Earth’s Weather Patterns and Climate

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Unit 2

Name

Unit 2 Science Notebook

Table of Contents

Progress Tracker

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Progress Tracker

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Progress Tracker

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L20 - Progress Tracker: Ideas Needed in Our Consensus Model

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Which previous mechanisms (1-5) and/or which new mechanisms are needed to explain this question:

• How could the movement of different air masses and the interaction between them cause the patterns in (a) the area of lowest air pressure, (b) the locations of the fronts, and (c) where precipitation fell over time?

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Lesson 1: Phenomenon

Exploring an Outdoor Phenomenon

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Lesson 1: Initial Model

Develop an initial model to explain, “What causes this kind of precipitation event to occur?

• Show what you think was happening above and around the area where the precipitation fell, at 3 different points in time.
• Use pictures, symbols, and words to help explain what caused these changes to happen over time.

What do you think happened in this system that would help explain what caused this kind of precipitation event?

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Lesson 1: Representing Particle-Level Changes in the System

1. Look back at your model for explaining “What causes this kind of precipitation event to occur?”

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What do you think was happening at the particle level that might help us explain what was happening in this event?

• Identify 3 places in the middle box of your initial model where you think important changes were happening at the particle level in the air or water above.
• Add a small circle and a letter (A, B, and C) to those parts of the model.
• Use the zoom-in bubbles below to represent what was happening at the particle level in those locations (A, B, and C). Include labels or a key for these representations.

2. Go back to your large-scale model on your other handout and use a different color to show and label places where you think energy was getting transferred into, through, or out of the system.

A

B

C

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Lesson 2: Hailstorm Observations

Noticings

Wonderings

Observing Hail

Map Patterns

Map Questions

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Lesson 2: Weather Data for Fort Scott Hailstorm

Hail Map

The question we want to answer.

What patterns do we notice in the location, scale, timing, and weather conditions during hailstorms?

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Lesson 2: Weather Data for Fort Scott Hailstorm (cont.)

Weather station: Chanute Martin Johnson Station, KS

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Lesson 2: My Case Analysis

(Insert your case map and data table here.)

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Lesson 2: My Case Analysis (cont.)

(Insert your 2nd case data table here.)

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Lesson 3: Weather Balloon Data

The question we want to answer.

How does the air higher up compare to the air near the ground?

Predictions:

Patterns I notice in the data:

Patterns we notice in our assigned data:

Patterns we notice across the data for two sites:

Claim:

The temperature of the air up high is…

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I know this because…

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Lesson 3: Data for 4 Locations

Salem, OR (Elevation: 154 ft)  All data recorded at midnight on the date listed.

Amarillo, TX (Elevation: 3,605 ft) All data recorded at midnight on the date listed.

Wilmington, IN (Elevation: 794 ft)   All data recorded at midnight on the date listed.

Albany, NY (Elevation: 141 ft)  All data recorded at midnight on the date listed.

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Lesson 3: Modeling Molecular Motion

In the box below, develop a model showing how the motion and spacing of air particles change with altitude.

Increasing Altitude

Ground

Modeling Molecular Motion CHECKLIST

(check off each item after you add it to your model)

• Air particles (draw as dots)
• Motion lines (showing how fast particles move)
• Spacing between particles (showing how tightly or loosely packed they are)
• Kinetic energy labels (more energy or less energy)
• Temperature labels (higher or lower temperatures)

On ground level, particles are moving (slower / quicker) and are (closer together / farther apart).

They have (more / less) kinetic energy, and the atmosphere temperature is (higher / lower).

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High up in the atmosphere, particles are moving (slower / quicker) and are (closer together / farther apart). They have (more / less) kinetic energy, and the atmosphere temperature is (higher / lower).

Circle or highlight the correct word in each set of parentheses to complete the sentences to describe relationships in your model.

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Lesson 4: Sunlight and Temperature Investigation

The question we want to answer.

Why is the air near the ground warmer than the air higher up?

Make Predictions

Draw and write about what you think we will see when we collect temperature and sunlight data outside. Use the image below to make notes about different ground and air temperatures.

What do you think we will observe in the data?

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Lesson 4: Sunlight and Temperature Investigation (cont.)

The question we want to answer.

Why is the air near the ground warmer than the air higher up?

As you collect data, think about these questions…

• Do all the surfaces receive a similar amount of incoming light?
• Do all the surfaces reflect a similar amount of light?
• Are all the surfaces similar temperatures?
• What is the air temperature above the ground compared to the temperature right at the ground?

