Republic of the Philippines

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Region VI-Western Visayas
Schools Division of Iloilo
 
PAVIA NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Evangelista St., Pavia, Iloilo

JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Grade 7

SCI-BOX
(A SELF-LEARNING PACKAGE FOR JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL)
Quarter 4 | Week 4 – SOLAR ENERGY AND THE ATMOSPHERE
Ready to Launch!

In the next section, you will learn concepts that will help you understand common atmospheric
phenomena: why the wind blows, why monsoons occur, and what the so called intertropical
convergence zone is. All of these are driven by the same thing: the heat of the Sun or solar energy.

Aim at the Target!

LC S7ESIVf- 7: Account for the occurrence of land and sea breezes, monsoons, and intertropical
convergence zone (ITCZ)

At the end of this lesson, you are expected to:

1. Describe and explain how temperature and pressure affects movement of air.
2. Illustrate and describe how sea breeze and land breeze, monsoons, and intertropical convergence
zone (ITCZ) occur
3. Recognize the importance of the local winds in real-life situations.

 
Try This!

One of the colorful activities happen in is the Hot Air Balloon Festival. The festival is an annual event
happening between January and February at Clark in Pampanga.

Do you know why the hot air

balloon floats in the air?

The Sun heats the surface of the

Earth. The earth’s surface is made up of
different things; some places heat up faster
than others.

Have you been to a place like that?

What has to feel when you are

under the sun?

How about during the sunset, have

you experienced going to the seaside during night time?

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 What have you noticed?

Keep This in Mind!

HOW TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE AFFECTS MOVEMENT OF AIR?

What happens when air is heated?

Air around us could be a mixture of the many gases and dirt
particles. It’s the clear gas within which living things live and breathe.
It contains the oxygen that we inhale and also the greenhouse
emission we exhale. Heating of the planet, which successively heats
the atmosphere, is liable for the motions and movements of the air
within the atmosphere. Air is formed of molecules that are constantly
in motion. So, air like most other substances, expands when heated
and contracts when cooled. Because there's extra space between
the molecules, the air is a smaller amount dense than the
encompassing matter and also the hot air floats upward. the other
effect happens when air cools. Because the temperature drops,
molecules move more slowly, usurping less room. the number of
space the air takes up shrinks, or reduces the atmospheric pressure.
This is often the concept utilized in the new air balloons. The air is
heated by the burner and also the expanding air becomes less
dense, causing the balloon to rise through the denser, cooler
surrounding air.

What happens to the air in the surroundings as warm air rises?

Warm air rises. Air moves toward the place where warm air is
rising. Air moves from high-pressure areas to low-pressure areas.
What makes the air move? When the sun heats up the world, some
places heat faster than the others. The air above the hotter places also
will warm up and can rise as a result. The air within the surroundings
will then move toward the place where warm air is rising. We call this
moving air as wind.
Weather on earth is formed by the convection currents within
the atmosphere. When warm air rises and cools in a very depression
zone, it should not hold all the water it contains as vapour, in effect,
this vapour may condense to make clouds or precipitation. When cool
air sinks, it warms which allows it to carry more moisture; the
descending air will evaporate water on the bottom.

Local winds are winds that elapses a limited location. These winds blow between small low and air
mass systems. These also are influenced by geographical or topographical factors like the space of an area
from a lake, an ocean, or mountains.

Which warms up faster?

At night the land cool off faster than the ocean. Cold air sinks creating a section of high. Wind blows
from the land to the ocean. During the day, the land gets hotter faster than the water. The heated air rises,
jilting a region of air mass. Wind from the cooler sea blows in to require the place of that warmer air. The land
heats up (and cools down) faster than water, the land cools and heats faster than the ocean. Water holds heat
longer than land and takes longer to heat or cool.

What is a Breeze?
The light and the cool wind we experience during summertime is called a breeze. It is one of the
pleasant things we should experience during summer on the beach. There are two types of breezes: sea
breeze and land breeze. Land breeze and sea breeze takes place near large bodies of water. The key
difference between the two is caused by the property of water to retain and warm up longer. The differences in
the temperature of land and water cause respective changes to the densities of the air above them. The
resulting low pressures then cause alternating air movements which are manifested as breezes. Individuals
situated near coastlines (within 50 kilometers from the oceanfront) experience cool sea breezes during the day
and warm land breezes at night. Furthermore, these winds are instrumental in humidity and temperature levels,
and precipitation rates.
The main difference between both types of breeze is that water retains the heat for a long period. The
temperature difference between land and water causes a respective change in the densities of the air above
their surfaces. The alternating air movement is caused by the resulting low pressure, which causes the breeze.
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 People living in the coastal areas experience a cool sea breeze during the daytime and a warm land
breeze during the night. These breezes also play a crucial in the temperature andhumidity level and
precipitation rates.

