Transcript Weather Map Symbols

Essential Questions
How do global patterns of atmospheric
movement influence local weather?
How are weather maps used to identify
global patterns of atmospheric
movement?
What is the role of oceans in the
formation of weather systems?
TEKS
8.10 B Identify how global patterns of
atmospheric movement influence local weather
using weather maps that show high and low
pressures and fronts.
8.10 C Identify the role of the oceans in the
formation of weather systems such as
hurricanes.
BEFORE
WEATHER
CLIMATE
AFTER
WEATHER
CLIMATE
What do you know about weather and climate? Fill out the before
section of this comparison chart.
How is weather different from climate or are they the same thing?
1.
2.
The meteorological
conditions, including
temperature,
precipitation, and wind,
that characteristically
prevail in a particular
region.
A region of the earth
having particular
meteorological conditions:
lives in a cold climate.
Climate
1.
The happenings in the
atmosphere at a certain
time.
Weather

Climate is how the
weather usually is in a
particular area. For
example, Austin is usually
very hot in the summer, and
we have mild winters.
 Weather is what it is
like outside right now. For
example, a cold front came
in this morning, and now I
want to stay inside.
But what causes our weather to change?
Our weather depends a lot on the wind.
Wind is simply the movement of air, but what causes it
and how does have such an impact on our weather?

Everyone stand very close together. Imagine all of the students in
every class in the school were tightly packed into their classroom with
standing room only.

All doors and windows were closed.

This room then would be a high pressure area.

Now imagine that there is no one in the hall outside the classroom. It
is totally empty. The hall then is a low pressure area.

Someone opens the door…


Where would you want to go?
Discuss different senerios (e.g. what if there were people in the hall,
how would that change your movement?)

In your journal, revise your warm-up. Are climate and
weather the same thing?

Next write a paragraph about the information you
gained today and your experiences in a high pressure
system. Be specific. What did you learn? What new
questions do you have about the weather?

Your teacher has given you a post-it.

Look back in your notebook to today’s lesson.

Write either something you learned or a question you
have on the post-it.

Stick your post-it to the chart your teacher has
prepared for your class.

1.
2.
Think back on what you learned in our last
class, in your interactive notebook answer the
following question:
How do you think the movement of air in
our atmosphere affects what the weather is
like here and around the world? Explain
your answer.
If you think that air moving does not affect
weather around the world, explain why.
 The
happenings
in the
atmosphere at a
certain time.



It means, that wind is produced by the
uneven heating of the earth’s surface by the
sun (remember, the Earth is tilted, so we
don’t all get the same amount of sun)
Since the earth’s surface is made of both land
and water formations, it absorbs the sun’s
radiation unevenly.
This means it does not all heat the same way.

Warm air, which weighs less than cold air,
rises. Then cool air moves in and replaces
the rising warm air. Warm air is LESS DENSE
than cold air.

This movement of air is what makes the
wind blow. It is called a convection current.
This



In a high atmospheric pressure system the
atmospheric pressure of the air is higher than
that of the air around it. (It’s less dense)
High atmospheric pressure systems are
marked by an H on a weather map
They mean clear weather.



In a low atmospheric pressure system the
atmospheric pressure of the air is lower than
the air around it. The air is more dense.
Low atmospheric pressure systems are
symbolized by an L on a weather map.
They mean storminess and precipitation
A
place
where two air
masses of
different
temperatures
meet.

The jet stream is a fast
flowing, river of air.

They form at the boundaries of
connecting air masses that have
big differences in temperature,
such as of the polar region (VERY
COLD AIR) and the warmer air to
the south (VERY HOT AIR).

Because of the Earth's rotation
the streams flow west to east.
[ORIGIN from Greek anemos ‘wind’]
[ORIGIN from Greek baros ‘weight’]
A
map that
shows weather
conditions


This is the large scale movement of air throughout the
atmosphere.
This movement, by air currents, is how heat is
distributed all over our planet.



A global pattern is something
that affects the entire world.
It is a pattern that is seen
throughout the world.
Weather patterns are
examples of global patterns.
Climate has global patterns.
These are systems that are
important because they affect
our entire planet.
Easterlies
Westerlies
Trade Winds
Doldrums
Remember: The
H stands for a
High Pressure
system
This means
CLEAR
WEATHER
The L stands for LOW pressure system
This means STORMY weather


Large areas
(blobs) of air
that have the
same weather,
temperatures
and humidity
Weather
changes occur
with changes
in air masses
 Fronts
are the boundary between
two air masses
They bring changes in the weather
(from west to east)
Fronts are named for the air that is
behind them
Cold dense air pushes warm air out of the way
Cold fronts move very quickly and bring short
periods of rain/thunderstorms
Lower temperatures are behind the front
SYMBOL – the direction of the “arrows” points
towards the direction the front is MOVING
Cold Front
Warm air moves up the cold front as it slowly
displaces the cold air
Warm fronts move slowly, and bring many days
of steady precipitation
Higher temperatures are behind the front
SYMBOL – direction of “half-moons” is the
direction the front is moving
The air from the warm front and cold front meet,
but do not move
These fronts have the same weather as warm fronts
SYMBOL – warm and cold fronts are moving in
opposite directions, thus making a stationary
condition
Stationary Front
Cold Front
Warm Front