Weather
Weather is the day-to-day state of the atmosphere, and its short-term variation in minutes to weeks. People generally think of weather as the combination of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, visibility, and wind. Climate is the weather of a place averaged over a period of time, often 30 years.
Weather is the day-to-day state of the atmosphere, and its short-term variation in minutes to weeks. People generally think of weather as the combination of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, visibility, and wind. Climate is the weather of a place averaged over a period of time, often 30 years.
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NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement Mission
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PowerPoint for Notes
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Articles
The Water Cycle & Clouds
Precipitation is one key to the water cycle. Through the process of evaporation and transpiration, water moves into the atmosphere. Water vapors then join with dust particles to create clouds. Eventually, water returns to Earth as precipitation in the form of rain, snow, sleet, and hail.
Precipitation is one key to the water cycle. Through the process of evaporation and transpiration, water moves into the atmosphere. Water vapors then join with dust particles to create clouds. Eventually, water returns to Earth as precipitation in the form of rain, snow, sleet, and hail.
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PowerPoints
Games
The Atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan
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Jupiter's Clouds
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Cloud Journaling Lab
Please note that clouds can be found at any given time at all 3 altitudes AND the clouds at the different altitudes may be moving in different directions. Take some time. Relax. Enjoy our cloud journaling lab days outside. We would have spent at least 45 mins each day during class observing clouds outside.
Prelab
Before going outside, I need you to look at the weather and jot a few things down. The reason being is that the weather should correlate to what you see outside. If the forecast says "rain", then you should expect nimbostratus clouds. If there are thunderstorms in the area, then you should expect culumonimbus clouds. If the weather says "sunny/fair", then you should expect cumulus and/or cirrus clouds. I want you to make these connections. You can use other weather apps or pages for your information but I like AccuWeather the best. I've asked you to gather information such as the current:
Below are some example pictures from AccuWeather that shows the answers to all the above questions that will be in your journal.
Prelab
Before going outside, I need you to look at the weather and jot a few things down. The reason being is that the weather should correlate to what you see outside. If the forecast says "rain", then you should expect nimbostratus clouds. If there are thunderstorms in the area, then you should expect culumonimbus clouds. If the weather says "sunny/fair", then you should expect cumulus and/or cirrus clouds. I want you to make these connections. You can use other weather apps or pages for your information but I like AccuWeather the best. I've asked you to gather information such as the current:
- Season - spring
- Sunrise/Sunset - record the time for both events; you should expect the days to get longer at this point since we are 2 months away from summer
- Hours of sunlight- you may need to do the math if you use a different source than AccuWeather; this is to prove the days are getting longer and the evenings shorter
- Air Temperature - what does the weather app say the current temperature is
- Real Feel - an equation that takes into account many different factors to determine how the temperature actually feels outside, including: humidity, cloud cover, winds, sun intensity and angle of the sun.
- Projected Temperature - what is the temperature supposed to get to for the day, the "high"
- Wind Direction - once you are outside you may notice the clouds moving in a different direction depending on how high they are; when launching rockets this becomes particularly important
- Wind Speed - you should be able to find this number on the app in miles per hour
- Humidity - concentration of water vapor in the air
- Dew Point - the temperature where water vapor condenses into liquid water. All air holds different amounts of water vapor. The dew point shows the amount of moisture in the air. And is actually more important when trying to figure out how humid the day is going to be.
Below are some example pictures from AccuWeather that shows the answers to all the above questions that will be in your journal.
In the "Field" Journaling
While you are outside or looking out a window if the weather is bad, I'm going to ask you to identify a few things. Do the best you can. This is a journal. Do not stress. Here is a guide to help you define what I put on the journal:
10% fair (often saved for high wispy cirrus)
20-30% mostly sunny
40-60% partly cloudy
70-80% mostly cloudy
90% broken
100% cloudy / overcast
While you are outside or looking out a window if the weather is bad, I'm going to ask you to identify a few things. Do the best you can. This is a journal. Do not stress. Here is a guide to help you define what I put on the journal:
- % Cloud Coverage - refers to the fraction of the sky obscured by clouds when observed from a particular location. While you can cheat and find this information on AccuWeather, I want you to see if you notice the same thing. Look up. From the position you are sitting is the whole sky covered in clouds, which would be 100%. Or is it just a fraction of the sky? Maybe you only see a couple of clouds and it looks like 10% of the sky to you. Do the best you can.
- Cloud Coverage Descriptor: This is different than percentage (which is a number) but it does correlate. Use the percentage you figured out to determine the descriptor.
10% fair (often saved for high wispy cirrus)
20-30% mostly sunny
40-60% partly cloudy
70-80% mostly cloudy
90% broken
100% cloudy / overcast
- What direction are the clouds moving in? - You may need to use the compass on your phone or maybe you have a compass handy. I've included a video below to help you read your compass and give an accurate direction. If you do not have a compass available no need to worry, this is worth 1 bonus point. My biggest point here is showing you that the wind moves in different directions at different altitudes.