Sea Breeze
The sea breeze is known as the movement of winds from a larger body of water like the oceans and
seas. It is also called the onshore winds. This usually occurs during the summer and spring season as there is
more temperature difference between the land and the adjacent bodies of water like the ocean and sea. This is
most often observed in the afternoons when the nearby land has been heated at its maximum level. Notably,
sea breezes are stronger during the summer months as compared to the winter season.
This is again attributed to the huge temperature difference between land and sea which may even
prompt thunderstorms which are essential in bringing rain. Hence, sea breezes are not that apparent during
the autumn and winter months because the temperature differentials are smaller.

Figure1a. Sea Breeze

During the daytime, the land gets quickly heated by the sun. The air above the water gets less warm as
compared to the air above the land. Due to the warmer air above the land, it begins to rise in the air due to
being less dense. Then, low pressure is formed. As the warm land air moves up, the denser air above the
water moves to take space above the land. This cooler air is known as the sea breeze.

Land Breeze
The flow of the moving air from land to water is known as the land breeze; it is also known as the
offshore wind. When the temperature of the land is lower compared to the adjacent water bodies, it happens
during the night and early morning. It arises at night and early morning when the land has a lower heat
capacity as compared to the adjacent water.

Figure 1b. Land Breeze

Particularly, land breezes last longer during the last weeks of summer as this is when the sea
temperature will gradually increase to the land’s daily temperature variations.
During the night, the land cools down quickly as there is no sun to provide the heat, and heats the
surrounding air. But compared to the land, water bodies can retain the heat for a longer period, which causes
the air above it to have lower density and rise. High pressure is formed above the land; and at the same time,
low pressure is formed above the water. The movement of the denser air above the land takes place from land
to space over water. The cool breeze that comes from the shore is known as the land breeze, as the
movement of the winds takes place from high-pressure to low-pressure areas.
Water has a higher specific heat capacity than other materials like land. The specific heat capacity of
water is 4,200 Joules per kilogram per degree Celsius (J/kg°C). This means that it takes 4,200 J to raise
the temperature of 1 kg of water by 1°C.

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 The Philippines have a tropical climate meaning the weather is generally hot and quite humid. The
region only experiences three seasons, hot and dry summer between March and May are known as tag-init, a
wet season between June and November are known as tag-ulan, and a cooler dry season between December
and February known as tag-lamig. The Philippines weather patterns are created by the prevailing winds of the
southwest monsoon (known as habagat) from May to October and the northeast monsoon (known as the
amihan) from November to early May.

Here are the weather systems that will affect the weather conditions in the Philippines

HIGH- AND LOW-PRESSURE AREAS

A low pressure area or LPA is a region where the atmospheric pressure is lower than the surrounding
areas but at the same level. A low-pressure system develops when warm air rises from the Earth’s surface and
the air in the surrounding area rushes in to fill the space, thus forming a heavy inflow of wind. In a low-pressure
area, winds rotate in the anti-clockwise direction around the center of the system, which is suggestive of some
weather in terms of precipitation, clouds, rise in temperature, and strong winds.
A high-pressure area or HPA is a region where the atmospheric pressure at the surface is greater than
its surrounding areas. Winds within the high-pressure areas flow in a clockwise direction, indicative of good
weather conditions. Areas of high pressure are usually associated with clear and sunny weather as they are
the direct opposite of a low-pressure system. Tropical areas are well-known for the frequent formation of low
pressure and high-pressure areas.

Figure 2. High-pressure and low-pressure area

SOUTHEAST AND NORTHEAST MONSOONS

From October to March, the northeast

monsoon also known as hanging amihan comes
from the northeast and moves toward the south.
Why does the wind move or blows from north to
south? It is because there is a low-pressure area
in the south (near Australia) during that time.
From July to September, the southwest
monsoon or hanging habagat comes from
southwest and moves toward the north. That
means that the low-pressure area is no longer in
the south. This time it is located to the north of the
Philippines (in the Asian continent preferably).
The northeast (hanging amihan) is cold
because it comes from cold areas or countries,
such as Siberia and Mongolia, in the Asian
continent.

