The following image shows surface salinity values of ocean waters around the globe. Place the climate zones in order from least to most saline based on the image.

Thermohaline circulation can explain some of the surface currents we see in our oceans, but it does not explain the prevalence of gyres (large, circular currents). What causes gyres to form?

  Water vapor condenses to form clouds, but the type of cloud depends on many atmospheric conditions. Using the word bank provided, label the cloud types in the diagram.

  Black carbon is an aerosol that is common in today’s atmosphere. In the video below, we can see the relative abundance of black carbon in South Asia over a period of three months. The dark purple regions indicate areas of lower black carbon concentrations, whereas the white areas have concentrations 20 to 40 times those of the background levels. Click here to open the video in a new window. Notice how weather patterns move through and distribute the aerosol widely, but the source (circled in the image below) remains in place, continuing to produce more black carbon. Which of the following processes is likely responsible for the constant flux of black carbon?

It is important to distinguish cyclones from hurricanes. While both are powerful storm systems, there are notable differences. Drag the following terms onto the storm type they describe.

Let’s take a look at satellite imagery from a massive mid-latitude cyclone that crossed the United States in March 1993. This event is commonly called the “Storm of the Century.” It spawned 15 tornadoes in Florida, killed 270 people, and caused $5.5 billion in damage. Watch the following video and see if you can identify the different parts of the cyclone. Click here to open the video in a new window. On the imagery below, match the different symbols to their appropriate locations.

  Atmospheric properties, such as temperature, pressure, and relative humidity, are reported in different units. Match the unit with the atmospheric property it measures.

  The Earth’s atmosphere has changed significantly through time. Place the images of the Earth’s atmosphere in order from the earliest to our current atmosphere, based on their compositions.  

The Earth’s oceans are part of a dynamic system. The temperature and salinity of the water varies across the globe. These differences result in variations in water density, which drives the major oceanic currents in a process called thermohaline circulation. Which type of water is densest?

On the following map, there are six boxes at different tectonic margins. Match the label of active or passive to the appropriate areas.