Classroom Questions

Questions for ‘Surprise! The jet stream can trigger cloud formation’ 

Satellite image of clouds blown by the jet stream.

Waviness in the high-speed flow of the jet stream (shown) can cause fingers of stratospheric air to punch down and curl into the troposphere below. This mixing of atmospheric layers spurs chemical reactions that cause new aerosol particles to form.

NASA

By Science News Explores

To accompany ‘Surprise! The jet stream can trigger cloud formation’ 

SCIENCE

Before Reading:

  1. What are clouds made of? To the best of your understanding, describe how clouds form.
  2. Experts use computer models to simulate weather. What do computer models do? List three types of data, or measurements, that these computer models might require to generate simulations. Do you think the accuracy of such models is important or unimportant? Explain your answer.

During Reading:

  1. Briefly describe how tiny particles in the atmosphere contribute to cloud formation.
  2. Clouds live in which layer of Earth’s atmosphere?
  3. Contrast the air density of the stratosphere with the troposphere.
  4. What is stratospheric air intrusion?
  5. Briefly describe the jet stream. What is the relationship between the jet stream and stratospheric air intrusion?
  6. Contrast the temperature of the stratosphere with the troposphere.
  7. Although scientists don’t understand the exact mechanisms of cloud formation, Jian Wang describes three major requirements. List those three requirements.

After Reading:

  1. How do scientists expect climate change to affect the atmospheric processes described in this story? If they are correct, make one prediction for how this might impact the weather. Point to information in this story to support your prediction. If this prediction is accurate, what new challenges might people have to deal with in the future?
  2. Refer to your answer to Question 2 in Before Reading. Use what you’ve learned from this story to add another type of data to your list. Point to information in this story to support your answer. Do you think including these additional data will improve the model’s accuracy? Explain your answer.