Jot your notes below as you collect your data.

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Lesson 5: Soap Bottle & Bottle Investigation

Predict.

What do you think happens to a pocket of air near the ground when it gets warmed up? Why do you think that?

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In your prediction, use these ideas.

• particle motion
• spacing
• energy

Observations.

Observe the soap bubble. Include labeled drawings and short written descriptions.

The question we want to answer.

What happens to air when it is heated or cooled?

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Lesson 5: Soap Bottle & Bottle Investigation (cont.)

Particle Model

1. use your previous model to draw the what the surface of the soap bubble looks like on each bottle.
2. Draw and label particle models to show what happened to the air inside the bottle in the cold water and in the hot water:
1. show appropriate spacing between the particles
2. show appropriate motion with longer or shorter arrows

Looking at the model below, how many dots (particles) should you draw in each bottle? Why?

How did changing the temperature of the air affect the molecules inside the bottle?

How does the kinetic energy of air molecules change when the air is heated or cooled?

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Lesson 5: Word Catcher

When were particles in the bottle more dense, in the cold water or hot water? How do you know?

Use your model to explain what happens to the air near the ground when it heated by the Sun. Use these words in your explanation:

• particles
• motion
• spacing
• density

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Lesson 6: Cloud Structures

• What do you notice about the structure of the hail cloud?
• How does it compare to the other clouds?

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Lesson 7: Energy Balance Model

Image Credit: https://safesearch.pixabay.com/vectors/globe-world-earth-black-white-306260/

An atmosphere is a layer of gases that surrounds a planet and is held in place by gravity. Let’s graph the composition of Earth’s atmosphere.

Atmosphere Boundary

Outer Space

Outer Space

Outer Space

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Lesson 7: Greenhouse Gases

Observe and record what happens to the temperature of the atmosphere and the infrared energy (heat) when greenhouse gases are added to the atmosphere.

temperature -

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infrared energy (heat) -

temperature -

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infrared energy (heat) -

How do Earth’s surfaces, atmosphere, and thes Sun work together to keep the planet warm enough for life? Use your model and the simulations as evidence to support your explanation.

Go back to your Energy Balance Model and add in particles and how infrared energy interacts with Nitrogen (N₂), Oxygen (O₂), and greenhouse gases.

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The question we want to answer.

Investigation question: Where did all that water in the air come from?

Lesson 8: Sources of Water in the Air

Environments of the World

Making-Sense Questions

Which bottles provided evidence that water went into the air?

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What claim can you make in response to the question, “Where did all the water in the air come from?”

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Lesson 8: Model for How Water Gets into the Air

Based on the ideas we have developed so far about how light interacts with matter, draw a model in the zoomed-in circle above to show how some of the water in or on the ground gets into the air.

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Lesson 9: Observing the Behavior of Water Droplets

The question we want to answer.

Investigation question: What happens to water vapor in the air if we cool the air down?

5 minutes after starting:

Procedure for the Investigation

Put warmed water in a small container or cup.

1. Place the 2-L bottle cover over it.
2. Get a sealed bag with ice in it. Make sure it does not leak. Drape it over the top of the capped 2-L bottle cover.
3. Watch for any changes happening on the inside surface of the 2-L bottle cover.
4. Use a magnifying glass to observe up close what is happening at those places.
5. Record your observations in the table in your notebook at two points in time:
1. about 2 minutes after you started
2. about 5 minutes after you started

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2 minutes after starting:

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Lesson 9: Word Catchers

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Lesson 9: Elements Map and Results

Other Notes from your small group discussion:

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Lesson 10 Reading: What Are Clouds?

Why can we see clouds?

When there is humidity in the air, we can’t see the water vapor in the air. Why not? We can't see the water vapor because it is a gas. In a gas, the molecules are too small and too spread apart for us to see them.

So what are we seeing when we look at a cloud in the sky? Clouds are visible, which tells us they must be made of something large enough for us to see. Clouds are made of two things. They are made of gases, and they are made of much larger water droplets or ice crystals suspended in those gases. We can see clouds because those droplets or crystals are big enough to reflect a noticeable amount of light. That is also what makes clouds appear white. But the more droplets or crystals are in the cloud, or the bigger they are, the more sunlight they absorb. Depending on the direction the sunlight is coming from, this can result in less sunlight reaching parts of the cloud. This will make parts of the cloud appear darker.

