Pgs 16-23, 66

Goode's World Atlas

WEATHER

QUIZ REGION: U.S. States

Required

Pay attention to this week's current weather conditions and be able to answer pertinent questions on the quiz.

Watch the complete one-hour Nova episode Storm That Drowned A City about Hurricane Katrina; it is divided into six short chapters online that make it easier to download. There is much more information at the homepage for that episode, especially the Anatomy of Katrina interactive feature. Information about weather/hurricane systems will be covered during this quiz; we will return to discuss the information about hazards and disaster management in a few weeks.

Read the article In Hot Water for a discussion of the factors that may be contributing to the apparent uptick in hurricane activity. Note that this article was published in August 2005, the month that Katrina hit; this means it was being written and prepared PRIOR to Katrina.

Key Terms (Be able to answer questions about any of the following concepts. Be aware that these are just some highlights from the lecture, and not a comprehensive list; other terms may still appear on the quiz.)

absolute humidity
mass (g) of water vapor suspended in a particular volume (m3) of air
axis of rotation
23.5 degrees away from the perpendicular (with regard to incoming solar energy)
continentality
different heat absorption/release characteristics of land and water masses
convectional precipitation
triggered by intense heat near the ground causing air to rise vertically
Coriolis effect
"spin" given to winds by rotation of Earth on its axis
dewpoint
temperature at which current amount of water vapor can no longer remain suspended in air
frontal precipitation
triggered by different characteristics of adjacent air masses
insolation
amount of solar energy striking a particular area of the earth
lapse rate
with every 1000 feet of elevation, a predictable 3.5 degree temperature drop
orographic precipitation
triggered by moist air being pushed upward by coastal mountains
relative humidity
percentage of water vapor in air compared to the amount that could potentially be suspended in air of that temperature

Additional Information

Accuweather.com has some fantastic descriptive information about weather forces and patterns, including an excellent summary of hurricanes in various ocean basins. Play with their interactive hurricane tracker for more information about historical hurricane activity around the world.

This is the image showing the relative position of the sun at the four quarter points of the year. You need to be familiar with how the position of the sun affects day length and seasons. Refer to the image on page 66 of your atlas.

This is the relative humidity image that I showed in class; this is a different graphic that portrays the same information. You should understand the relationship between air temperature, suspended moisture, and relative humidity.