		 anemometer
    barometer
    		 celiometer
    		 Doppler effect
    hygrometer
    		 radiosonde
    		 thermometer
    analog forecast
    		 digital forecast
    		 isopleth
    station model


    Key Concepts/Understandings 1:

    • Compare and contrast weather and climate.
    • Analyze how imbalances in the hearting of Earth's surbace create weather.
    • Describe how and where air masses form.
    • Describe how the rotation of Earth affects the movement of air.
    • Compare and contrast wind systems.
    • Identify the various types of fromts.
    • Recognize the importance fo accurate weather data.
    • Describe the technology used to collect weather data.
    • Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of weather observation systems.
    • Analyze a basic surface weather chart.
    • Distinguish between analog and digital forecasting.
    • Describe problems with long-term forecasts.
    What You'll Learn 2:
    • How thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes form.
    • What the effects of severe weather are.
    • How repetitive weather patterns can cause droughts, floods, and other hazards.
    Why It's Important 2:

    Sever weather can result in extensive property damage and loss of life.  To implement safety measures and make other preparations for severe weather, its necessary to understand when and where severe weather is likely to occur.

    Key Vocabulary 2:

    air-mass thunderstorm
    		 frontal thunderstorm
    		 sea-breeze thunderstorm
    down burst
    		 Fujita tornado intensity scale
    		 super cell
    tornado
    		 eye
    		 eye wall
    Saffir-Simpson hurricane
    		 storm surge
    		 tropical cyclone
    cold wave
    		 drought
    		 heat wave
    wind-chill factor


    Key Concepts/Understandings 2:
    • Identify the processes that from thunderstorms.
    • Compare and contrast different types of thunderstorms.
    • Describe the life cycle of a thunderstorm.
    • Explain why some thunderstorms are more severe than others.
    • Recognize the dangers of severe thunderstorms, including lightning, hail, and high winds, and floods.
    • Describe how tornadoes from.
    • Identify where tropical cyclones originate.
    • Describe the life cycle of  tropical cyclone.
    • Recognize the dangers of hurricanes.
    • Describe recurring weather patterns and the problems they create.
    • Identify atmospheric events that cause recurring weather patterns.
Last Modified on February 23, 2015