Weather and Water Cycle Notes - 6th Grade

The Layers of the Atmosphere

● Earth's atmosphere is divided into several different atmospheric layers extending
from Earth’s surface ___________. The atmosphere is divided into layers based
on whether the _______________ in the layer increases or decreases.
● The ______ ___________, the force exerted by the gases pushing on an object,
is greatest ________ the surface of Earth, in the troposphere. As altitude
(__________) increases, the gravitational pull decreases which results in a
decrease in air pressure.
● The Gases
○ Nitrogen = 78%
○ __________ = 21%
○ Other Gases (Argon, etc.) = ____
● The Troposphere
○ We _______ in this layer
○ Earth's weather and _________ occurs here
○ Water _________ and carbon dioxide are also found in this layer and are
important in the weather conditions in the layer
○ As altitude increases, the temperature _____________
● The Stratosphere
○ Above the troposphere
○ Naturally occurring ozone layer is here (___________ some of the Sun's
energy)
○ _________ is a form of oxygen that is found in this layer
○ Lower part is ________ (-60 degrees Celsius)
○ ______ part is only around 0 degrees Celsius (where the ozone is located)
● The Mesosphere
○ ___________ layer (-90 degrees Celsius)
○ Protects Earth from ______________
○ This is where "shooting stars" occur
 ● The Thermosphere
○ Top (outer) layer - air is very ________
○ "Thermo" means ________
○ 80 km (50 miles) and above (blends into space)
○ Particles absorb ________ of energy from the sun, so it is _______ (1800
degrees Celsius)
● The Exosphere
○ This layer has very few _____________ of gases (the air is very thin)
○ The space shuttle __________ the Earth in this layer
○ Satellites orbit the Earth here
○ _________ regions of outer space extend from this layer
Greenhouse Gases
● Greenhouse gases are certain gases in the atmosphere (water vapor, carbon
dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane, for example) that trap _________ from the
sun. Without these gases, ________ would escape back into space and Earth’s
average temperature would be about 60º F _________. Because of how they
________ our world, these gases are referred to as greenhouse gases.
● They make Earth's temperature _____________ (greenhouse effect).
● This effect can be enhanced by an ____________ in the gases that trap heat in
the atmosphere.
● Additionally, the _______________ of Earth’s atmosphere has ___________
over Earth’s history, particularly the amount of ozone in the stratosphere.
● Ozone
○ Ozone is a pale blue _______. It is a form of __________. The common
form of oxygen is a gas that all ___________ need to breathe. But ozone
is poisonous and explosive.
● Problems with greenhouse gases
○ __________ eruptions affect the atmosphere by releasing ash and gases,
which contain harmful chemicals and large amounts of carbon dioxide.
○ Volcanic _______ also contains particulates and gases that can reflect
___________ and result in a ____________ in surface temperatures.
 ● Human __________ also contributes to changes in the atmosphere:
○ The release of greenhouse gases from __________ fossil fuels and the
use of aerosol _________
○ What are fossil fuels?
■ Fossil fuels are fuels that come from old life forms that __________
over a long period of time. The three most important fossil fuels are
_______, petroleum, and natural gas. These fuels are called fossil
fuels because they are _____ _____ from underground.
● Human activities can be harmful or beneficial to the atmosphere. When humans
clear cut and burn __________, more carbon dioxide is released into the
atmosphere. ____________ new plants can help to absorb carbon dioxide from
the environment
The Water Cycle
What causes the water cycle? The _______!
Water changes _________ based on the addition and removal of ________ energy
from the Sun.
There are 4 stages of the water cycle.
Evaporation
● When the sun (thermal energy) _________ ______ water in rivers, lakes, and
oceans, it turns from liquid water to ___________ water vapor.
● The water vapor __________ where it is collecting (rivers, lakes or oceans) and
_________ into the air.
● When water evaporates from plants, it is called _____________.
Condensation/Crystallization
● As water vapor rises, it _________ and changes ________ into water droplets.
● These water droplets _________ to tiny pieces of ________ floating through the
air and gather together to form __________.
● Water condenses other places too (on the side of a ________ _______, as dew
on _________)
Precipitation
● The clouds take on ________ water droplets making them heavier and heavier.
● As the clouds get ________ of water droplets, reaching _______ humidity, the
droplets ________ to the earth’s surface as precipitation.
● There are 4 types of precipitation: rain, sleet (____________ rain), snow, and
hail.
● Temperature variations within clouds and/or within the _________ between the
_________ and Earth allows for the various forms of precipitation.
● ________ is the driving force for precipitation.
Downhill Flow of Water on Land
● If ________________ falls on land surfaces, it always attempts to move _______
toward sea level as surface-water flow or groundwater flow.
● The __________ that receives the precipitation determines its ________ back
towards sea level. Examples are:
○ Water will __________ on the surface when the surface is not porous or
the precipitation is falling too ______ for the water to sink into the ground.
○ Water will _______ into the ground when the surface is porous and there
is space in the soil to hold the water.
● Gravity is the driving _________ for downhill flow of water on land
Clouds