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 Both hanging amihan and hanging habagat bring a lot of rain in the Philippines. This is because the
winds pass over the bodies of water which supply a lot
of moisture. The hanging amihan passes through the Figure 3. Southwest and Northeast Monsoons
Pacific Ocean before it reaches the Philippines,
bringing a lot of rains in the eastern part of the country while hanging habagat passes through the Indian
Ocean and West Philippine Sea before it arrives in the country, resulting in the experience of the rain by the
western portion of the country.
The monsoons such as hanging amihan and habagat affect greatly the people in various ways. Most of
the farmers welcome the monsoons because it supplies the rain for their crops. While fishermen are not happy
because it is not safe for them to go fishing when it is raining very hard and the wind is blowing also. Fish pen
owners also worry about monsoons, because when the fish pen overflows, they lose all the fish within.
Monsoons greatly help in filling our water dams, and the stored water is used for many purposes such as
domestic use (drinking, washing), irrigation, and even for electricity generation. How about you, how do
monsoons affect your life? Did it affect your schooling?

INTERTROPICAL CONVERGENCE ZONE (ITCZ)

The equatorial area receives direct rays from the Sun, it is much warmer than any other place on Earth.
The warm equatorial area heats the air above it. The warm air then rises. Moisture in the rising air will lead to
the formation of clouds, which result in torrential downpours. Thus, ITCZ is the reason why we get a lot of
thunderstorms during certain months of the year. Which months? During the months when the Sun’s rays are
most direct, during warm months. As warm air rises over the equatorial areas rises, the air in the surroundings
will move in. Air from north of the equator and south of the equator will then meet and converge at the place
where warm air is rising. Areas north and south of the equator are called tropics. Thus, we know why it is called
the intertropical convergence zone. It is the place where winds in the tropics meet, rise and form clouds,
resulting in thunderstorms during certain times of the year. The ITCZ brings heavy rains to parts of the country
sometime between May to October.

Figure 4. Intertropical Convergence Zone

EASTERLY WAVE

Easterly wave is a warm wind from the

east, which usually occurs when Amihan
starts weakening and also brings warmer
weather. Easterly wave is a migratory wave-
like disturbance of the tropical easterlies. It is
a wave along with a broad easterly current
and moves from east to west.

Figure 5. Easterly Wave

TAIL -END OF A COLD FRONT

The convergence of the winds from east

and north-east could also bring rains. A cold
front is the leading edge of a cooler mass of air,
replacing at ground level a warmer mass of air,
which lies within a fairly sharp surface trough of
low pressure. It forms in the wake of an
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extratropical cyclone, at the leading edge of its cold air advection pattern, which is also known as the cyclone's
dry conveyor belt circulation. Figure 6. Cold Front

ACTIVITY
Fill Me Up!
Instruction: Write the description of the following on the boxes similar below.

What happens when air is What happens to the air in the Which warms up faster: water
heated? surroundings as warm air rises? or land?

Southeast and Northeast

High and Low Pressure Area Land and Sea Breeze
Monsoons

Intertropical Convergence Cold Front Easterlies

Zone

Reflect

Significance of the Local Winds

Weather forecasting is the application of science and technology to predict the conditions of the
atmosphere for a given location and time. People have attempted to predict the weather informally for millennia
and formally since the 19th century. Weather forecasts are made by collecting quantitative data about
the current state of the atmosphere at a given place and using meteorology to project how the atmosphere will
change.
Why it is a must to listen to or to watch news about the weather condition of a place?
In the Philippines, what is the importance of recording the daily weather?
Why weather forecasting important?

Reinforcement & Enrichment

Know Your Map!

Instruction:
1. Study Figure 17. It shows
the pressure and movement of
the wind in different parts of
the world in January.
Low-pressure areas are
represented by L and high-
pressure areas are
represented by H. The broken
lines with arrowheads show the
direction of the wind.

2. Analyze the high-pressure

area (the one that is marked
with a star) and study the
direction of the wind. 6
What have you noticed about the movement of the wind towards the low-pressure area?
Does it move toward the low- pressure area or it moves away from it?

3. Analyze the low-pressure area (the

one that is marked with a blue star)
and study the direction of the wind.
Does it move toward the high-
pressure area or it moves away
from it?
What is the direction of wind: from
high pressure area to low pressure
area or from low pressure area to
high pressure area?

