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weather
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Troposphere | Closest to Earth; where weather happens (clouds, rain); airplanes fly in lower part. |
| Stratosphere | Contains the ozone layer; commercial jets sometimes cruise near its lower region; temperature increases with altitude here. |
| Mesosphere | Meteors burn up here; temperatures decrease with altitude. |
| Thermosphere | Auroras occur; very thin air; temperature increases with altitude; satellites begin to orbit in upper parts. |
| Exosphere | Outermost layer; very sparse gas; satellites orbit here. |
| Surface runoff and infiltration/percolation | Water moves across or into the ground; largely driven by gravity. |
| Transpiration | Water released from plants into the air; also absorbs energy (driven by heat for evaporation from leaves). |
| Sublimation | Solid (ice/snow) becomes water vapor, absorbs energy. |
| Condensation requires cooling of water vapor and tiny particles (dust, smoke) called condensation nuclei. | Condensation requires cooling of water vapor and tiny particles (dust, smoke) called condensation nuclei. |
| Look at forecast clues: | : high relative humidity (near 100%), fog, clouds, and precipitation indicate condensation is occurring. For example, 100% relative humidity with fog indicates condensation (water vapor turning into droplets). |
| Warm surface currents: | Warm the air above them. Tend to make the coastal climate warmer and more humid (can make climates warm and wet or warm and dry depending on local conditions). |
| Cold surface currents: | Cool the air above them. Tend to make coastal climates cooler and often drier (can create cooler and dry conditions, sometimes stable air and fog). |
| Barometer (measures air pressure) | Falling pressure often means stormy or unsettled weather is approaching. Rising pressure suggests calming/sunnier weather. Example: If pressure falls steadily through the afternoon, forecast likely: stormy or bad weather. |
| Relative humidity | High humidity (close to 100%) indicates air is nearly saturated — fog, dew, or precipitation likely. |
| Meteorologist duties | Collect and analyze data, use technology and observations to make weather predictions (choose answers about collecting/analyzing data and using technology and global patterns). |