Cloud Type Meaning Fact 1 Fact 2 Drawing

Cirrus

Cumulus

Cumulonimbus

Stratus
Severe Weather

Thunderstorms Conditions Effects How to be safe

-______ -Flooding -”When thunder ______,

cumulonimbus -_________ stay indoors!”
clouds Blown over -Stay _____ from tall
-Heavy ______ ______ and objects, metal objects, and
-Strong winds power lines windows
-Thunder & -Stay out of ______
lightning -Don’t stand under trees
-Possibly _______
-Tornadoes

Tornadoes Conditions Effects How to be safe

________-shaped -High speed -Move to the lowest part of

clouds forming from winds the _________
cumulonimbus -Flying -Stay away from _______
clouds with high _________ -Listen to the weather
speed _________ -Destroys ________
capable of doing everything within -If stuck outside, lay down
lots of damage on a a narrow ________ in a low area
__________ path. ________ such as a ditch
-Duck and _________

Hurricanes Conditions Effects How to be safe

-Large storm that -Strong winds -Listen to the TV or _____

forms over ______ that can _____ -Stay away from and
bodies of water over trees, power board up ____________
-It has very strong lines, and even -Move __________ if you
winds that blow ____________ are on the coast
counterclockwise -Heavy rains can -Fill the bathtub with clean
around the center, cause flooding water
or _____, of the and storm -Keep a safety ______
storm _______ from the prepared
ocean
Weather Tools Picture
Thermometer
● A thermometer is a weather tool used to __________ the temperature
● Temperature is a __________ of hotness or coldness that can be
measured using a thermometer.
● Temperature is measured in degrees on the Fahrenheit and
Celsuis ___________.

Sling Psychomotor/Hygrometers
● ___________ can be measured with sling psychrometers or hygrometers.
● Humidity is a ___________ of the percentage of water vapor in the air. Increased
levels of humidity can be associated with a ________ probability of precipitation.

Rain Gauge
● A tool that ____________ rain to see how much it rained
● Using measurements on the ________, you can see how much it
rained in inches or millimeters

Wind Vane (Weather Vane)

● A wind vane is a tool that measures wind ___________
● It _________ on a rod and points in the direction from which
the wind comes

Anemometer
● Measures wind _________
● __________ on the side catch the wind and turn a dial.
● This ________ shows the wind speed.

Wind Sock
● Used at ____________ to show the direction and strength of the
wind to pilots
 ● At chemical plants where there is risk of gaseous ___________.

Picture
Weather Balloon
● A ________-altitude balloon which carries instruments aloft to
send back information on atmospheric pressure, temperature,
_____________, and wind speed

Barometer
● A Barometer detects ___________ around you.
● High pressure = _________ weather
● _______ pressure = rainy or stormy weather

Reading a Weather Map

A few important symbols:

What are air masses?

