Download Weather Data Collection Tools (cont.)

Weather and Climate
Content
Goal 3: The learner will conduct
investigations and use appropriate
technology to build an
understanding of weather and
climate.
Alex Richardson
Elementary Science Coach
arichard@wsfcs.k12.nc.us
1
Background Concepts
 Three big factors influence weather and
climate worldwide: the Sun, the water cycle,
and the atmosphere.
 The Sun is perhaps the largest influence on
our planet’s weather and climate.
 Climate is determined by the amount of
sunlight a location receives.
2
 Changes in the Sun’s
intensity through time
as well as changes in
the amount of sunlight
let into the Earth
system can drastically
affect our world.
3
The Earth is surrounded by five
layers of the atmosphere.
Exosphere
Thermosphere
Mesosphere
Stratosphere
Troposphere
4
Troposphere
 Lowest layer closest to the Earth
 Nearly 75% of the gases in the atmosphere
are contained in this layer.
 Temperatures generally decrease with
altitude.
5
Troposphere (cont’d)
 Extends outward about 7-10 miles (11to16
kilometers)
 Clouds form
 Most weather happens here.
6
Stratosphere
 Lies above the troposphere extending to
about 31 miles (50 kilometers)
 Contains the ozone layer, which protects life
on Earth from the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet
radiation
 Molecules of ozone absorb the radiation
7
Stratosphere (cont’d)
 Temperatures can increase with altitude if
this layer is damaged by ozone.
 Air pressure is lower than troposphere.
 Jets cruise near the bottom of this layer.
8
Mesosphere
 Lies above the stratosphere
 Extends from the top of stratosphere to an
altitude of about 50 miles (80 kilometers)
 This is the coldest layer of the atmosphere.
9
Mesosphere (cont’d)
 Temperature goes down as altitude
increases.
 Meteors, or “shooting stars” burn up here.
 Air pressure is lower than stratosphere.
10
Thermosphere
 Lies above the mesosphere and extends to
outer space (90 km to 300 km)
 Temperatures are extremely high as altitude
increases.
 Air pressure is lower than mesosphere
11
Thermosphere (cont’d)
 Despite high temperatures, the air would
feel cold.
 Contains few molecules of air
 Molecules rarely collide and thus cannot
transfer energy.
12
Exosphere
 Extends (300 km to more than 600 km)
 Air pressure is lowest in this layer.
 Temperature increases as altitude
increases.
 Many satellites orbit here.
13
Objective: 3.01 Investigate the water cycle including
the processes of evaporation, condensation,
precipitation, and run-off.
 The water cycle is one of Earth’s cycles that
sustains life.
 The sun is the primary energy source that
powers the water cycle.
 The water cycle is a vital component in the
creation of weather and climate.
 The cycling of water is composed of several
different phases that include evaporation,
condensation, precipitation, and run-off.
14
Components of the Water
Cycle
Water
Storage in
Oceans
Water
Storage in
Ice and
Snow
Snowmelt
Runoff to
Streams
Water in the
Atmosphere
Evaporation
Sublimation
Springs
Infiltration
Surface
Runoff
Freshwater
Storage
GroundWater
Storage
Ground-Water
Discharge
Condensatio Precipitation Streamflow Evapotranspiration
n
15
Water on Earth is evaporated into the air
where it condenses and falls back to the
Earth as:
Liquid
Precipitation
Frozen
Precipitation
Mixed
Precipitation
16
Evaporation
 The change of a liquid into gas or vapor
 Heat from the Sun changes surface water
from a liquid to water vapor, which then
enters the atmosphere.
 Substances dissolved in the water, such as
salt, are left behind.
17
Condensation
 Occurs when water vapor in the atmosphere
cools and changes to liquid water
 Water vapor droplets in the atmosphere
become large and heavy eventually falling to
the ground.
 The water falls to Earth as precipitation.
18
Precipitation
 Precipitation occurs when clouds loose
water.
 Solid or liquid moisture falling from the
sky is precipitation.
 Water that moves from the atmosphere
to the land in the form of rain, snow,
sleet, or hail
 The type of precipitation depends on the
temperature of the air that the water
falls through.
19
Precipitation (cont.)
 Air above freezing-precipitation will most
likely be rain.
 Air below freezing-precipitation will most
likely be snow.
 Different temperature layers exist within the
air.
 If snow falling from a high cloud passes
through a warmer layer-snow could melt into
rain.
20
Precipitation (cont.)
 If rain passes through another layer that’s
colder near the ground-it becomes sleet.
