Unit C: Processes That Change the Earth
Chapter 3: Weather and Climate
Chapter 3 Introduction
Does weather begin or end? Or does it just keep moving from place to place? Many things contribute to making weather and to changing it.
Click on the button below to watch and interact with a video about weather. |
Chapter 3, Lesson 1: How Can You Observe and Measure Weather Conditions?
Summary
Most of Earth's weather takes place in the troposphere, the lowest layer of the atmosphere. Weather conditions such as temperature, air pressure, humidity, wind speed and direction, and the amount of precipitation can be observed and measured. Certain weather conditions, such as changing air pressure and types of clouds, can be used to predict changes in the weather. Click on the button below to watch and interact with a video about high and low pressure. |
Chapter 3, Lesson 2: What Causes Wind?
Summary
Changes in air pressure, from uneven heating of Earth's surface and the air above it, cause the wind to blow. Local winds depend on local changes in temperature. Prevailing, or global, winds are caused by the sun's uneven heating of large parts of the atmosphere and by Earth's rotation on its axis. Prevailing winds in the United States are from the west, so weather systems tend to move from west to east. Click on the button below to watch and interact with a video about winds. |
Chapter 3, Lesson 3: What is Climate and How Does it Change?
Summary
Climate is the average of all weather conditions through all seasons over a period of time. Temperature and precipitation are the major factors that determine climate. Earth's climate has changed over time as average temperatures have risen and fallen. Human activities, such as burning fossil fuels, can affect climate. Click on the button below to watch and interact with a video about climate. |
For Review
Click on the pictures below for more videos about Climate.
Click on the pictures below for more videos about Climate.