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What is needed for droplets or crystals to form?

Water has to turn from gas into liquid or solid form for a cloud to start forming. This can only happen when the air is at a relative humidity of 100% and the air is cooled down. When cooling a substance (such as water) turns it from a gas into a liquid, that process is referred to as condensation. When cooling a substance turns it from a gas into a solid, that process is referred to as deposition.

Lesson 10 Reading: What Are Clouds?

But cooling really humid air alone is not enough to start either of these processes. Something else is needed. The missing ingredient is a solid surface for the water vapor to start sticking to.

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In the experiment you did in class, that solid surface was the inside of a bottle. When you are outside, that surface can be the ground. You might find water has condensed out of the air to form dew on the grass in the morning. If it gets even colder, you might find it has deposited out of the air as frost. But if water vapor needs a solid surface to do this, how does this help explain cloud formation?

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The air outside also contains very small pieces of solids, such as dust, ash, pollen, and pollutants. These are the solid surfaces that water droplets or ice crystals start forming on when clouds form. Any solid particles that water vapor sticks to as it cools down are referred to as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) or cloud seeds. When there aren’t enough CCN in the air, droplets or crystals won’t form, so no cloud will form.

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Can we change the weather by adding CCN to the air?

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Scientists and engineers have tested ways to add CCN into the air to try to increase the amount of cloud formation and the amount of precipitation. These processes are called cloud seeding.

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CCN used in cloud seeding can be dumped into the air from aircraft. They can also be launched from the ground in generators or canisters fired from guns or rockets.

All these techniques have been tested, but there isn't consensus among experts on whether the tests produced a significant increase in precipitation at locations where they have been attempted.

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Lesson 10: What Are Clouds? Close Reading Notes

Main Questions:

• Why don’t we see clouds everywhere in the air
• What is a cloud made of?

TOPIC (1-2 words)

Work together with a partner to write a summary

MAIN IDEA (1 sentence of what the passage is about.)

KEY WORDS OR IDEAS

Lesson 10: Explaining a Related Phenomenon

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A white solid appeared on the surface of the gel pack that wasn’t there at the start of the demonstration.

Lesson 11: Gotta-Have-It Checklist

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Instructions: Use information in your science notebook to make a checklist of the most important ideas you need to explain why clouds or storms form at some times but not others.

Lesson 11: Data Table for Making a Thunderstorm

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Lesson 11: Explaining Relationships in Storm Development

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Using words, symbols, and/or pictures, construct an explanation that explains the relationship between air temperatures close to the ground, air temperatures high in the atmosphere, humidity levels, and storm formation.

• Be sure to account for what these inputs (temperatures and humidity) need to be to form a strong storm versus a weak storm.

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Lesson 12: Investigating Force Interactions in the Air

The question we want to answer.

Investigation question: Why don’t water droplets or ice crystals fall from the clouds all the time?

Investigation A

• Pieces of tissue paper and a Ping-Pong ball placed on a scale

Investigation B

• A Ping-Pong and a hair dryer

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Lesson 12: Gravity and Precipitation in the Water Cycle

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Lesson 12: Predicting and Explaining the Effects of Opposing Forces

Make a Prediction. What would different objects do if they were released in clouds where the updraft forces on them were different (Case A versus Case B): Would the object start to rise, would it start to sink, or would it remain floating at the height it was released?

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The data above can help you argue for why water droplets or ice crystals might remain at a stable height in the clouds in some cases, and might start to rise or fall (change motion) in other cases.

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Argue from Evidence. How would you answer our lesson question now: Why don’t water droplets or ice crystals fall from the clouds all the time?

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Lesson 12: Apply Concepts of Gravity to the Water Cycle

Based on the ideas we have developed so far about how gravity affects matter, use a red pencil or marker to mark all the places where gravity acts on water during its journey.

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Write 2–3 sentences explaining how gravity helps move water through the water cycle.

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Convection in Fluids

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Complete the table to describe how the elements in the liquid and cup system map back to the cloud and storm systems outside.

Lesson 13: Convection in Fluids

Initial Observations

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1. Describe the movement of the dye after it was added to the water in both tubs.

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Plan your investigation. As you design and conduct your investigation, complete the following data table:

Lesson 13: Convection Investigation Plan

Record observations of the dependent variables for each condition.

