PREDICTING PREDICTING WEATHERWEATHER

(Meteorology)(Meteorology)

All Weather Takes Place In The Atmosphere: Look There

The atmosphere is a bubble of gas that surrounds our The atmosphere is a bubble of gas that surrounds our planet. It is made up mostly of Nitrogen (78%) then planet. It is made up mostly of Nitrogen (78%) then

Oxygen (21%)Oxygen (21%)

To learn more about our atmosphere….To learn more about our atmosphere….http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/Atmosphere/overview.htmlhttp://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/Atmosphere/overview.html

Examine The TemperatureTemperature Temperature is probably the most important

element of the weather since it controls or influences other elements, Temperature is the measure of heat in the air in a given place. The earth is heated from the sun's energy. This heat not only affects how hot or cold the air is, but is a major factor in the water cycle and in the formation of winds.

Thermometers measure temperature

Try This:Try This:

http://eo.ucar.edu/http://eo.ucar.edu/webweather/basic1.htmlwebweather/basic1.html

Examine The Humidity

Humidity is moisture in the air. The rate of evaporation goes down as the humidity in the air increases - there is not enough room in the air to take more water vapor through

the process of evaporation.

Hygrometers measure Humidity

Examine The Barometric PressureThe weight of the air pressing down on the

Earth causes air pressure. Earth's gravity, of course, causes the downward force that we know as "weight." The “weight” or amount of Barometric Pressure changes each day.

Low pressure is associated with bad weather because less pressure causes the air to rise. The rising air cools and rains down condensing water!!!

Barometers measure

Barometric Pressure

Examine The Wind

Wind is caused by the sun and convection (the movement of heat). The sun heats some of the air in our atmosphere and, as always, hot air rises. When the hot air “mass” rises, air rushes in to take its place. The moving air is called

WIND

Air always moves Air always moves from high pressure from high pressure

area to low area to low pressure areaspressure areas

LOWLOWPRESSUREPRESSURE

HIGH HIGH PRESSUREPRESSURE

LL

LLHH

Examine The Wind

Wind is measured in two ways: SPEED and DIRECTION

Anemometers Anemometers Measure Wind Measure Wind

SpeedSpeed

Weather Vanes Weather Vanes Measure Wind Measure Wind

DirectionDirection

Look for Fronts Fronts are: The boundary between air masses (air

clumps). Whenever a mass (clump) of warm, moist air meets up with a mass (clump) of cool dry air, a front is formed.

THERE ARE THREE MAJOR KINDS OF FRONTS:

FRONT FRONT

SYMBOLSSYMBOLS

Examine the Clouds:CLOUD TYPES

Low Level Clouds

Mid Level Clouds

High Level Clouds

?????

Vertical Clouds

Alto Cirrus Cumulus

Cloud Types

CloudsPrefixes and Suffixes Used to Describe Clouds:Clouds are defined by both the way they look and how high they are in the atmosphere.

NAMED FOR HEIGHT

Cirro (meaning "wisp of hair") =high-altitude clouds (above 20,000 feet).

Alto (meaning "high") = mid-altitude clouds (between 6,000 and 20,000 feet).

???? There is no prefix for low-altitude clouds. When clouds are by the ground we call them fog.

NAMED FOR THE WAY THEY LOOK

Nimbus (meaning "rain") or nimbus means the cloud can produce precipitation

Cumulo (meaning "heap") refers to piled-up clouds.

Strato (meaning "layer") refers to flat, wide, layered clouds.

Clouds

HOW

HIGH

APPEAR-ANCE

NAME / PICTURE

CIRRO CUMULUS

STRATO

CIRROCUMULUS

CIRROSTRATUS

ALTO CUMULUS

STRATO

ALTOCUMULUS

ALTOSTRATUS

OTHER CUMULUS

STRATO

NIMBUS

CUMULONIMBUS

NIMBOSTRATUS

CUMULONIMBUSSTORM CLOUD

storm clouds: Clouds that precede or produce stormy weather such as cumulus and cumulonimbus clouds. 

Cumulus clouds precede storms.  Cumulonimbus clouds, or

thunderstorms, produce stormy weather. 

EX #1EX #2EX #3

LOW-???? CLOUDSNimbostratus clouds:

(storm-flat) are uniform grayish clouds that often cover the entire sky. They resemble fog that does not reach the ground. they may drizzle.

Cumulonimbus:(puffy-storm) produce

severe stormsStratus- Low and flatCumulus- Low and puffy

MID-ALTO CLOUDSAltocumulus clouds are middle level

clouds that are made of water droplets and appear as gray, puffy masses, sometimes rolled out in parallel waves or bands. The appearance of these clouds on a warm, humid summer morning often means thunderstorms may occur by late afternoon.

Altostratus clouds are gray or blue-gray middle level clouds composed of ice crystals and water droplets. These clouds usually cover the entire sky. In the thinner areas of the cloud, the sun may be dimly visible as a round disk. Altostratus clouds often form ahead of storms that will produce continuous precipitation

HIGH-CIRRUS CLOUDSThe most common form of high-level

clouds are thin and often wispy cirrus clouds. Typically found at heights greater than 20,000 feet (6,000 meters), cirrus clouds are composed of ice crystals that originate from the freezing of supercooled water droplets. Cirrus generally occur in fair weather and point in the direction of air movement at their elevation.

Cirrus clouds are a third general type of cloud. The word cirrus comes from the Latin word for a tuft or curl of hair. Cirrus clouds are very wispy and feathery looking. They form only at high altitudes, about 7 km above the earth's surface. Cirrus clouds are composed of ice crystals and are so thin that sunlight can pass right through them.

EX: CIRRUS / CIRRUS STRATUS

VERTICAL CLOUDSCumulus:

These clouds form in high piles or heaps and fall into two types

Fair Weather Cumulus Cumulonimbus (Storm)

TECHNOLOGYThere are many other tools used to study

weather!

Weather PlaneWeather Plane

Weather Weather BuoyBuoy

TECHNOLOGY

Weather Satellite Weather Satellite

and and

Satellite PhotoSatellite Photo

Weather BalloonWeather Balloon

TECHNOLOGY

Radar Image Weather MapRadar Image Weather Map