1. How does atmospheric pressure distribute energy?
Weather and Climate
How does the Sun affect Earth’s atmosphere?
How does atmospheric pressure distribute energy?
How do global wind belts affect weather and climate?
How do the ocean affect weather and climate?

2. The Sun and Latitude
The Sun plays a major role in Earth’s weather and climate
Weather- the condition of the atmosphere at a given time and place
Climate- weather conditions in a geographic region over a long time
What happens to the Sun’s energy when is reaches Earth?
Half is reflected back into space or absorbed by the atmosphere
Earth’s surface absorbs the other half
Once absorbed, solar energy is converted into heat called temperature

3. Greenhouse Effect Earth’s atmosphere traps heat energy
The atmosphere allows much sunlight to pass through
Earth’s air then slows the rate at which the heat escapes into space
Greenhouse effect keeps the planet warm

4. Global Warming???

5. Atmospheric Pressure Air in our atmosphere has weight
The air around you is always pushing on you
Force called atmospheric pressure
Why is there less air pressure on a mountain???
The higher up you go the less air there is pushing on you

6. High and Low Pressure
When air is heated is expands, becomes less dense, and rises
This creates a low pressure area
Rising air cools, cool air may form clouds which may bring rain
Low pressure usually accompanies unstable weather conditions

7. Cold air is dense and sinks toward the Earth’s surface
Creates high pressure areas
As air sinks, it heats and dries
High pressure usually bring stable, clear, and dry weather or extreme conditions
Four major air pressure zones:
Equatorial Low, subtropical highs, subpolar lows, and polar highs
They carry air back and forth between the equator and the poles

8. Global Wind Belts Air Pressure affects global wind patterns
Wind always flows from high to low pressure areas

9. Prevailing winds: winds that blow in the same direction most of the time
Doldrums: Area where there are no prevailing winds and is calm, along the equator
Middle Latitudes: Prevailing winds are called westerlies- flow from the west… Weather patterns go from west to east
High Latitudes: Prevailing winds are called polar easterlies… Alaska is in the polar easterlies

10. A front occurs when two air masses of very different temperatures or moisture levels meet
Precipitation occurs at these fronts
Jet Streams: Prevailing winds in the upper atmosphere… can reach more than 300 miles

11. Oceans and Currents Oceans affect climate
Water heats and cools more slowly than land… land areas near oceans do not have such great temperature ranges
Wind, rotation, and ocean temperatures create oceans currents: flow in circular paths
Northern Hemisphere: Move clockwise
Southern Hemisphere: Move counterclockwise
Currents move heat back and forth between the tropics and the polar regions
Warm currents carry heated water toward the cooler latitudes
Cool currents carry cooled water from middle latitudes toward the equator

12. Precipitation
Water vapor plays an important role in many atmospheric processes
Evaporation: process by which water changes from a liquid to a gas
Most vapor that turns into rain is evaporated from the oceans
Amount of water vapor in the air: humidity
Higher the temperature more water vapor the air can hold
When air cools, it will reach a point where it can not hold water vapor
Condensation then occurs: from gas to liquid state
If big enough, condensation falls as precipitation

13. Precipitation comes in four forms:
Rain, Snow, Sleet, Hail
Precipitation is not evenly distributed around the world
Highest in low pressure zones
Lowest in high pressure zones

14. Elevation and Mountain Effects
High elevation affects weather and climate
Increase in elevation causes a drop in temperature
Can be warm at bottom of mountain and covered with snow or glaciers at the peak
Mountains influence climate through the orographic effect

15. Orographic Effect

16. Storms Middle latitude storms may produce thunderstorms and tornadoes
United States experiences more tornadoes than any other country
Tropics have different storms: Hurricanes are the most powerful and destructive tropical cyclones
United States hurricanes usually form in the Atlantic Ocean and move westward
Hurricanes in the Pacific Ocean are called typhoons

17. So lets watch some storms!!!

18. Song or Skit!!!!!! You will present!
Needs to be completely informational yet entertaining
Also include bulleted notes to coincide with your song/skit this can be done on butcher paper