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Lesson 13: Explaining Convection in the Air Outside

1A) A group of scientists measures the temperature of the ground and the air above it at 3 locations. Which location would you expect to have the strongest updrafts?

1. an area where the ground temperature is much greater than the air above it
2. an area where the ground temperature is slightly higher than the air above it
3. an area where the ground temperature is the same as the air above it

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1B) Why would this location have the strongest updrafts? What evidence do you have from the investigation we conducted to support the claim you chose?

2A) Which location would you expect to have the strongest updrafts?

1. a small amount of land that is 20 degrees warmer than the air above it
2. a large amount of land that is 20 degrees warmer than the air above it

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2B) Why would this location have the strongest updrafts? What evidence do you have from the investigation we conducted to support the claim you chose?

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Lesson 14: Tracing Paths of Hailstones

How does hail form?

Hail forms when water droplets in a cloud get very, very cold (supercooled) and collide with other supercooled water droplets. This happens in thunderstorms when the clouds grow so tall they lift the water droplets into very cold parts of the atmosphere. Hailstones grow by colliding with other water drops and become bigger as those droplets freeze on them. The more collisions with droplets that freeze to it, the bigger a hailstone gets.

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Why does hail get really big?

All storms have some sort of updraft. The source of this updraft is the transfer of thermal energy to the air above. The strength of the storm’s updrafts depends on the temperature differences between the air near the ground and the air higher in the atmosphere. Hail is formed in clouds with relatively strong updrafts (compared to clouds that have just rain or snowflakes suspended in them).

Some hailstones can get very big while others remain small. What is the difference? When updrafts are stronger, they produce stronger lift forces and therefore can keep hailstones in the cloud longer. The longer hailstones are in the cloud, the more time there is for water droplets to stick together, causing the hailstones to grow in size. As long as the updrafts are strong enough, the hailstones will get bigger and bigger. Look at the table to the left, which shows how different sizes of hailstones are related to the updraft speeds in the clouds that produce them. What pattern do you notice in the data shown in the table?

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There is some debate about the path that hailstones follow as they grow inside a cloud. One explanation involves hailstones traveling up and down in the cloud many times as they get caught up in updrafts, start to fall out, but then get caught in another updraft on their way down.

A second, competing explanation, developed more recently, suggests that the first explanation may not necessarily be true and that many or maybe all hailstones form as they continually rise within a cloud, growing the whole time, until they are so big that they fall out of the cloud. New techniques for collecting evidence of where the ice is forming in clouds and new models to explain convection in fluids are always being developed.

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Lesson 14: Tracing Paths of Hailstones (cont.)

Why do some hailstones have layers?

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Hailstones can grow in 2 ways: (1) colliding with water droplets that are not supercooled and do not freeze together immediately and (2) colliding with supercooled water droplets that freeze together immediately. In the first type of growth, air molecules can escape from the slowly freezing water drops, giving the hailstones a clear color. But in the second type, the supercooled water droplets freeze instantly, trapping air molecules and giving the hailstones a whitish appearance. Sometimes hailstones go through both types of growth and develop a layered look.

How are hail, rain, and snow different?

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Many storms that produce rain at the ground rather than hail actually do produce pieces of ice near their cloud tops. But if those pieces of ice are too small when they start to fall, they will begin melting as they pass through the warmer air below them. If all that ice has melted on the way down to the ground, then the only thing that hits the ground is raindrops.

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Rain forms when temperatures near the ground are above freezing and there is enough updraft to put moisture into the atmosphere. That water vapor condenses into ice crystals, which almost immediately fall back to Earth because the updrafts are relatively weak and cannot keep the droplets aloft. The ice crystals melt into raindrops before they reach the ground.

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Snow, on the other hand, forms on days when temperatures near the ground are relatively low, close to 32℉ (water’s freezing/melting point) or lower. Moisture can still be lifted into the atmosphere (which is colder than the air near the ground), but the updrafts are much weaker and will not keep snow aloft in the cloud if snowflakes get very big, so they fall back to Earth. The snow does not melt before it reaches the ground because the air temperatures are cold enough to keep snowflakes frozen on their way down.

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Lesson 14: Revised Gotta-Have-It Checklist

Part 1: Gotta-Have-It Checklist

Use your science notebook, class readings, and discussions to fill in the most important ideas needed to answer:

“Why do some storms produce hail?”

Later, you will check off each idea as you use it in your model.