 Hail is also the result of water passing
through different temperature layers.
 Water can be found in all three states-solid, liquid and gas-- at normal
temperatures and pressures.
21
Runoff
 Runoff is all the remaining water that moves
over the Earth’s surface.
 The force of a falling raindrop can loosen
and pick up soil particles.
 As water moves over land, it carries
particles with it.
 Because of gravity, runoff and the material it
contains move downhill.
22
Objective: 3.02 Discuss and determine how the
following are affected by predictable patterns of weather:
Temperature, Wind direction and speed, Precipitation,
Cloud cover, and Air pressure.
 Climate is predictable patterns of weather over time.
 Climate refers to the long-term weather patterns for a
given area.
 Climates can experience long-term and short-term
changes.
 Short-term changes include seasons, caused by
Earth’s tilted axis and El Niño.
 El Niño is caused by periodic temperature changes in
the southern Pacific Ocean, resulting in extreme
weather from flooding to drought.
23
Weather Concepts
 Weather depends on the elements of
temperature, air pressure, wind, and
moisture.
 Weather is not random.
 Weather occurs in predictable patterns.
 The degree of heating and cooling of the
Earth’s surface is a result of interactions of
various atmospheric factors to influence
different patterns of weather.
24
Factors Affecting Climate
 Latitude, the distance north or south of the
equator, influences climate mainly.
 Proximity of large bodies of water
 Altitude
 The presence of mountains
25
World Climate
Zones Affecting
Climate
Tropical
Zones
Temperate
Zones
Polar
Zones
26
World Climate Zones
Tropical Zones
• Located between 23.5° north and south of the
equator
• Receive direct or nearly direct sunlight year round
• Have temperatures that are warm year-round
27
World Climate Zones (cont’d)
Temperate Zones
 Located between 23.5° and 66.5° north and south
of the equator
 Receive the sun’s rays more directly in the
summer; In winter, the sun’s rays strike at a lower
angle.
 Weather ranges from warm or hot in the summer
to cool or cold in the winter.
28
World Climate Zones (cont’d)
Polar Zones
 Located from 66.5° north and south of the
equator to the poles
 Receive little direct sunlight since the sun’s
rays strike at a lower angle near the poles
 Areas near both poles have cold climates.
29
Temperature Concepts
 Temperature indicates the relative warmth or
coolness of a substance as measured by
thermometers.
 Temperature is measured in degrees.
 Most people in the United States measure
temperature using the Fahrenheit scale.
 The Celsius scale is commonly used to
measure temperature in other parts of the
world.
30
Temperature Concepts (cont.)
 The Fahrenheit scale was named after Gabriel
D. Fahrenheit from Germany who lived from
1686 to 1735. He devised a way of measuring
temperature. He put mercury inside a glass
tube and marked 180 degrees between the
freezing and boiling points of water. His scale
goes from 32 to 212 degrees
 Anders Celsius, from Sweden, developed the
temperature scales most often used today.
Celsius marked 100 degrees between the
freezing and boiling points of water. His scale
goes from 0 to 100 degrees.
31
Wind Concepts
 Wind is air in motion caused by uneven
heating.
 Wind is caused by air moving from an
area of high pressure to one of low
pressure.
 The greater the distance between the
areas, the stronger the wind.
32
Wind Concepts (cont’d)
 Winds are named for the direction from
which the wind blows.
 Wind usually blows from the same direction.
 There is a general pattern to air circulation
on Earth since the equator is constantly hot
and the poles are cold.
33
Please review Science Objective
3.01 for previous precipitation
concepts.
 Review slides 19, 20, and 21 for
precipitation content.
34
Cloud Cover Concepts
 Cloud cover is the amount of sky covered by
clouds.
 Clouds are formed when air containing water
vapor starts to condense into droplets of moisture.
 Cloudiness or cloud cover is one of the variables
of climate.
 There are different types of clouds that may cover
all or parts of the sky.
35
Cloud Cover Concepts (cont’d)
 The amount of cloud cover is determined by
estimating the percentage of the sky
covered with clouds.
Clear (0% - 5%)
Partly Cloudy (5% - 50%)
 Mostly Cloudy (50% - 95%)
Overcast (95% - 100%)
36
Air Pressure Concepts
 Air pressure is the weight of air particles pressing
down on the surface of the Earth.
 Air pressure may be high or low. Air pressure
lessens as you move higher up in the atmosphere
 The higher you are, the less air is above you.
