TOPIC 7 OBJECTIVES WATER CYCLE AND CLIMATE
1. Tell the largest source of moisture for the atmosphere.
Evaporation from the oceans is the largest source of moisture.
Transpiration from plants is another important source of moisture.
2. List the components of the water cycle.
Water enters the air by evaporation from the surface of the Earth. As the air rises condensation takes place. Clouds form that leads to precipitation, which allows water to return to the surface of the Earth. Once on the surface the water can evaporate, infiltrate or run off.
3. List 3 things that can happen to precipitation upon reaching the ground:
4. Evaluate the need for conserving and recycling water.
Conserve means to use less, recycle means to clean the water so that it can be reused. Both are important because less than .3% of the world's water is currently usable by man for drinking.
5. a. Name the source of most of the Earth's energy.
b. List two other sources of energy for the Earth.
6. Describe how the angle of the sun affects temperature.
The greater the angle, 90o is the maximum, the faster an object will heat.
7. Tell how the angle of the sun varies as latitude changes.
8. Offer two possibilities that can happen to solar energy when it reaches the earth.
1) Absorption:When the energy enters the object.
2) Reflected:The energy can bounce off of the surface of the object.
9. Assess how color, texture, and specific heat affect the temperature change of an object.
Color: The darker the color the faster and object will heat.
Texture: The rougher the texture the faster and object will heat.
Specific Heat: The lower the specific heat the faster an object will heat.
10. Name which surface, land or water, will absorb more solar energy.
11 a. Define wavelength.
b. Compare the wavelengths of different electromagnetic radiation using the ESRT.
The information is contained on page 14 of the E.S.R.T..*Page 14 ESRT*
c. Compare the wavelengths of energy that are absorbed by the Earth with the wavelengths of energy re-radiated.
The most common type of energy from the Sun is visible light. The wavelength is relatively short. The energy re-radiated is infrared, which has a relatively long wavelength.
12. Explain the effect of greenhouse gasses on the temperature of the earth.
Greenhouse gasses allow the shorter wavelength energy from the sun to pass through, but trap the longer wavelength energy re-radiated by the Earth.
13. Evaluate global warming as a result of the greenhouse effect or normal cyclic temperature change.
A higher percentage of scientist feel that because of the amount of greenhouse gasses humans are placing in the air it is causing a global increase in temperature. There are a smaller percentage of scientists who feel that the increases in temperature are the result of natural cycle, and not effected by human activity.
14. Define climate.
Climate is the long-term weather conditions in an area.
15. Cite two factors that can be used to determine the climate of an area.
16. Identify the effect of the following on climate type:
1) Latitude: As the latitude increase temperature decreases.