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Lesson 15: Notice & Wonder - Water Being Evaporated in a Valley

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Lesson 15: Model of the GSL Watershed

Draw a picture of your model. Add labels and arrows to describe forces & features.

2. How does water leave Great Salt Lake?

3. Can minerals and sediment evaporate? Why or why not?

4. What would happen if water stopped flowing into the Great Salt Lake?

1. How does water enter Great Salt Lake?

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Lesson 15: Water Cycle Model Checklist

Check off each idea as you use it in your model.

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Lesson 16: Notice & Wonder - Exploring a Weather Forecast

Snowfall and Ice Accumulation Forecast Maps

Weather Report - clip 1:02-1:44

Cloud Cover and Precipitation & Weather Report - clip 0:00-0:20

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Lesson 16: Snowfall and Ice Accumulation Forecast Maps

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The images below are from the TODAY Show on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019 at 8:00 a.m. (EST)

Predict what is expected to occur by the end of the weekend, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. (EST).

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Lesson 16: Cloud Cover and Precipitation Map

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Cloud cover and precipitation falling at 8:00 a.m. (EST) on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019

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The image above is a composite made from separate images captured from the video.

Transcript of what the meteorologist said in the video clip:

“And it looks like the worst is yet to come. There is a lot going on here. There are two parts to this storm. We have the cold part and the warm part, and where it is snowing right now, this snow will continue to move eastward, and right in between the snow and the rain, that is where we have the icing potential. If you take this farther south, we have tornado watches in effect until 1:00 this afternoon. So the rainy side of this storm has the potential to be severe as well. So this will continue to move eastward.”

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Lesson 16: Video Transcript

Weather Report & Forecast, January 19, 2019

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Lesson 16: Initial Model

Develop a model and explanation to show what you think will happen in the air over the United States at three points in time that could answer the following questions related to the claims that the forecaster made.

One set of claims the forecaster made: “There are two parts to this storm. We have the cold part and the warm part...”

Annotate your maps to show: Where are these parts located at different points in time?

Another set of claims the forecaster made: “We are looking for about 4 to 8 inches (of snow) back through Ohio, closer to a foot to a foot and a half across the northeast … This is going to be a huge area of concern … down east, Maine, most of Massachusetts. This is ice half an inch to three-quarters of an inch.”

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Annotate your maps and explain your thinking on a separate piece of notebook paper to help answer this question: How is what is happening at the time of the forecast (8:00 a.m. Saturday) connected to what is predicted will happen by the end of the weekend (11:59 p.m. Sunday) in the northeastern part of the country? 

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Lesson 16: Evaluating Connections to Our Previous Model

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The mechanisms listed in the table below were some of the ones we used to explain the question, “Why do some storms produce (really large) hail and others don’t?”

Review these mechanisms. Then add the following to column A:

• Put a -X  next to each mechanism that you predict would also help explain what is causing this large-scale rain, ice, and snowstorm.
• Put a -–   next to each mechanism that you predict would not also help explain what is causing this large-scale rain, ice, and snowstorm.
• Put a -?   next to each mechanism that you aren’t sure about.

If there are new mechanism(s) that you think could also help explain what is causing this large-scale rain, ice, and snowstorm, add them to the ➕ section below.

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+ Additional mechanisms:

How do your ideas compare to others in your class?

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Lessons 16 & 18: Images from the Jan. 19, 2019 Weather Forecast

Another set of claims the forecaster made:

“So, let’s take you through the timeline. We are going to see the snow fall across central and northern Ohio all day long. We could see totals up to 8 inches there. Later on, this afternoon and evening it starts to approach the Northeast. The storm itself is tracking a little warmer for areas across New Jersey, up into New York, Long Island, and parts of southern Connecticut, and into the rest of southern New England. So that means we could see a changeover to rain. But you go just a little further to the north and west and we are looking at ice--ice that could bring down trees and power lines. And then, even father to the north, we are looking for the potential for significant snowfall, especially in the higher elevations.”

Lesson 17: Time Point 1 - Air Temperature

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Air Temperature, Thursday, January 17, 2019, 4:00 p.m.

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Data Source: NOAA

Lesson 17: Time Point 1 - Relative Humidity

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Relative Humidity, Thursday, January 17, 2019, 4:00 p.m.

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Data Source: NOAA

Lesson 17: Time Series of Storm

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How do we know where one air mass ends and another begins?

