PREDICTING WEATHER (Meteorology)

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PREDICTING WEATHER(Meteorology)
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All Weather Takes Place In The Atmosphere Look
There
The atmosphere is a bubble of gas that surrounds
our planet. It is made up mostly of Nitrogen
(78) then Oxygen (21)
To learn more about our atmosphere. http//www.wi
ndows.ucar.edu/tour/link/earth/Atmosphere/overvie
w.html
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Examine The Temperature

• Temperature
• 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 http//eo.ucar.edu/webweather/basic1.htm
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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
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Examine The Barometric Pressure

• The 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
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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 from high pressure area to low
pressure areas
L
LOWPRESSURE
L
H
HIGH PRESSURE
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Examine The Wind

• Wind is measured in two ways
• SPEED and DIRECTION

Weather Vanes Measure Wind Direction
Anemometers Measure Wind Speed
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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 SYMBOLS
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Examine the Clouds
Cloud Types
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Clouds
Prefixes and Suffixes Used to Describe
CloudsClouds 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.
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Clouds

• 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.

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HOW HIGH APPEAR-ANCE NAME / PICTURE
CIRRO CUMULUS STRATO CIRROCUMULUS CIRROSTRATUS
ALTO CUMULUS STRATO ALTOCUMULUS ALTOSTRATUS
OTHER CUMULUS STRATO NIMBUS CUMULONIMBUS NIMBOSTRATUS
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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 1
• EX 2
• EX 3

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LOW-???? CLOUDS

• Nimbostratus 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 storms
• Stratus- Low and flat
• Cumulus- Low and puffy

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MID-ALTO CLOUDS

• Altocumulus 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

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HIGH-CIRRUS CLOUDS

• The 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

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VERTICAL CLOUDS

• Cumulus
• These clouds form in high piles or heaps and
  fall into two types
• Fair Weather Cumulus Cumulonimbus (Storm)

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TECHNOLOGY

• There are many other tools used to study weather!

Weather Buoy
Weather Plane
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TECHNOLOGY
Weather Satellite and Satellite Photo
Weather Balloon
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TECHNOLOGY
Radar Image Weather Map