Transcript Pt 6 – Weather Tools & Technology

Weather
Part 5
Weather Tools and Technology
S4E4a. Identify weather instruments and explain
how each is used in gathering weather data and
making forecasts.
Weather Tools and Technology
Before the weatherman on TV can tell us
what the weather is going to be tomorrow,
he needs to check a few things.
Weather Tools and Technology
He needs to check the temperature,
barometric pressure, humidity, wind speed,
wind direction, and look at the radar.
Weather Tools and Technology
Basically he needs to use his
Weather Tools.
Thermometer
Weather Tool: Thermometer
One of the first tools our weatherman
will use is the Thermometer.
Weather Tool: Thermometer
A Thermometer tells us what the air
temperature is.
Weather Tool: Thermometer
There are two different scales used to
tell the temperature, Celsius and
Fahrenheit.
Weather Tool: Thermometer
Using the Celsius scale Water
Freezes at 0° and boils at 100°.
Weather Tool: Thermometer
Using the Fahrenheit scale water
freezes at 32° and boils at 212°.
Barometer
Weather Tool: Barometer
A Barometer measures atmospheric
air pressure.
Weather Tool: Barometer
If you remember when a cold air mass
is over the area it is called a high
pressure system.
Weather Tool: Barometer
When a warm air mass is over the area
it is called a low pressure system.
Weather Tool: Barometer
The terms high, and low pressure refer
to the barometric pressure.
Weather Tool: Barometer
When the air above us is cool it falls to
the ground, which increases the air
pressure.
Weather Tool: Barometer
When the air above us is warm it raises
upwards, which decreases the air
pressure.
Weather Tool: Barometer
The barometer measures the
changes in air pressure.
Weather Tool: Barometer
Lower pressure means there is warm
moist air just right for rain or storms.
Weather Tool: Barometer
High pressure means there is cold dry
air and with it brings fair skies.
Hygrometer
Weather Tool: Hygrometer
A Hygrometer measures the humidity
in the air.
Weather Tool: Hygrometer
Humidity refers to the amount of water
vapor that is in the air.
Weather Tool: Hygrometer
The warmer the air is the more water
vapor it can hold.
Anemometer
Weather Tool: Anemometer
An Anemometer measure the wind
speed.
Weather Tool: Anemometer
The cups on the wheel catch the wind
much like a pin-wheel.
Weather Tool: Anemometer
The harder the wind blows, the faster
the cups spin.
Wind Vane
Weather Tool: Wind Vane
A Wind Vane tells us what direction
the wind is currently blowing from.
Weather Tool: Wind Vane
It uses a weighted end and a fin, that
allows the wind to push it in the
direction it is blowing.
Rain Gauge
Weather Tool: Rain Gauge
A Rain Gauge is used to measure the
amount of rainfall, or precipitation,
over a period of time.
Weather Tool: Rain Gauge
It really isn’t anything more then a
tube, with the inches marked off on
the side.
Weather Tool: Rain Gauge
All you need to do is sit it outside and wait
for it to rain. Then measure the amount or
water in the glass when it stops.
Radar
Weather Tool: Radar
Radar is a system that sends out
pulses of energy that bounce off of
clouds and return to the radar.
Weather Tool: Radar
A computer receives and processes
the signals and builds a picture of
what the clouds look like.
Weather Tool: Radar
The result looks like this.
Weather Tool: GOES
Along with Radar our weatherman can
also look at images taken by
satellites.
Weather Tool: GOES
This is a Geostationary Operational
Environmental Satellite, other wise
known as GOES.
Weather Tool: GOES
It orbits the planet at a distance of
around 22,000 miles above the
surface of the Earth.
Weather Tool: GOES
GOES are highly advanced
observation platforms supplying
detailed imagery of the Earth.
Weather Tool: GOES
How advanced?
Weather Tool: GOES
There are some 400 military and
civilian satellites orbiting above the
Earth.
Weather Tool: GOES
Satellites can take many different
images of the planet at the same time.
Weather Tool: GOES
Hurricane Katrina: August 29, 2005 at 1:15 pm –
Category Three Hurricane.
Visible Clouds
Copyright: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Weather Tool: GOES
Water Vapor
Weather Tool: GOES
Infrared
Weather Tool: GOES
Satellites can be positioned far
enough away that we can see the
whole planet at once.
Weather Tool: GOES
Or multiple satellite images can be
combined with the use of computers, so we
can see all over the world, but in more detail.
QUIZ TIME
Write the name of the correct weather tool in the blank.
Use your notes.
1) Anemometer
_____ measures the wind speed.
2) Thermometer
_____ measures the air temperature.
Rain Gauge measures the amount of precipitation.
3) _____
Hygrometer measures the humidity.
4) _____
Barometer measures the air pressure.
5) _____