Lesson 18: Warm and Cold Water Interactions

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Lesson 18: Warm and Cold Water Interactions, cont.

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Lesson 18: Relative Humidity Data

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Part A: Use the graph to the right to answer the following questions:

1. What do the points along the blue line represent?

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• How much water vapor is in air at 80℉ and

100% relative humidity?

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• How much water vapor is in air at 60℉ and

100% relative humidity?

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• How much water vapor is in air at 40℉ and

100% relative humidity?

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• Based on the information in the graph, what is the relationship between air temperature and the amount of water vapor that the air can hold?

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Part B: Use the graph to the right to answer the following questions:

• What do the points along the red line

represent?

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• How much water vapor is in air at

80℉ and 50% relative humidity?

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• How much water vapor is in air at

60℉ and 50% relative humidity?

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• Do we still see the same relationship between

air temperature and the amount of water vapor that air can hold? How do you know?

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Lesson 19: Air Pressure Prediction and Map Analysis

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Predictions  

Where do you think the lowest pressure air will be located over the United States from the afternoon of Jan. 17, 2019 to the end of the day on Jan. 20, 2019?

Why do you think you will see this pattern?

Analyze and Interpret the Maps - Review all 11 maps.

What patterns do you notice in where the lowest pressure air was located from the afternoon of Jan. 17, 2019 to the end of the day on Jan. 20, 2019?

Lesson 19: Explaining Patterns and Predictions in the Forecast

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1. Compare where the area of lowest pressure was in the forecast to what you saw in

the actual data from your Gallery Walk.

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How did the pattern of where the lowest air pressure was located over time compare?

2. How was the forecasted location of lowest air pressure related to the forecasted location of the fronts and precipitation?

Lesson 19 & 20: Explaining Patterns and Predictions in the Forecast cont.

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3. How could the movement of different air masses and the interaction between them be causing the patterns you noticed in the previous two questions?

We will use your explanation at the start of the lesson 20, be ready to share!

Lesson 20: Comparing Ideas Used Between Explanations

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Lessons 20: Nov. 22, 2019 Weather Forecast Maps

The images below are from the TODAY Show on Friday, Nov. 22, 2019 at 8:00 a.m. (EST).

Lesson 20: Exploring a Second Weather Forecast - Nov. 22, 2019

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Lesson 20: Video Transcript

Weather Report & Forecast, November 23, 2019

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Lesson 21: Are there patterns in air mass movement that can help predict where large storms will form?

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Lesson 21: Optional Reading: Why do air and water spin in different directions on Earth?

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Even with disruptions like weather fronts and storms, there is a

consistent pattern to how air moves around our planet’s

atmosphere. This pattern, called atmospheric circulation,

is caused when light from the sun heats the Earth more at

the equator than at the poles. It's also affected by the spin of

the Earth.

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In the tropics, near the equator, warm air rises. When it gets about 10–15 km (6–9 miles) above Earth’s surface, it starts to flow away from the equator and toward the poles. As the air moves toward the poles, it cools and drops back to the surface around 20–30 degrees north or south of the equator. When the air reaches the surface, some of it flows back toward the equator and some of it flows toward the poles. Eventually this air will warm again and the cycle will repeat. This pattern, known as convection, happens on a global scale. Convection also happens on a small scale within individual storms, as you have already learned,

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Earth is always on the move. Earth rotates, or spins, making one full turn every 24 hours. Because Earth is spinning, air and other fluids do not travel in a straight line above the surface (like the white arrows on the picture to the right). Instead, air moving due to convection follows a curved path (like the black arrows). Air north of the equator turns to the right as it moves. Air south of the equator turns to the left as it moves. This is called the Coriolis effect. It is caused by the spin of the Earth.

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But why does the air curve in opposite directions?

If Earth did not spin, air would rise at the equator and sink at the poles. But because Earth spins, there are three areas of convection north of the equator and three south of the equator. Convection causes winds to move across Earth’s surface toward the equator in the tropics, away from the equator in the midlatitudes, and toward the equator around each pole. These winds are called prevailing winds. Prevailing winds curve because of the Coriolis effect. Winds in the midlatitudes curve, moving west to east. Winds in the tropics generally move from east to west.

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Lesson 22: Observations of Ocean Temperatures

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Lesson 22: Reading: How the Ocean Changes Our Weather

The ocean water along the west coast of the United States is very different than the ocean water along the east coast. The difference in the water affects the weather and climate of the communities on the coast. We will look at one example of how differences in the ocean could affect a place’s weather and climate.

