We can see that the number of clouds depen ds on the air temperature • Summer (hot temperature) • Night (cold temperature) • Winter (cold temperature) Landforms • Each land can absorb and release infrared radiation differently according to landforms. Light colored areas
• Better at reflecting than absorbing infrared radiation. (r
ed-soil areas) Dark-colored areas
• Better at absorbing than reflecting infrared
radiation Water Surfaces
• Slowly absorb but keep heat energy longer
than the land (ocean, sea and lake) Thick Forest
• Reduce or obstruct sunlight from permeating the s
oil. The soil receives less heat resulting in cold air Big Cities
• Receive a large quantity of heat energy affecting
the air temperature to be very high specially dur ing the day. Air Humidity Humidity- when vapor from evaporation and transpiration will diffuse into the air. Evaporation- when the liquid turns to gas or vapor because of heat Transpiration- the plants reduce heat through releasing water from eaves in the form of vapor. • Low humidity- has a high temperature and the amount of vapor is high.
• High humidity- has a low temperature and the amount of
vapor is low. Air Density • Is defined as mass of the air per unit volume of t he air. Characteristics of Air Density 1. At sea level air density is greatest at 1.2 kg per cubic meter. 2. The amount of air close to the Earth’s surface is greater than that at a higher level. 3. In areas of different temperatures, the density of the air is different. 4. Cold areas is more dense than in hot areas. Atmospheric Pressure • The force of the atmosphere above a unit area at a certain height from the Earth’s surface. • Properties of air pressure: 1. Different places- different air pressure 2. Low altitude-low pressure (diving underwater) 3. Same height- same pressure 4. Pressure depends on temperature (cold-high pressure, hot- low pressure) 5. Pressure depends on humidity (wet humidity- low pressure, and dry humid- high pressure) Tools for Measuring Air Pressure • Mercury Barometer A mercury barometer balances the weight of mercury in a glass tube a gainst the atmospheric p ressure above a reservoir of mercury at its base to provide a measurement of atmospheric pressure. Barograph Is an instrument used to make a continuous recording of atmospheric pressure. ... The pen trace s a record of pressure ver sus time on a chart, which is mounted on a drum rot ated by a clockwork. Altimeter • Altitude can be determined based on the measurement of atmospheric pressure. The gr eater the altitude, the lower the pressure.