Earth Science

Precipitation

To remember the various names of precipitation, try grouping them into different categories (e.g. stationary vs. motion, liquid vs. solid, etc.)

Clouds

High altitude clouds are generally wispy, middle altitude clouds are more defined, and low altitude clouds are fluffy.

Weather versus Climate

Think of the weather as the short-term atmospheric conditions of an area, and the climate as the long-term atmospheric conditions of an area.

Local Winds

To understand the characteristics of local winds better, make a chart of the 7 types of local winds, and list some similarities and differences between these wind types.

Global Wind Belts

Pressure, like heat, moves from areas of high concentrations to areas of low concentrations.

Circulation in the Atmosphere

Think of the atmosphere as a fluid. Within this fluid would be the convective currents caused by temperature and density differences.

Greenhouse Effect

“Greenhouses” are glass buildings which heat up and provide suitable living conditions for plants by retaining solar radiation in the roofs and walls. Think about the Earth’s greenhouse effect in a similar way.

Heat Budget of Planet Earth

Like a financial budget, the heat budget accounts for how much comes in and how much is lost or spent.

Heat Transfer in the Atmosphere

The three types of heat transfer (Radiation, Conduction, and Convention) are used in studying both thermodynamics and weather.

Solar Energy on Earth

Infrared waves have long wavelengths, just like how red light has the longest waves. Ultraviolet waves have high energy, just like how violet light has more energy (and shorter wavelengths.

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