Transcript PREDICTING WEATHER

PREDICTING
WEATHER
(Meteorology)
All Weather Takes Place In The Atmosphere: Look
There
The atmosphere is a bubble of gas that surrounds our
planet. It is made up mostly of Nitrogen (78%) then
Oxygen (21%)
To learn more about our atmosphere….
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/Atmosphere/overview.html
Examine The Temperature
Temperature
Temperature is probably the most important element of the weather since it controls or
influences other elements, Temperature is the measure of heat in the air in a given
place. The earth is heated from the sun's energy. This heat not only affects how hot or
cold the air is, but is a major factor in the water cycle and in the formation of winds.
Thermometers
measure
temperature
Try This:
http://eo.ucar.edu/webwe
ather/basic1.html
Examine The Humidity
Humidity is moisture in the air. The rate of evaporation goes down as the humidity in the
air increases - there is not enough room in the air to take more water vapor through
the process of evaporation.
Hygrometers
measure
Humidity
Examine The Barometric Pressure
The weight of the air pressing down on the Earth causes air pressure. Earth's gravity, of
course, causes the downward force that we know as "weight." The “weight” or amount
of Barometric Pressure changes each day.
Low pressure is associated with bad weather because less pressure causes the air to rise.
The rising air cools and rains down condensing water!!!
Barometers
measure
Barometric
Pressure
Examine The Wind
Wind is caused by the sun and convection (the movement of heat). The sun heats some of
the air in our atmosphere and, as always, hot air rises. When the hot air “mass” rises,
air rushes in to take its place. The moving air is called WIND
L
L
H
HIGH
PRESSURE
LOW
PRESSURE
Air always moves
from high
pressure area to
low pressure
areas
Examine The Wind
Wind is measured in two ways:
SPEED and DIRECTION
Weather Vanes
Measure Wind
Direction
Anemometers
Measure Wind
Speed
Look for Fronts
Fronts are: The boundary between air masses (air clumps). Whenever a mass (clump) of
warm, moist air meets up with a mass (clump) of cool dry air, a front is formed.
THERE ARE THREE MAJOR KINDS OF FRONTS:
FRONT
SYMBOLS
Examine the Clouds:
CLOUD
Cloud
Types
TYPES
Low
Level
Clouds
Mid
Level
Clouds
High
Level
Clouds
Vertical
Clouds
?????
Alto
Cirrus
Cumulus
Clouds
Prefixes and Suffixes Used to Describe
Clouds:
Clouds are defined by both the way they
look and how high they are in the
atmosphere.
NAMED FOR
HEIGHT
Cirro (meaning "wisp of hair") =highaltitude clouds (above 20,000 feet).
Alto (meaning "high") = mid-altitude
clouds (between 6,000 and 20,000 feet).
???? There is no prefix for low-altitude
clouds. When clouds are by the ground we
call them fog.
Clouds
NAMED FOR THE
WAY THEY LOOK
Nimbus (meaning "rain") or
nimbus means the cloud can
produce precipitation
Cumulo (meaning "heap") refers to
piled-up clouds.
Strato (meaning "layer") refers to
flat, wide, layered clouds.
HOW
HIGH
CIRRO
APPEAR
-ANCE
CUMULUS CIRROCUMULUS
STRATO
ALTO
NAME / PICTURE
CIRROSTRATUS
CUMULUS ALTOCUMULUS
STRATO ALTOSTRATUS
OTHER
CUMULUS CUMULONIMBUS
STRATO
NIMBUS NIMBOSTRATUS
CUMULONIMBUS
STORM CLOUD
storm clouds: Clouds that precede or produce stormy weather such as
cumulus and cumulonimbus clouds.
Cumulus clouds precede storms.
Cumulonimbus clouds, or thunderstorms, produce stormy
weather.
EX #1
EX #2
EX #3
LOW-???? CLOUDS
Nimbostratus clouds: (storm-flat) are
uniform grayish clouds that often cover
the entire sky. They resemble fog that
does not reach the ground. they may
drizzle.
Cumulonimbus:
(puffy-storm) produce severe storms
Stratus- Low and flat
Cumulus- Low and puffy
MID-ALTO CLOUDS
Altocumulus clouds are middle level
clouds that are made of water
droplets and appear as gray, puffy
masses, sometimes rolled out in
parallel waves or bands. The
appearance of these clouds on a
warm, humid summer morning
often means thunderstorms may
occur by late afternoon.
Altostratus clouds are gray or bluegray middle level clouds
composed of ice crystals and
water droplets. These clouds
usually cover the entire sky. In the
thinner areas of the cloud, the sun
may be dimly visible as a round
disk. Altostratus clouds often form
ahead of storms that will produce
continuous precipitation
HIGH-CIRRUS CLOUDS
The most common form of high-level
clouds are thin and often wispy
cirrus clouds. Typically found at
heights greater than 20,000 feet
(6,000 meters), cirrus clouds are
composed of ice crystals that
originate from the freezing of
supercooled water droplets. Cirrus
generally occur in fair weather and
point in the direction of air
movement at their elevation.
Cirrus clouds are a third general type
of cloud. The word cirrus comes
from the Latin word for a tuft or
curl of hair. Cirrus clouds are very
wispy and feathery looking. They
form only at high altitudes, about 7
km above the earth's surface.
Cirrus clouds are composed of ice
crystals and are so thin that
sunlight can pass right through
them.
EX: CIRRUS / CIRRUS STRATUS
VERTICAL CLOUDS
Cumulus:
These clouds form in high piles or heaps and fall into two types
Fair Weather Cumulus
Cumulonimbus (Storm)
TECHNOLOGY
There are many other tools used to study weather!
Weather
Buoy
Weather Plane
TECHNOLOGY
Weather Satellite
and
Satellite Photo
Weather Balloon
TECHNOLOGY
Radar Image Weather Map