Summary

As you now know, meteorology is a complex but fascinating subject to learn about. There have been some scientific principles you needed to know as basic skills; hopefully, however, these have been applied to more practical topics, like why we have rainbows, how tornadoes and blizzards develop, and why we need to worry about global warming.

The first chapter of the course talked about the earth's atmosphere, starting with what it once looked like and how it has evolved over time. We talked about what's in the atmosphere and the air we breathe in today's time as well as the different layers of the atmosphere from the earth's surface to outer space. We also discussed air pressure and air density as important baseline information you needed to understand meteorology. At the end of the chapter, you should have gotten an understanding of the physical space where our weather originates.

Chapter two looked at how the earth and our atmosphere are warmed and cooled. You learned how the sun plays a big role in how this planet stays warm but that there is more to it than that. We talked about how heat gets transferred in the atmosphere, why we have seasonal and other variations in temperature, what the solstices and equinoxes are all about, and what we mean by "the greenhouse effect". There is a great deal of talk about this effect on our planet, but, as you hopefully learned, it is not a new phenomenon and is not an altogether bad thing for a planet to have in moderation. Finally, you understood the greenhouse gases and why they are called by this name.

In chapter three, you looked at the concept of temperature, including how to predict what a nighttime temperature will be. Diurnal variation is the temperature variation you see from night to day. This variation will depend on several factors, such as vegetation, cloud cover, and humidity. You also studied temperature variations on earth, which depend on altitude, latitude, and many local factors.

Chapter four in the course was essentially the study of hydrology or water in the environment. Besides the temperature, you usually want to know what if any

precipitation there is outside. This chapter introduced the processes leading to precipitation. You learned what the different phase changes of water are called and what they look like in terms of the weather. After you studied this chapter, you should have gained a clearer understanding of why we have dew on the ground, foggy weather, and clouds in the sky.

In chapter 5, you learned about the subject of atmospheric instability and how this contributes to cloud formation and precipitation. In truth, the atmosphere is never completely stable but there are times where there are long stretches of weather without rain or even clouds. We also talked about how clouds form precipitation and how they form the type of precipitation you see that falls on the ground. There are many types of precipitation that range from rain to snow to everything in between.

Chapter six in the course was all about wind and wind patterns. You learned why we have wind in the first place and how wind can determine the weather. As you now know, wind instruments are used to measure wind speed and direction. Meteorologists can create surface maps you often see on television when the weatherman forecasts your weather. After studying wind and surface maps, you can now read these maps and make your own determination as to how windy you can expect a certain area will be.

In chapter seven, we dove deeper into the complex circulatory patterns seen in the atmosphere. You learned that there are several global patterns discussed in chapter six and many others you learned in this chapter that affect local and regional weather conditions all over the world. The oceans and large lakes exert their own effect on the earth's weather systems in numerous ways, which were covered in the chapter. By the end of the chapter, you should have been able to demonstrate how and why the atmosphere behaves as it does.

Chapter eight in the course brought you further toward being able to predict the weather. We talked earlier in chapters six and seven about things like air cell and convection cycles but not about large air masses that affect our weather patterns until this chapter. You learned about weather fronts from the perspective of the way air masses collide with one another. In some cases, these air masses lead to mid-latitude

cyclones, which you now know are different from hurricanes and tornadoes. You were able to study these cyclones and how they form.

In chapter 9, we studied weather forecasting. In order to forecast the weather, you will need to have the proper weather tools. In this chapter, you looked at how meteorologists use tools to figure out the weather. You studied surface maps and how they can also be used to predict the weather. Finally, you learn the different terminology necessary to send out weather watches and warnings.

In chapter 10, you learned about thunderstorms, flooding, and tornadoes. You studied how thunderstorms form and why tornadoes often come from them. You learned how the Fugita or F scale works to describe tornadoes. You now understand why flooding can occur as well as the different types of flooding situations.

Chapter eleven in the course looked fairly deeply into the topic of tropical weather phenomena, such as cyclones, tropical storms, and hurricanes. You learned that these can be powerful and damaging because of the heat that drives them coming up from the equator and other warm areas of the world. We talked about forecasting, naming, and tracking hurricanes as well as some of the more severe named hurricanes in North America. Tropical cyclones and how they evolve were discussed at the end of the chapter.

In chapter twelve, we talked about the global climate, including what it has looked like in the past, what it looks like now, what it might look like during climate extremes, and the effects on climate brought on by human activities. You learned that while climate and weather are not the same thing, they are interconnected. In this chapter, we also talked about what climatologists have done to make predictions for the everyday weather in the coming years. The changes we expect are things you now know have a great deal to do with human activities.

Chapter thirteen in the course was a study of air pollution as it applies to meteorology. There are many reasons for air pollution, not all of which are related to human activity. You learned how air pollution causes major health hazards to humans and how it is made worse by certain weather phenomena, like thermal inversions. We also discussed ozone and the ozone layer. Ozone is a gas that also affects human health and our planet's

weather and climate. As you learned too, urban areas are more affected by pollution than rural areas.

Chapter fourteen helped you answer some of the more fun questions you might get asked as a student of meteorology. These involved interesting things, like the optical illusions and fascinating aspects of the sky you see as the atmosphere interacts with sunlight and moonlight. There are many things you see in the sky that are covered in the chapter, including why the sky is blue, why we have rainbows, and what the different types of moons and moon colors really mean. There are many other sun-related phenomena you may not have understood before that you now know after reading this last chapter of the course.