 Less air is pushing down on you, so the air
pressure is lower.
 Air temperature affects air pressure.
37
Air Pressure (cont.)
 A high pressure system is associated with
cooler temperatures and clear skies.
 A high pressure system forms where cool air
sinks.
 A low pressure system is associated with
warmer weather, storms, or precipitation.
 An instrument called a barometer measures
air pressure.
38
Air Pressure (cont.)
 Air pressure is often stated in inches of mercury
since we measure the height of mercury in the
tube in inches.
 Normal air pressure readings vary from 29 to 31.
 Quick changes in air pressure often mean a
change in weather is about to occur.
 You’ll often hear or read about Barometric
pressure during local weather reports because of
quick changes in air pressure.
39
Objective 3.03: Describe and analyze the formation of
various types of clouds and discuss their relation to
weather systems.
 Clouds are made of tiny vapors of water.
 A cloud is the result of invisible water vapor
in the air becoming visible.
 Visible water vapor in the air is clouds;
visible water vapor near the Earth is fog or
mist.
 There are different types of clouds which
signal different kinds of information about
the weather.
40
Three basic types of clouds
form in the skies:
Cirrus
Cumulus
Stratus
41
Different Types of Clouds
Cirrus
Stratus
In Latin, cirrus means curl
Latin word for layer or blanket
Feathery-like plumes and
wispy
Low altitude clouds (below
10,000 feet)
Very high in the atmosphere
where the air is very cold
(over 20,000 ft)
Form a layer that can cover the
entire sky like a blanket
Rain and drizzle associated
Clouds of ice crystals usually
associated with fair weather,
but may sometimes indicate
that storms are on the way
If they lift quickly in the morning,
they often mean a fine day
ahead
42
Different Types of Clouds
(cont.)
Cumulus
Latin for heap (low cloudsunder 10,000 feet)
Usually associated with fair
weather
Can produce precipitation if
they are very tall
Dense, white puffy, cotton
like, thick
When large and bunched,
they can cause heavy
showers
Cumulonimbus
Usually suggest bad weather
conditions
Huge, grey, and towering
clouds up to 60,000 feet
Can bring rain, sleet, hail,
thunder, lightning, and
tornadoes
The top of the cloud is often
anvil-shaped
43
Different Types of Clouds
(cont.)
Nimbostratus
Low dark sheets of clouds
under 10,000 feet
Blot out the sun
Often followed by lengthy
precipitation within a few
hours
Stratocumulus
Low rolling mass of clouds
under 10,000 feet
Thin lumpy gray to white
clouds
May produce light
precipitation that usually
dissipates by the end of
the day
44
Different Types of Clouds
(cont.)
Altocumulus
Larger than cirrocumulus
clouds
Middle clouds between
10,000 to 20,000 feet
Patterned white to gray
clouds that are often
rippled or appear in waves
Considered fair weather that
often follow storms
Altostratus
Formless gray to bluish
clouds
Middle clouds between
10,000 to 20,000 feet
Form a thin veil over the sun
and moon
If these clouds gradually
darken and blot out the
sun or moon, precipitation
will follow
45
Different Types of Clouds
(cont.)
Cirrostratus
High clouds over 20,000 feet
Milky, white-veined clouds
Produce a halo around the
sun or moon
Often called “bed-sheet
clouds
If clouds are replaced by
cirrostratus clouds it
usually means
precipitation will follow
Cirrocumulus
High clouds over 20,000 feet
Appear in layers that look like
rippled sand or fish scales
Nicknamed “mackerel sky”
Considered an omen of good
weather
46
Different Types of Clouds
(cont.)
Contrail
Thin high altitude clouds
over 20,000 feet
Formed when moisture
released from jet
engines turns into ice
crystals
Swelling Cumulus
Flat bottomed towering
clouds up to 60,000
feet
Have growing,
cauliflower-like towers
Often form in midday and
precede
cumulonimbus clouds
47
Visual Opacity
 The thickness of a cloud determines the amount of
light being transmitted through the cloud.
 Visual opacity can be described as:
Opaque
Translucent
Transparent
48
Objective 3.04 Explain how global
atmospheric patterns affect local weather
 When cool and warm
air collide, wind is
created.
 The collision causes
warm air to rise.
 When air rises it gets
cooler.
 Cooler air causes the
water vapors in the
atmosphere to
condense or form
water droplets.
 Cool air can not hold
as much moisture as
warm air.
49
Global Atmospheric Patterns
(cont.)