In the month of June, the temperature of the ocean

water near Long Beach, California is around 64℉. People

who live in Long Beach have pleasantly warm days with low

humidity. The days may have a high temperature near 79℉

with a 0% chance of rain. If you were to trace a line at the

same latitude to the other side of the United States, you would

arrive at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The ocean water near this location is much warmer at 77℉. People who live in Myrtle Beach experience warm, humid days. The high temperatures may reach 85℉ and there is a 35-50% chance of rain.

The temperature difference between the ocean water near Long Beach and Myrtle Beach has a lot to do with the weather people experience in these two places. Imagine zooming in on the surface of the ocean water in each location. What do you think you would see happening to water molecules at the surface of the warmer ocean water near Myrtle Beach compared to the surface of the colder ocean water near Long Beach?

As sunlight warms the ocean water, energy from light transfers into the water. When enough energy transfers, the water molecules evaporate into the air. As more water molecules enter the air, the humidity of the air increases. As more evaporation occurs over warmer waters, the air above the warm ocean water becomes more humid. If the ocean water is cooler, then less evaporation occurs. Therefore the air above the cooler water is less humid.

Since Long Beach and Myrtle Beach are about the same distance from the equator, should we expect their water temperatures to be similar? If the water in the ocean never moved, this would be true. But the ocean is always on the move, just like the air in the atmosphere. This movement of water in the ocean is called an ocean current. Some ocean currents move warm water away from the equator toward the poles. Other ocean currents bring colder water from the poles toward the equator. Can you guess which type of current is located next to Long Beach and which is located next to Myrtle Beach?

The California Current runs along the west coast of the United States. This current brings much cooler waters to Long Beach. This cool water current is the reason that Long Beach tends to have slightly cooler and sunnier summer days than Myrtle Beach. Off the coast of Myrtle Beach, there is another powerful current called the Gulf Stream. This current circulates warm water from the equator toward the poles. The warm water is ideal for more evaporation and brings Myrtle Beach warmer, more humid or rainy days.

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Lesson 22: Precipitation in Coastal Cities

Average Annual Precipitation (rain + snow)

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Analysis Questions

• What patterns do you notice in the data?

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• How could the ocean be part of explaining these patterns?

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• What could explain the precipitation that happens all along the east coast?

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• Why is there such a difference between Portland, Oregon and Los Angeles, California, even though they are both on the west coast?

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Lesson 23: Ocean Salinity

Density Tank

1. Use colors to draw what you see before the barrier is lifted.
2. Make a prediction about what will happen after the barrier is gone.

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• Use colors to draw what you see after the barrier is gone.
• In the boxes, draw the density of freshwater and saltwater.

Noticings

Wonderings

BEFORE

AFTER

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Lesson 23: Ocean Salinity (cont.)

Credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thermohaline_Circulation.svg

Ocean Water Circulation

In the key:

• circle the correct word in each set of parentheses.
• color in blue for cold water and red for warm water.
• Color the ocean colors on the map.

Pacific

Atlantic

Southern

Atlantic

Pacific

Indian

Arctic

What patterns did you notice in where cold and warm water move?

What causes ocean water to move in these patterns?

How could this circulation affect the climate where people live?

Lesson 24: Map and Data for the Pacific Northwest

Pathway #1: Pacific Northwest

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Figure 1. Pathway in the Pacific Northwest with five locations (birds-eye view)

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Figure 2. Pathway in the Pacific Northwest with five locations (profile view)

Lesson 24: Data for the Pacific Northwest

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Lesson 24: Map and Data for the Gulf Coast

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Pathway #2: Gulf Coast

Figure 3. Pathway in the Gulf Coast with five locations (birds-eye view.

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Figure 4. Pathway in the Gulf Coast with five locations (profile view.

Lesson 24: Data for the Gulf Coast

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Lesson 24: Utah Lake

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Bonus Question: Do you know what this phenomenon is called?

Lesson 25: Why are there some winter days in Utah when the sky looks really hazy?

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Lesson 25: Elevation and Temperature

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Does elevation affect temperature? The answer is yes. But meteorology, like other sciences, isn’t quite that simple. It is important to remember that temperature can vary for a variety of reasons including shade, sun, nearby buildings (or lack of them), and inversions. All of those things and more can influence the temperature. So, can you estimate the temperature at the summit if you know the temperature at the base?

