IQ Weather Lessons 14 thru 18

LESSON 14

Oceans

Oceans cover 71% of the surface of the earth! That fact alone should make you realize how important a role they play in the weather of this planet! They oceans also provide other surprising functions that help keep the planet livable! This lesson also looks at ocean patterns that change so slowly that they influence the climate and the seasons of the year!

  • How much of our planet is covered by water? Why is that important?

  • How much would the sea level change if all the ice in the oceans melted?

  • How does the fact that ice floats affect our climate?

Teacher Guide: Oceans
Lesson Resources: Oceans
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Lesson 14: Oceans and Weather

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1. The ocean covers how much of the surface of the earth?

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2. The atmosphere holds how much less heat than the ocean?

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3. Energy always flows from:

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4. Warm water helps _____ pressure areas form.

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5. El Nino's are areas of ______water that form in the ______ ocean.

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6. This cold water feature is the opposite of El Nino, and forms in the south Pacific Ocean.

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7. Either phase of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation can last for up to ______ years.

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8. One reason that ocean water may heat up suddenly in some areas is attributed to:

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9. Cold ocean water ______ carbon dioxide.

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10. If ice did not float...the earth would:

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Quiz Answers: Oceans

LESSON 15

Winter Weather and Blizzards

Winter weather creates opportunities, hazards and challenges each year. In past lessons we have discussed some of the key points about how snow, sleet, and freezing rain can form. In this lesson we go into more detail about the impact snow and ice can have on our daily lives. We also investigate some of the more unusual and interesting parts of winter weather, as well!

  • Why are some snowfalls heavy and wet…and others light, dry and fluffy?

  • How does the temperature affect what type of snow falls in your area?

  • Does a forecast for snow affect how people behave? Why?

Teacher Guide: Winter Weather
Lesson Resources: Winter Weather
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Lesson 15: Winter Weather and Blizzards

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1. Cold air holds _____ moisture than warm air.

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2. The ability of air to hold moisture doubles for every _______ degrees that the air warms up.

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3. When the air temperature is close to freezing, the water to snow ratio is usually:

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4. As air temperatures get colder, these two factors can affect how much snow will fall:

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5. Which of the following items are important when trying to forecast snow?

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6. Frigid air moving over a large body of water can produce the following type of winter weather:

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7. Which two factors are most important when categorizing a storm as a blizzard?

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8. Snow has a high:

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9. Typically, the coldest nights occur:

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10. Rain that falls into subfreezing air and freezes before reaching the ground is called:

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LESSON 16

Aviation Weather

In this lesson we talk with veteran pilot, Michael Moore who has experienced flying in all types of weather!  Aviation is directly affected by the weather.  Part of the pilot’s exam covers weather. Bad weather is something that all pilots will deal and they have to know how to handle it.  The more experience the pilot has, the better equipped they are to recognize and avoid weather hazards. Intelligent pilots continue to learn about the weather because it affects everything they while flying an aircraft.

  • How is weather information important to pilots?

  • How do large planes handle weather situations differently than smaller aircraft?

  • What weather situations do pilots try to avoid the most?

  • What are some of the rare things pilots see when flying?

Teacher Guide: Aviation Weather
Lesson Resources: Aviation Weather
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Lesson 16: Aviation Weather

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1. Why do pilots check the weather before taking off?

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2. At what altitude is the aircraft above most of the weather?

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3. When flying near a storm, it is important never to:

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4. It is required that aircraft pilots pass a weather test before they are certified to fly:

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5. What is the most serious hazard created by ice on an aircraft?

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6. Where is snow most dangerous for large aircraft?

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7. What are some rare phenomena that pilots have seen during a flight?

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8. What is the #1 priority of an airline pilot

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9. What makes larger aircraft handle inclement weather better than smaller planes?

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10. At what altitude can a pilot see the curvature of the Earth?

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IQ WEATHER BONUS

Aviation Weather For Helicopters

Weather is a big part of aviation. Helicopters face extra challenges when flying due to their design.

IQ Weather secured an interview with one of the most famous television helicopter pilots in America: Johnny Rowlands.

Johnny Rowlands has spent over  12,000 hours flying helicopters since he obtained his pilot’s license in 1977. He has extensive experience chasing storms and providing storm and tornado warnings for his audiences and the National Weather Service.

In this bonus lesson, Mr. Rowlands provides you with a unique perspective on weather as seen from the cockpit of a chopper! Enjoy the video!

LESSON 17

Weather Tech

We have all come to rely heavily on technology, and the field of weather forecasting and meteorology is no different. In some ways, technology makes forecasts timely and accurate. In other ways the technology becomes a crutch for forecasters, and reliable older methods and analysis are discarded. This lesson examines some of the current and future technology that is used in the field of meteorology. It also discusses some of the known limitations so that students can understand that humans still need to use their brains instead of solely relying on computers for every answer.

  • What are the dangers of relying on computer data for weather?

  • What are the advantages of computers in weather forecasting?

  • How accurate is computer data for weather forecasts?

  • How far out in time can you rely on weather computer models?

Teacher Guide: Weather Tech
Lesson Resources: Weather Tech
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Lesson 17: Weather Technology

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1. Improvements in weather forecasting are a result of:

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2. Many companies rely on weather information to save them money:

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3. Computers use weather data to construct a(n) ________ for forecasting the weather.

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4. The number and spacing of the grid points in a computer weather model is called the__________.

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5. Computer weather models are most accurate:

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6. Computers have a difficult time accurately predicting weather beyond 7 days because:

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7. Are meteorologists necessary when computers can do so much?

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8. How many computer models does it take to make a good forecast?

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9. Using an average of a variety of versions of one computer model is best for:

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10. What is the biggest improvement in forecasting that computers offer meteorologists?

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LESSON 18

Solar and Space Weather

Understanding the climate and weather on this planet requires you realize that much of what governs the weather on Earth originates in outer space. The sun is our source of heat and energy. Although the sun looks like a small bright spot in the sky that we all take for granted, it is actually a thermo-nuclear fireball that is over a million times the size of Earth. Small fluctuations and changes in the energy we receive from the sun have huge impacts on our climate and our weather patterns. This lesson explains a few of the ways that the sun can affect what we experience here on Earth.

  • Do changes in the sun affect the weather on earth?

  • Do changes in outer space have any impact on our climate?

  • The change of seasons is one type of solar cycle.  How many other types of solar cycles are there?

Teacher Guide: Solar and Space Weather
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Lesson 18: Solar and Space Weather

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1. The sun is how much larger than Earth?

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2. These change the amount of energy the sun sends to the Earth:

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3. The most common sunspot cycle is the:

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4. One reason the climate of Earth changes slowly is that:

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5. The “Little Ice Age” happened when the solar cycle produced:

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6. Changes in the orbit, tilt, and orientation of the Earth and the sun is part of the:

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7. Earth’s orbit around the sun keeps us at the same distance from the sun all year long.

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8. The amount of space dust that settles on to the planet is affected by:

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9. Space dust helps to form:

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10. A more active solar cycle helps to increase______ _______ on Earth.

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Quiz Answers: Solar and Space Weather
Go To Lesson #19: NWS Weather Balloon Launch