Earth Science
Earth Systems, Structures, and Processes
5.E.1 Understand weather patterns and phenomena, making connections to the weather in a particular place and time.
5.E.1.3
Explain how global patterns such as the jet stream and water currents influence local weather in measurable terms such as temperature, wind direction and speed, and precipitation.
5.E.1.3
Students know that local weather conditions are influenced by global factors such as air and water currents.
The jet stream is an air current in the upper atmosphere, located over North America that has a powerful influence on the weather conditions there. The jet stream flows from the west to the east and changes location depending on global conditions.
The Gulf stream is a warm water surface current in the Atlantic ocean that moves from south of Florida up the eastern seaboard and then across the Atlantic. The Gulf stream moderates weather along the eastern seaboard, warming the air and land there during the cooler months.
In the Pacific, there is an oscillation of water temperatures known as El Nino/La Nina. This oscillation impacts the climate of North and South America for long periods of time.
Hurricanes are major storms that form over warm ocean water and are caused by global weather patterns.
Weather Pattern
What type of weather do they bring, and where?
jet stream
Gulf stream
El Nino
La Nina
hurricanes
westerlies
climate near poles
climate near equator
