ABC's of Weather!! Amy Kitzman and Divya Kolli
Atmosphere â—? The atmosphere is a layer in the Earth's layers that protects the Earth. It is the outside layer made up of nitrogen, oxygen, and other gasses. In the atmosphere, that is where weather is made. The atmosphere also protects the Earth from asteroids and meteors.
Clouds ● Cumulus ○ Like cotton balls ○ Flat bottoms ○ Puffy
● Stratus ○ Layers ○ Lowest ○ Can be in the form of fog
● Cirrus ○ Made of ice crystals ○ Like a feather
Convection â—? Convection is the rise of hot water/air and the sinking of cold water/air. This creates a cycle because as the warm air rises it cools and as the cold air sinks it warms up. Making it continue to cool and warm creating a cycle. â—? Convection occurs everywhere, in the ocean, the asthenosphere, in the air around us. It happens when an element continually cools and heats.
Dew Point â—? A dew point is a temperature when air has to cool. The dew point is affected by the pressure and amount of water droplets. Dew is light mist and dew forms when the temperature, pressure, and amount of water droplets are all at a certain point.
Fronts The four types of fronts:
● Cold Fronts ○ ○ ○
When fast moving cold air runs into slow warm air a cold front is formed. The heavier cold air slides under the lighter warm air. Cold fronts move fast and cause quick changes in the weather. It can cause thunderstorms when the weather changes from cold to warm but later you will have clear skies and cooler temperatures.
● Warm Fronts ○ ○
When fast moving warm air runs into slow cold air. Warm fronts move slow, so you will have rain and thunderstorms for a long time. If it is humid outside, then you will have light rain and if it is dry, you will have a lot of spread out clouds. In winter you might have snow!!
Fronts (cont.) ● Stationary Fronts ○ ○
Warm front and cool front meet each other at the same time and both fronts stay in the same position and do not move. Water vapor builds up and make clouds. Then we have rain, snow, or fog. It may also bring many days of clouds and rain.
● Occluded Front ○ ○
This is when two cold fronts trap a warm front in between each other. It can bring cloudy weather with rain or snow.
High and Low Pressure â—? The higher the air is the less dense it is and the lower the air pressure. The lower the air the higher the air pressure and density. The farther it is from the surface the less weight it is carrying on it, the lower it is the more air lies on top, making the lower air have a higher air pressure because it has to carry more weight on top of it.
Hurricanes â—? A hurricane is a really big tropical storm. It is made when there is a circular pattern of wind in the southern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and the eastern Pacific Ocean. Hurricane wind speeds are super fast. They can go up to 155 miles per hour. They cause a lot of damage on the Earth's surface and brings heavy rain and tons of wind. If the Hurricanes are moving slower you may have more heavy rain and flooding.
Isotherm and Isobar ● Isotherm ○
An isotherm is a line that shows the same temperature on a map. The lines are always drawn around the whole map and two lines never come out of one.
● Isobar ○
An isobar line shows the same pressure on a map. The same rules for an isotherm is also for an isobar.
*the black lines are isotherm lines
*the black lines are isobar lines
Meteorology Tools ● A meteorologist is a person who predicts weather, and studies the Earth's weather patterns. Some of the tools they use are ○ Anemometers; it shows wind speeds ○ Barometers; the pressure in the Earth's atmosphere ○ Hygrometer; the humidity in the air ○ Radar; predicts weather patterns like thunderstorms with radio waves ○ Satellite; shows a birds eye view of Earth and can show clouds and different weather patterns ○ Thermometers; the Earth's tempurature ○ Wind Vane; the direction of the wind
Ocean Currents ● Surface currents: A body of water moving in one direction, in the northern hemisphere they move clockwise, and in the southern hemisphere they move counter clockwise. ● Gulf Stream: A warm stream of water that is heated by the equator. ● Destiny Currents: When denser sinks beneath cold seawater
● Upwelling: A current brings deep cold water from the bottom of the ocean up and pulls the water on the shore away
Precipitation ● Types of Precipitation ○ ○ ○ ○
Rain Snow Sleet Hail They are formed when you have different things in the clouds including dust and water vapor. When the clouds have too much water vapor, they let it out and depending on the temperature we have rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
Scientist Images â—? Scientists get their images from satellites in the sky. The satellites send scientists birds eye view pictures of Earth. The pictures can help scientists predict weather patterns including hurricanes or tornadoes.
Sun and Sun's Energy ● The Sun gives Earth energy in different ways. The sun affects if we have rain or snow, and what type of rain we will have. When the Sun is farther away, then we have lower temperatures. ● The Sun's rays reach Earth and give us light and energy. We collect the energy in a solar panel. A solar panel soaks in the energy and gives it out. ● The Sun affects how our whole Earth works. Depending on the Sun's position, we have tides. If the Sun is closer to us, we have warmer weather. The Sun gives Earth the energy to help convection and create ocean currents and winds.
Tornadoes â—? Tornadoes form when you have moist warm air collide with dry cold air. When they meet they create a change in wind direction and an increase in wind speed and the warm air tries to rise creating a spinning effect. The spinning effect mixed with the changes in direction and speed create the tornado.
Weather Map
Wind Currents ●
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Wind is caused by the movement of air from a low air pressure zone to a high air pressure area. The doldrums occur on the equator and are weak breezes The trade winds are calm and have a few clouds with them The westerlies or the prevailing winds are the strongest of the winds And last the easterlies are cold and weak The coriolis effect is when the Earth is rotating causing the winds to change direction
Local winds blow for short distances and periods where global winds cross massive distances for a long time.
T-Chart Divya:
Amy:
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Convection Wind Currents Ocean Currents High Pressure Low Pressure Tornadoes Weather Map How Scientists Get Their Images
Atmosphere Fronts Hurricanes Sun and Sun's Energy Weather map Isotherm and Isobar Types of Precipitation Types of Clouds Dew Point Meteorological instruments used by scientists