The Sun’s Effect on The Sun’s Effect on WeatherWeather

ContentsContents

The Sun’s Key The Sun’s Key RolesRoles

Effects on Earth’s Effects on Earth’s weatherweather

Moving Air: The Moving Air: The WindWind

EvaporationEvaporation

HurricanesHurricanes

What is the Sun??What is the Sun??

The Sun is a star, the closest star to planet earth.The Sun is a star, the closest star to planet earth.

It is the largest object in the solar system, It is the largest object in the solar system, contains 99.8% of the total mass.contains 99.8% of the total mass.

It is estimated to be about 4.5 billion years old. It is estimated to be about 4.5 billion years old.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/4445502369/in/set 72157623527696147/

Let’s take a look!!

The Sun’s Key RolesThe Sun’s Key Roles

The sun supplies light and heat to our solar The sun supplies light and heat to our solar system.system.

The sun is the Earth’s major source of heat The sun is the Earth’s major source of heat energy.energy.

The Sun’s heat sustains life and controls our The Sun’s heat sustains life and controls our climate.climate.

The Sun’s Key RolesThe Sun’s Key Roles The Sun keep the temperature of most of the The Sun keep the temperature of most of the

Earth’s surface at 51 to 49 degrees Celsius.Earth’s surface at 51 to 49 degrees Celsius.– Most living things can only survive at 0 to 49 Most living things can only survive at 0 to 49

degrees Celsius. degrees Celsius.

Did You KnowDid You Know: If the amount of sunlight : If the amount of sunlight reaching the Earth was cut by 1/10th, the reaching the Earth was cut by 1/10th, the oceans would turn to ice and life on Earth oceans would turn to ice and life on Earth would cease to exist. would cease to exist.

Sun’s Effect on WeatherSun’s Effect on Weather

The Sun is a major contributor to the world’s The Sun is a major contributor to the world’s weather.weather.

The Sun’s heat warms the Earth’s land and The Sun’s heat warms the Earth’s land and water surfaces. water surfaces.

The Earth absorbs the heat and releases it into The Earth absorbs the heat and releases it into the atmosphere, which heats the air above, and the atmosphere, which heats the air above, and causes moving air. causes moving air.

The movement of air causes winds which lead The movement of air causes winds which lead to weather changes. to weather changes.

Sun’s Effect on WeatherSun’s Effect on Weather

The WindThe Wind The absorption and release of heat energy into The absorption and release of heat energy into

the atmosphere results in moving air, also the atmosphere results in moving air, also known as Wind. known as Wind.

The air moves, because the surface is unevenly The air moves, because the surface is unevenly heated. (some surfaces absorb heat faster than heated. (some surfaces absorb heat faster than others) others)

With movement, the air pressure (weight of air With movement, the air pressure (weight of air pressing on everything around it) changes, these pressing on everything around it) changes, these changes affect weather. changes affect weather.

The Wind: Sea BreezeThe Wind: Sea Breeze On a Beach: When land heats up faster than

water, air above land becomes warmer than air above water.

The warm land air rises, and is replaced by cool moving air from above the water.

This is known as a breeze (or Sea Breeze) This type of air movement can happen anywhere

where the surfaces are unevenly heated.

The Wind: Sea BreezeThe Wind: Sea Breeze

EvaporationEvaporation One factor that affects air and weather is water One factor that affects air and weather is water

vapor.vapor.– Creates Air MoistureCreates Air Moisture

Evaporation is the process of changing liquid to Evaporation is the process of changing liquid to gas. When Earth’s liquid water (oceans etc…) gas. When Earth’s liquid water (oceans etc…) evaporates, it releases gas called water vapor.evaporates, it releases gas called water vapor.

Heat from the Sun speeds up evaporationHeat from the Sun speeds up evaporation

EvaporationEvaporation The water vapors are held in the atmosphere, as The water vapors are held in the atmosphere, as

air cools, the vapors become air cools, the vapors become condensationcondensation (tiny (tiny droplets of water that form clouds)droplets of water that form clouds)

When the droplets grow larger and get too heavy, When the droplets grow larger and get too heavy, they fall back to Earth as they fall back to Earth as precipitation:precipitation:– rain, snow, hail, or sleet.rain, snow, hail, or sleet.

EvaporationEvaporation Water vapors in the air causes humidity. Water vapors in the air causes humidity.

Humidity and temperature combined causes Humidity and temperature combined causes moving air masses, which results in weather moving air masses, which results in weather front.front.– Cold Front – moving mass of cool airCold Front – moving mass of cool air– Warm Front – moving mass of warm airWarm Front – moving mass of warm air–

Evaporation and Air MovementEvaporation and Air Movement

Let’s take a look at this process, click on the umbrella!!!

Water vapors in the air cause humidity. Humidity and Water vapors in the air cause humidity. Humidity and temperature combined causes moving air masses, which temperature combined causes moving air masses, which results in weather fronts.results in weather fronts.

A front refers to the “front or leading” edge of a moving A front refers to the “front or leading” edge of a moving air mass:air mass:

Cold Front – leading edge of a mass of cool airCold Front – leading edge of a mass of cool airWarm Front – leading edge of a mass of warm airWarm Front – leading edge of a mass of warm air

HurricanesHurricanes Weather Fronts can lead to severe weather, such Weather Fronts can lead to severe weather, such

as Hurricanes.as Hurricanes.

Hurricanes are large, violent tropical storms Hurricanes are large, violent tropical storms with wind speeds greater than 117km/hrwith wind speeds greater than 117km/hr

Hurricanes begin as thunderstorms over warm Hurricanes begin as thunderstorms over warm water, the heat from the water, wind, and water, the heat from the water, wind, and moisture help fuel the storm. moisture help fuel the storm.

HurricanesHurricanes Hurricane winds move counterclockwise, while Hurricane winds move counterclockwise, while

the eye of the storm (middle) remains calm.the eye of the storm (middle) remains calm.

Let’s take a look at the movement of a Let’s take a look at the movement of a hurricane.hurricane.– http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?

title=Hurricane_Ike_by_3D_Weather_Globe&videotitle=Hurricane_Ike_by_3D_Weather_Globe&video_id=49703_id=49703

Lesson Recap:Lesson Recap:

The Sun’s Key The Sun’s Key RolesRoles

Effects on Earth’s Effects on Earth’s weatherweather

Moving Air: The Moving Air: The WindWind

EvaporationEvaporation

HurricanesHurricanes

Online ResourcesOnline Resources

www.HurricaneKwww.HurricaneKatrina.comatrina.com

www.teachertubwww.teachertube.come.com

www.Google.comwww.Google.com http://http://

nineplanets.org/nineplanets.org/sol.htmlsol.html

http://http://www.windows2universwww.windows2universe.org/sun/e.org/sun/solar_atmosphere.htmlsolar_atmosphere.html

http://http://www.intellicast.com/www.intellicast.com/Local/WxMap.aspx?Local/WxMap.aspx?weather=hdVisSatIRBlweather=hdVisSatIRBlendend