4. Encircle the Philippines on the

given map. Study the direction of the
wind near the Philippine vicinity.
What is the direction of the wind
blowing near the Philippines during
January?

5. Study Figure 18. It shows the

direction of the wind and the pressure
in the different parts of the world in
July.

6. Study the direction of the wind near the Philippine vicinity.

What is the direction of the wind blowing near the Philippines during the month of July

Assess Your Learning

MULTIPLE CHOICE
Instruction: Read each statement carefully and write the letter of the best answer.
1. What happens when air is heated?
a. It rises. c. It spreads in all directions.
b. It stays in place. d. It moves toward a lower elevation.
2. What happens to the surrounding air as warm air rises?
a. Moves in all directions c. Moves away from the rising air
b. Moves to a higher altitude d. Moves toward the place where warm air rises
3. What type of breeze occurs in the diagram at the right?
a. Land breeze
b. Sea breeze
c. ITCZ
d. Monsoons

4. Which of the following statements account for the occurrence of land breeze, sea breeze and
monsoons?
. I. Warms air goes up.
II. Different locations warm up or cool down differently.
III. Cold air moves “toward” the direction where warm air is rising.
a. I and III b. II and III c. I and II d. I, II and III
5. In what direction do winds blow?
a. From the northeast to the southwest
b. From the southwest to the northeast
c. From low pressure areas to high pressure areas
d. From high-pressure areas to low-pressure areas
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6. Which of the following does NOT describe the amihan?
a. Brings lots of rain c. Comes around July to September
b. Brings cold weather d. Comes from the northeast and moves southward

7. What is FALSE about ITCZ?

a. It results in thunderstorms.
b. It occurs in countries near the equator.
c. It occurs in the Philippines all year round.
d. It is a place where winds in the tropics meet, rise, and form clouds.
8 . How would you explain the occurrence of ITCZ?
I. It is the reason why we have thunderstorms during certain months.
II. It occurs during the warm months when this place is much warmer than the other places on
Earth.
III. It happens only in countries near the equator because these places receive direct rays from
the sun.
a. I and II b. II and III c. I and III d. I, II and III
9. Which warms up faster, land or water?
a. Land c. Both warm up at the same rate.
b. Water d. Rate of warming varies; depends on weather conditions.
10. While on the beach, a group of Grade 7 learners are studying local winds, Jessie, the leader of the group
explains that the wind direction during the day is usually the reverse of the wind direction at night. Which of
the following statements supports Jessie’s claim?
a. There is more water in the sea than on land.
b. This is usually an indication that an El Niño event is under way.
c. The water remains at about the same temperature all throughout the day.
d. Lands heats up faster than water during the day and it also cools faster at night.
11. Which of the following greatly cause weather changes?
I. Use of motor vehicles III. Use of products with CFCs
II. Cutting down of trees IV. Massive clearing and destruction of forest due to logging
a. I only b. III, and IV only c. I and II only d. I, II, III and IV
12. What do you call the upward and downward currents of air which result from the uneven heating of the
air?
a. Radiation currents b. conduction currents c. convection currentsd. winds
13. How does atmospheric circulation influence climate?
a. By producing ocean currents c. By producing winds that cause ocean currents
b. By disturbing air that causes wind d. By producing winds that distribute heat and moisture
14. How does latitude primarily affect the controls of weather and climate?
a. By precipitation c. By humidity
b. By atmospheric circulation d. By temperature
15. How will you describe an easterly wave?
a. It is not a migratory wave-like disturbance of the tropical easterlies.
b. It is a wave along with a broad easterly current and moves from east to west.
c. The convergence of winds from the northeast and southwest becomes a breeding ground of the low-
pressure area.
d. The leading edge of a cooler mass of air, replacing at ground level a warmer mass of air, which lies
within a fairly sharp surface trough of low pressure.

References & Photo Credits

 
  Department of Education, Bureau of Secondary Education. Project EASE Integrated Science 1.
Department of Education, Bureau of Secondary Education (2013). Science - Grade 7 Learner’s
Module. Vibal Publishing House, Inc.
Tarbuck, E.J. et. al. (2009). Earth Science 12th ed. Pearson Education Suth Asia PteLtd.
https://www.weather.gov/jetstream/layers

Prepared by:

DAISY G. BORROMEO
MYRENE B. JAGONIO
MARY JANE J. PEÑOL
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JOY S. SUMORTIN
MARILYN S. TICAR

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