 There are many types of wind patterns that affect
global weather patterns.
 The wind pattern that affects our state are the
Prevailing Westerlies named so because they
blow in from the west.
 The Prevailing Westerlies move weather from west
to east.
 Weather in your area may be different from
weather in another part of the state or country.
50
Four Major Types of Air Masses
Influence Weather in North America
Cold and Dry
Hot and Dry
Cool and moist
Warm and Moist
51
Cold and Dry Air Masses
 Continental Polar air masses bring cool or
cold air in winter.
 Form over central and northern Canada and
Alaska
 Air masses that form near the Arctic Circle
can bring bitterly cold weather with very low
humidity.
52
Hot and Dry Air Masses
 Continental Tropical air masses form only
in summer over dry areas of the Southwest
and northern Mexico.
 Cover a smaller area than other air masses.
 Occasionally move northeast, bringing hot
dry weather to the southern Great Plains.
53
Cool and Moist Air Masses
 Maritime Polar air masses form over the icy
cold North Pacific and North America.
 They affect the West Coast more than the
East Coast.
 These air masses usually bring fog, rain,
and cool temperatures to the West Coast.
54
Warm and Moist Air Masses
 Maritime Tropical air masses form over oceans
near the tropics.
 When these air masses form over the Gulf of
Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, they move first into
the southeastern United States.
 Then these air masses then move north and
northeast, where they influence weather in the
central and eastern United States.
 Hot humid weather is usually associated with
maritime tropical air masses in the summer.
55
Fronts
 A front is an area where the air masses
meet and do not mix.
 Two air masses meet with different
temperatures and densities.
 When air masses meet at a front, the
collision often causes storms and
changeable weather.
56
Four Types of Fronts
Cold Fronts
Warm Fronts
Stationary Fronts
Occluded Fronts
57
Cold Fronts
 Cold fronts move quickly, so they can cause
abrupt weather changes including violent
storms.
 Cool dry air moves in an area after a cold
front passes through.
 Cold air is dense and tends to sink.
 Denser cold air slides under the lighter
warm air.
58
Warm Fronts
 Clouds, storms, and rain also accompany
warm fronts.
 If warm air is humid, showers and light rain
fall along the front where warm and cold
meet.
 Warm fronts move more slowly than cold
fronts. In winter, warm fronts bring snow.
59
Stationary Fronts
 A front is stationary when a warm front and a cold
front doesn’t have enough force to move the other.
 If a stationary front remains stalled over an area, it
may bring many days of clouds and precipitation.
 When the warm and cold air meet, water vapor in
the warm air condenses into rain, snow, fog, or
clouds.
60
Occluded Fronts
 At an occluded front, a warm air mass is caught
between two cooler air masses.
 When a cold air mass and a cool air mass come
together, the warm air mass caught between them
is forced upward.
 The result of the mix is an occluded front.
 The warm air mass is cut off from the ground. As it
cools and its water vapor condenses, the weather
may turn cloudy and rainy or snowy.
61
Objective 3.05 Compile and use weather data to
establish a climate record and reveal any trends.
 Weather can be observed and information about weather
can be collected, measured, recorded, analyzed and
presented.
 Weather information is collected and analyzed using many
different tools, techniques, and strategies. (Including maps,
charts, computers, satellites, balloons, and storm chasers).
 Forecasts about weather are made on short range and
extended forecasts.
 Predictions about weather are based on historical climate
trends and current data which is updated regularly as more
information is received.
62
Tools Used to Collect Weather Data
 Ordinary radar is able to report location and
strength of precipitation.
 Doppler Radar indicates wind direction, wind
speed, and boundaries between warm fronts and
cold fronts as well as location and strength of
precipitation.
 Observational tools such as satellites,
dropsondes, weather stations, weather buoys,
ships, and airplanes are sources of weather data.
63
Weather Data Collection (cont.)
 Weather stations and buoys record various weather
parameters at fixed locations.
 Ships and airplanes are moving weather stations recording
data at their current position.
 After being launched from balloons or airplanes, 1800
dropsondes collect weather data as they drop through the
sky each day.
 Satellites are important sources of weather data.
 Data from all these sources are channeled into a
supercomputer at a central location to make weather
predictions that take into account the current weather.
64
Weather Data Collection (cont.)