● Air masses are huge bodies of air that form over ________ or land in tropical or
polar regions.
 ● Temperature and humidity conditions (for example, warm or cold air, humid or
dry air) within the air masses as they form are ____________ to the resulting
weather conditions when air masses move.
● Warm air rising or cold air __________ combined with the _________ of the
Earth causes the air to spin forming high and low pressure regions.
○ What exactly does a high pressure area mean? High pressure means
_________ weather
○ What exactly does a low pressure area mean? Low pressure means
_________ or stormy weather
● As air masses move and ___________ with each other, fronts form at the
boundaries __________ the air masses.
○ What happens when a cold front passes over an area? The air
temperature ____________ (it gets colder) when a cold front passes over.
○ What happens when a warm front passes over an area? The air
temperature increases (it gets ___________) when a warm front passes
over.
○ When a warm air mass collides and rides _______ a cold air mass, the
resulting warm front may produce long periods of _______________ and
warmer temperatures.
○ When a cold air mass collides and slides ________ a warm air mass, the
resulting _______ front may produce thunderstorms and sometimes
____________ and cooler temperatures.
○ When neither a cold air mass nor a warm air mass moves at a
___________ boundary, the resulting stationary front may produce long
period of precipitation.
○ When a cold air mass pushes into a warm air mass that is _______ a cool
air mass, the warm air mass is pushed up above the cooler air masses.
The resulting __________ front may produce long periods of precipitation.
What is weather?
The _____________ of the atmosphere at a particular place and time.
How do weather patterns move?
Weather can move in any direction. In the United States, weather most often moves
________ to ________, because that is the direction the jet stream _________. The jet
stream carries weather systems along with it.
In order for meteorologists to make weather predictions, ________ needs to be
collected on a regular basis over a period of ________.
● Satellite images: used for seeing _________ patterns and movements. For
example, _________ clouds and movements can be ____________ using
satellite images.
● Radar images: used to detect cloud _________, rainfall or storm location,
_____________, and movement , as well as the ______________ of severe
weather (hurricanes or tornadoes)
What’s the difference between satellite images and radar?
-If you look at the ______________ imagery you will see cloud cover and the cloud
types, but you __________ see what's going on below them. Radar does exactly this,
sending radio signals, that ___________ if there is any precipitation in the area, so
radar shows you where the precipitation is.
-___________ models from specific ____________ provide information that can also be
used to predict weather patterns. Information found on station models can include:
cloud cover, temperature, wind direction and speed, and _________________.

How Convection Affects Weather Patterns and Climate

● The driving energy source for heating of Earth is ________ energy. The
___________ of Earth on its axis along with differences in the heating of Earth
__________ weather patterns and climate conditions.
● Convection Currents - when warm air near Earth's surface ________ & _______
as it goes up.
○ Convection currents near bodies of ________ can cause local winds
known as land and sea breezes.
○ Sea Breeze
■ Water ___________ heat energy and releases heat energy slowly.
■ Ocean surface currents ___________ warm and cold ocean waters
in convection patterns and influence the weather and climates of
the land masses nearby
■ The _______ __________ influences the eastern Atlantic shoreline
of the United States by bringing warm, moist ______.
■ The cold California current influences its western ___________
shoreline by bringing cold, moist air.
○ Land Breeze
■ Land absorbs heat energy and __________ heat energy quickly
● 3 Climate Zones
○ Tropical region begins at the __________ & extends to the about 30
degrees north latitude
○ Temperate region extends from tropical to about 60 degrees _______
latitude
○ __________ region extends from temperate to the north _______, 90
degrees north latitude
○ Global ________ belts occur between climate regions because of the
characteristics of the convection currents in those regions. The prevailing
direction of the global winds in these large regions affects weather
conditions.
■ Convection (moist): upward flowing air currents causing a cloud to
form
○ Global winds occur in ________ of the climate regions and affect the
_____________ of weather systems on Earth
 ○ __________ winds and westerlies affect the direction of tropical weather
systems (hurricanes)
○ Jet streams are fast moving ________ of air that move from west to east
in the Northern hemisphere.
○ The polar jet stream brings down ________ polar conditions from the
north
● What Impacts Climate?
○ Latitude
■ The sun’s rays directly __________ the equator (latitude 0) and
cause the regions near the equator to be _________.
■ Generally, as latitude ___________ the temperature of the area
decreases.
○ Elevation
■ Within the _______________ as altitude increases temperature
decreases.
○ Shape of the Land (Topography)
■ Certain land ______________ (mountains and valleys) can affect
the movement of air masses and therefore affect the weather
conditions a region _____________.
○ Distance from Water
■ Land and Sea breezes are ________ convection currents that
occur in areas ________ water because of the ___________
heating of Earth materials.
○ Global Winds
■ Global winds provide a predictable ___________ for the movement
of air in a ___________ region and are named after the
___________ they come from.
○ Ocean Currents
■ Ocean currents __________ heat energy. Air masses that originate
over regions of the ocean are ________ with currents and affect
the climate of coastal regions.