A sample of water evaporates from the Earth's surface and becomes a gas. The gas expands and rises high into the atmosphere. Eventually, the gas condenses and falls back to the ground as rain.

The water's movement through the atmosphere is an example of _______, which is driven by the Sun's _______.

Ocean currents and global wind patterns, which are caused by convection currents, most strongly affect a region's...

Convection currents, which affect weather and climate, are created by

Which of the following factors drives all the weather on Earth, including large-scale storms and local weather systems?

The atmosphere is heated both by the Sun and by the Earth's surface. Water radiates heat differently than land, so the air temperature over the ocean is usually different than the air temperature over land.

The difference in air temperature over land compared to over water causes convection currents in the atmosphere. How would a person at the beach experience these convection currents?

As the Earth rotates, winds are created that blow in a single direction over a specific area. These winds are responsible for moving clouds around the Earth and creating patterns of weather in different locations around the world.

What are these winds that move in a single direction over a specific area called?

Solar energy heats the surface of the Earth, including the ground, rocks, and even roadways. As the temperature of these surfaces increases, heat energy is released back into the atmosphere, forming a pocket of warm air. As the warm air pocket rises, it is replaced by cooler air.

This process is responsible for many of the weather patterns in our atmosphere, and is known as

Radiation transfers energy from the Sun to various parts of the Earth and its atmosphere. What process is driven by this transfer of energy?

Convection currents, resulting from uneven heating of the Earth's surface, cause _______ to form.

The image is a cross-section showing how air near the Earth's surface generally moves. It also shows how the polar jet stream tends to cause rain, while the subtropical jet stream tends to bring dry weather. The bottom of the image shows the latitude—the approximate distance from the equator—of each jet stream's average position.

Based on this image, where are deserts and other dry climates most likely to be located?

Global winds are directly caused by the Earth's rotation and

Marie drew a diagram to describe atmospheric convection.

What causes atmospheric convection?

The image shows the Earth's jet streams. In this picture, most of the United States lies in the yellow zone between the polar jet and the subtropical jet streams. The United States is marked with an X.

Based on the directions in which air moves in the jet streams, how would you expect weather patterns in the United States to move?

Look at the diagram.

If the primary source of atmospheric thermal energy on Earth is energy from the Sun, what conclusion can be made from the diagram?

Global winds are found in each convection region. Because convection cells are in a set place in the atmosphere and the Earth is spinning on its axis, the winds appear to curve.

The apparent curving of the winds is called _______.

The following image shows two jet streams in the Northern Hemisphere. The polar jet stream carries cold air. The subtropical jet stream carries warm air.

In the summer, the polar jet stream is usually north of the United States. In the winter, the polar jet moves down, often past the place marked with an "X". How will the weather at point X change as the polar jet moves from north of it to south of it?

When sunlight strikes the ground it warms the ground and the air near it. The warm air near the ground then rises as it expands. What does this process typically result in on the ground?

The steam that can be seen coming out of a boiling kettle consists of condensing water droplets. These water droplets move upward with the hot water vapor coming out of the kettle.

The process of hotter air rising and cooler air falling is called convection. What role does convection play in the atmosphere?

Which of the following are major influences on weather and climate?

The atmosphere flows in large convection currents. What happens during atmospheric convection?

Sunlight hits the Earth at an angle. As a result of the tilt of the Earth, some areas of the Earth receive more direct sunlight than others, which means they receive more solar energy.

Which statement correctly describes how solar energy changes as latitude changes?

When you feel wind, you are feeling the movement of Earth's atmosphere. Imagine that the pocket of atmosphere above your town is heated by the Sun.

Which of the following best describes the movement that will take place in that pocket of atmosphere?

The map below shows the continental United States. Weather patterns in the United States generally move in predictable ways.

If the state of Nebraska has a heat wave, which state would most likely feel the same heat wave within the next day or two?