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Yes, but it is a bit confusing. If there’s no snow (or rain) falling from the sky and you’re not in a cloud, then the temperature decreases by about 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit for every 1,000 feet up you go in elevation. That is 9.8°Celsius per 1,000 meters in mathematical speak. However, if you’re in a cloud, or it is snowing/raining, the temperature decreases by about 3.3°F for every 1,000 feet up you go in elevation. That’s a change of 6°C per 1,000 meters.

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Wondering why?

Wondering why temperature decreases with higher altitude. Michael Tinnesand, explained it in Scientific American like this: “The farther away you get from the earth, the thinner the atmosphere gets. The total heat content of a system is directly related to the amount of matter present, so it is cooler at higher elevations.

Scientific American further explains it like this: “Atmospheric pressure is simply the weight of the air pushing down on you from above. As you increase in elevation, there is less air above you thus the pressure decreases. As the pressure decreases, air molecules spread out further (i.e. air expands), and the temperature decreases. If the humidity is at 100 percent (because it’s snowing), the temperature decreases more slowly with height.”

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https://www.onthesnow.com/news/does-elevation-affect-temperature/

Lesson 25: Elevation and Temperature

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On the mountain below, first place the altitude on the lines. The valley floor is 4,000 feet, midway is 5,000 feet and the mountain top is 6,000 feet.

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On a clear winter day, if the valley floor temperature is 35 degrees Fahrenheit. Label the other two lines with approximate temperatures and explain why.

stephcalvertart.com

onthesnow.com

How much does the temperature decrease every 1,000 feet when it is snowing?

Lesson 25: What Is an Inversion?

What are temperature inversions?

On most days, the temperature of air in the atmosphere is cooler the higher up in altitude you go. This is because most of the sun’s energy is converted to sensible heat at the ground, which in turn warms the air at the surface. The warm air rises in the atmosphere, where it expands and cools. Sometimes, however, the temperature of air actually increases with height. The situation of having warm air on top of cooler air is referred to as a temperature inversion, because the temperature profile of the atmosphere is "inverted" from its usual state. (noaa.com)

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How do surface temperature inversions form?

The most common manner in which surface inversions form is through the cooling of the air near the ground at night. Once the sun goes down, the ground loses heat very quickly, and this cools the air that is in contact with the ground. However, since air is a very poor conductor of heat, the air just above the surface remains warm. Conditions that favor the development of a strong surface inversion are calm winds, clear skies, and long nights. Calm winds prevent warmer air above the surface from mixing down to the ground, and clear skies increase the rate of cooling at the Earth's surface. Long nights allow for the cooling of the ground to continue over a longer period of time, resulting in a greater temperature decrease at the surface. Since the nights in the wintertime are much longer than nights during the summertime, surface inversions are stronger and more common during the winter months. A strong inversion implies a substantial temperature difference exists between the cool surface air and the warmer air aloft. During the daylight hours, surface inversions sometimes weaken and disappear as the sun warms the Earth's surface. However, under certain meteorological conditions, such as strong high pressure over the area, these inversions can persist as long as several days. In addition, valleys add to the air and pollution trapped between the warm and cool layers. (noaa.com)

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Snow on the ground?

Having snow on the ground can make things worse, because the whiteness reflects heat back up into the sky, instead of absorbing it and warming the ground.

A good snowstorm or strong wind is what is needed to restore the balance.

Usually the higher you go into the mountains, the colder the air, but during the temperature inversion, this is not the case. Conditions can be such that the valley is around ten degrees (Fahrenheit) and blanketed with a cream soup fog, while the mountain temperature is thirty-five degrees (Fahrenheit) with sunny skies. So an easy way to get a little relief from the smog and cold air is to drive up one of the canyons. Looking down into the valley from up above, the inversion looks like a layer of fluffy clouds. (exploreutah.com)

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According to the text and video, draw a layer of “pollution clouds” where they would occur on the image at the right. Digital students, describe where the pollution would occur.

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Did you put your pollution in the correct place?

What role does pressure play in the inversion?

Lesson 25: What’s Happening in the Air?

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Draw and label the following on each image:

• Warm air mass
• Cool air mass
• Cold air mass

Write an explanation for what is happening with the air masses in the two pictures.

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• Pollution layer
• Position of the Sun
• Bonus: High pressure air mass

Type digital responses below.