Assignment
Part 1
Your Carbon Footprint
A person's carbon footprint refers to the amount of carbon dioxide produced by an individual over a given period of time. The carbon footprint calculation is important because carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. It is a proxy measure of how much energy a person uses, whether that energy is in the form of combustion to power your car, electricity to power your appliances, or the energy required to produce and transport the food you eat. Watch the following video to learn more about the carbon footprint and the amount of carbon dioxide generated by the average American household.
Carbon Footprint Video
Calculating Your Carbon Footprint
Calculating your carbon footprint is a complicated process that involves accounting for every kilowatt hour of energy you consume. Fortunately, there are less accurate but quicker carbon calculators we can use to get a rough estimate of our energy consumption. Use the Nature Conservancy calculator below to estimate the number of tons of carbon dioxide you are responsible for adding to the Earth's atmosphere each year. Be sure to include estimates for each of the major categories of energy consumption by selecting and filling out the information in each of the tabs (Home Energy, Driving & Flying, Food & Diet, Recycling & Waste). Note - the website urges you to donate to the Nature Conservancy to offset your carbon footprint, but you are under no obligation to donate any money and can use the carbon calculator free of charge.
Carbon Footprint Calculator
This is a short essay assignment. All short essays submitted for this course should be written in complete sentences and full paragraphs, each with a coherent beginning, middle, and end. A rule of thumb for short essay lengths is 2-3 full sentences per question.
After watching the video and calculating your carbon footprint, write a short 2 to 3 paragraph short essay answering the following questions:
1. What is your carbon footprint?
2. What steps could you take to reduce your carbon footprint?
3. Do you think you will try to take these steps anytime in the near future?
Part 2
Mid-Latitude Cyclones Lab
Mid-latitude Cyclones are large weather systems that form around low pressure centers in the Midcontinent of the United States. These cyclones form from the interaction of cold northern and warm southern air masses. Read the following Mid-Latitude Cyclones Lab Supplement to learn more about mid-latitude cyclones, frontal systems, and how cyclones and fronts are displayed on weather maps.
Mid-latitude Cyclones Lab Supplement
Weather Maps
The image below is a hypothetical weather map located in the Midcontinent of the United States. The map shows isobars and the locations (not labeled) of a cold front, a warm front, and their associated cold and warm air masses. The cross-sectional diagram below the weather map shows the shape of these fronts and air masses along a line running through the letters A, B, C, D, E, and F depicted on the map.
Use the weather map and cross-section to answer the following questions. This is a critical thinking exercise so you will have to apply your knowledge of mid-latitude cyclones to determine the correct answers. Add these answers to the attached answer worksheet and submit the worksheet for a grade using the Assignments Tool in ACE.
1. At which location on the map and cross-section (A, B, C, D, E, or F) is the cold front?
2. At which location on the map and cross-section (A, B, C, D, E, or F) is the warm front?
3. At which location on the map and cross-section (A-C, C-E, or E-F) is the cold air mass?
4. At which location on the map and cross-section (A-C, C-E, or E-F) is the warm air mass?
5. In which direction (North to South, South to North, West to East, East to West) is the storm moving?
6. What is the most likely wind direction (North, South, East, West) at Point D?
7. At Point D, is the pressure rising or falling?
8. Why is the pressure rising or falling at Point D? Base your answer on your answer to Question 7.
9. Is precipitation more likely at Point D or Point C?
10. Why is precipitation more likely at this point? Base your answer on your answer to Question 9.
11. At Point C, what general temperature change will take place with the passing of the cold front (will the temperature increase or decrease)?
12. Why will the temperature increase or decrease? Base your answer on your answer to Question 11.
13. What is the most likely wind direction (North, South, East, West) at Point B?
14. At Point B, is the pressure rising or falling?
15. Why is the pressure rising or falling at Point B? Base your answer on your answer to Question
Part 3
Air Pressure Lab
Air pressure (or atmospheric pressure) is the force exerted by a column of air above a point on the Earth's surface. Air pressure varies by elevation, with the highest air pressures exerted close to sea level and air pressure decreasing with increasing altitude. Read the following Air Pressure Lab Supplement to learn more about air pressure, how it's measured, and how air pressure is displayed on weather maps (The Station Model).
Air Pressure Lab Supplement
Google Earth
Open Google Earth and determine the elevations of each of the following cities. You can navigate to the cities by typing their name and state into the search menu. The city's elevation will be displayed in feet (above mean sea level) in the bottom right corner of the Google Earth window. Take note of each of the elevations, then order the cities by increasing average air pressure on the attached answer worksheet. Number 1 on the worksheet should be the city with the lowest average air pressure and number 4 should be the city with the highest average air pressure. Write the elevations of these cities in the space adjacent to each city name.
• Denver, Colorado
• Savannah, Georgia
• Indianapolis, Indiana
• Buffalo, New York
The Station Model
The Station Model is the system used by meteorologists to present data on weather maps. You read about the station model in the Air Pressure Lab Supplement. In this lab, you are going to interpret the data from four simplified station model examples. Examine the station models below and determine the air temperature and air pressure at each location. Add your answers to the attached answer worksheet.
Air Pressure Map
The map below is a simplified weather map of the United States showing surface pressure conditions in millibars. There is one high pressure center and one low pressure center on the map. Examine the map and determine which U.S. state the high pressure center is located over and which U.S. state the low pressure center is located over. Add these answers to the attached answer worksheet.
When you have completed all parts of the Air Pressure Lab and completely filled out the answer worksheet, save the worksheet and submit it for grading using the Assignments Tool in ACE.
Part 4
Wind Lab
Wind is created by the movement of air from areas of high atmospheric pressure to areas of low atmospheric pressure across the planet. Wind speeds are determined by the change in air pressure, with the fastest winds being generated by a rapid change in pressure over a short horizontal distance. Read the following Wind Lab Supplement to learn more about wind, air circulation patterns, and how wind is displayed on weather maps.
Wind Lab Supplement
Isobar Maps
Isobar maps are maps of air pressure that connect areas with the same pressure with lines called isobars (iso- means "same" and "bars" refers to the measure of air pressure in millibars). The following image is of an isobar map of the United States. Use this map to answer the following questions. Add the answers to the attached answer worksheet and submit this worksheet for grading using the Assignments Tool in ACE.
1. What is the direction of wind movement (clockwise or counter-clockwise) coming out of the high pressure cell in the western United States?
2. What is the direction of wind movement (clockwise or counter-clockwise) coming out of the low pressure cell in the eastern United States?
3. What is the predominant direction of wind movement (south to north, north to south, west to east, east to west) across the entire United States?
Wind Lab Answer Worksheet
Isobar Maps
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also Include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.
Attachment:- Lab-Files.rar