Supercomputers
 Use numerical forecasting or mathematical
calculations to predict weather
 Perform many calculations that take into account
such as air pressure differences, solar radiation,
the Earth’s rotation, the water cycle, as well as
current information
 Allow forecasters to generate more accurate
forecasts based on a comprehensive regional
perspective about current weather
65
Weather Data Collection Tools
Barometer
Anemometer
Wind Vane
Psychrometer
Thermometer
Rain Gauge
66
Weather Data Collection Tools (cont.)
Barometer
Measures air pressure
Sometimes referred to as
barometric pressure
The pressure of the air on the
pool of mercury causes
the mercury to rise in a
tube.
The height of the mercury in
the tube is measured in
inches.
Anaeroid Barometer
Doesn’t contain mercury
The air pressure on this
box causes it to
change shape, moving
the needle on the
gauge that indicates
air pressure.
67
Weather Data Collection Tools (cont.)
Anemometer
Measures wind speed
Wind pushes small cups and
makes part of the
anemometer spin.
The faster the wind blows,
the faster the cup spins.
Counts how many turns the
cups make in a certain
time. The dial then shows
the wind speed.
Wind Vane
Shows from which direction
the wind is blowing
Letters on the wind vane
show which way is north,
south, east, and west.
An arrow turns to point into
the wind.
If a wind vane’s arrow points
north, that means wind is
blowing from the north.
68
Weather Data Collection Tools
(cont.)
Psychrometer
Measures relative humidity
Often called wet bulb
thermometer
Uses two thermometers, one
bulb of which is covered with
a wet cloth.
As the cloth dries, the cooling
effect of evaporation lowers
the temperature on that
thermometer
Temperatures on the two
thermometers are compared
on a chart to find relative
humidity
Thermometer
Measures air temperature via
the expansion of a liquid or
a metal as the air
temperature changes
Numbers on a thermometer
are the scale.
The scale shows the
temperature in degrees.
69
Weather Data Collection Tools (cont.)
Rain Gauge
 A very simple instrument that collects rain
 Used to measure the amount of liquid
precipitation
 The average conversion of 10 inches of
snow equals 1 inch of rain to find out how
much water fell.
70
Objective 3.06 Discuss and determine the influence of
geography on weather and climate: mountains, sea
breezes, and water bodies
 Geological features influence weather patterns.
 Mountains and large bodies of waters such as
oceans and huge lakes have the most affect on
weather patterns.
 Wind blowing against a mountain causes the air to
rise, cool, and condense. ( cool air can hold less
moisture than warm air).
 Wind that flows over the mountain and down the
other side causes air to become warmer and takes
up moisture through evaporation.
71
Influence of Geography (cont.)
 Land absorbs heat from the sun faster than bodies of
water; therefore as the warm air of the land rises, it is
replaced by the cooler air from the water that we call sea
breezes.
 Urbanization also affects weather conditions such as, it is
typically hotter and rainier in large cities than in rural areas;
factors contributing to this are: pavement, huge buildings,
transportation systems, factories, etc.
72
Influence of Geography (cont.)
Geography is influenced by:
Mountains
Sea Breezes
Water Bodies
73
Mountains
 Humid winds blowing from the ocean toward
coastal mountains causes the air to rise up to pass
over the mountain.
 Rising warm air cools and its water vapor
condenses forming clouds. Cool air can hold less
moisture than warm air.
 Mountains in the path of prevailing winds can
influence where precipitation falls.
74
Mountains (cont’d)
 Rain or snow falls on the windward side of the
mountain, the side oncoming wind hits.
 Land on the leeward side of the mountain, the
downwind, has cool dry air since it has lost much
of its water vapor.
 The leeward side of the mountain forms a rain
shadow, an area that doesn’t receive rain,
because a mountain range blocks the rain.
75
Sea Breezes
 A wind that blows from the ocean onto land
is a sea breeze.
 Cool air, during the day, moves from the
sea to the land.
 At night, the situation reverses. Land cools
more quickly than water, so the air over land
becomes cooler than the air over water.
76
Water Bodies
 Oceans are the bodies of water most often
referred to as the five oceans-Atlantic,
Pacific, Arctic, Indian, and Southern.
 The Atlantic and Pacific oceans are divided
by the equator which in turn divides into the
North and South Atlantic Ocean and the
North and South Pacific Ocean.
 A sea can be a part of an ocean or attached
to an ocean.
77
Water Bodies (cont’d)
 Water bodies are considered different forms
of flowing water.
 There are many names for water bodies
such as: rivers, streams, lakes, bays, seas,
oceans, ponds, and etc.
 The water cycle (hydrologic cycle) plays a
very important process which moves all
bodies of water, powered by the sun’s
energy.
78