- Cloud Types: In the next section of the "how to" for your journaling, I've included a chart as well as some videos to help you with the 11 clouds you may come across.
- Do the cloud types match the weather recorded from the weather app? - From the prelab section, the information that you gathered from AccuWeather or any additional weather sites, do the clouds you see match the predicted weather?
- Notes: This is where you write what you notice about the area around you such as dew, water puddles, frost.
- Picture: If we were doing this in class, I'd have you draw what you see (no art skills required). After all it is a journal. But you have a couple of different options. Some of you do print out what I send, so it will be easy to draw a picture. OR you can take a photo and send it since we are digital now. It's up to you.
Look at the cloud chart below from NASA carefully. A better quality version of this chart can be found at: https://www.nasa.gov/pdf/312992main_CombinedCloud2.pdf. I've included some videos as well for those of you who need more visuals.
Low Altitude Clouds
The lowest clouds include fog, cumulus (fair weather), and nimbostratus (rain clouds). Stratus and stratocumulus clouds are low altitude clouds but they are a bit higher than the first 3 clouds mentioned.
Mid Altitude Clouds
There are only 2 clouds that live at mid altitude: altostratus and altocumulus
High Altitude Clouds
The lowest high altitude clouds are cirrostratus and cirrocumulus. The highest and most wispiest clouds are cirrus clouds. What you'll also notice is that several cloud charts include jet contrails. Technically they are man made clouds that are formed when water vapor quickly condenses around soot from the plane's exhaust and freezes to form cirrus clouds, which can last for minutes or hours.
Cumulonimbus Clouds!!!
These clouds are the fiercest of the 11 clouds. They begin at the lowest layer as cumulus clouds and grow in height up to where the high altitude clouds live. Their height gives them the ability to create convection as air moves from warmer regions to cooler regions, which is what causes some of the more severe thunderstorms.
Low Altitude Clouds
The lowest clouds include fog, cumulus (fair weather), and nimbostratus (rain clouds). Stratus and stratocumulus clouds are low altitude clouds but they are a bit higher than the first 3 clouds mentioned.
Mid Altitude Clouds
There are only 2 clouds that live at mid altitude: altostratus and altocumulus
High Altitude Clouds
The lowest high altitude clouds are cirrostratus and cirrocumulus. The highest and most wispiest clouds are cirrus clouds. What you'll also notice is that several cloud charts include jet contrails. Technically they are man made clouds that are formed when water vapor quickly condenses around soot from the plane's exhaust and freezes to form cirrus clouds, which can last for minutes or hours.
Cumulonimbus Clouds!!!
These clouds are the fiercest of the 11 clouds. They begin at the lowest layer as cumulus clouds and grow in height up to where the high altitude clouds live. Their height gives them the ability to create convection as air moves from warmer regions to cooler regions, which is what causes some of the more severe thunderstorms.
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Earth Day
Every year on April 22, Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970.
By the end of 1970, the first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of other first of their kind environmental laws, including the National Environmental Education Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and the Clean Air Act. Two years later Congress passed the Clean Water Act. A year after that, Congress passed the Endangered Species Act and soon after the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. These laws have protected millions of men, women and children from disease and death and have protected hundreds of species from extinction.
By the end of 1970, the first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of other first of their kind environmental laws, including the National Environmental Education Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and the Clean Air Act. Two years later Congress passed the Clean Water Act. A year after that, Congress passed the Endangered Species Act and soon after the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. These laws have protected millions of men, women and children from disease and death and have protected hundreds of species from extinction.
Latent Heat & Saturation
Latent Heat, energy absorbed or released by a substance during a change in its physical state (phase) that occurs without changing its temperature. The latent heat associated with melting a solid or freezing a liquid is called the heat of fusion; that associated with vaporizing a liquid or a solid or condensing a vapor is called the heat of vaporization. The latent heat is normally expressed as the amount of heat (in units of joules or calories) per mole or unit mass of the substance undergoing a change of state.
Latent Heat, energy absorbed or released by a substance during a change in its physical state (phase) that occurs without changing its temperature. The latent heat associated with melting a solid or freezing a liquid is called the heat of fusion; that associated with vaporizing a liquid or a solid or condensing a vapor is called the heat of vaporization. The latent heat is normally expressed as the amount of heat (in units of joules or calories) per mole or unit mass of the substance undergoing a change of state.
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PowerPoints
Articles
Dew Point & Humidity
Dew point is the temperature at which the air is saturated (100 percent relative humidity). It is dependent on only the amount of moisture in the air. Relative humidity is the percent of saturation at a given temperature; it depends on moisture content and temperature.
Dew point is the temperature at which the air is saturated (100 percent relative humidity). It is dependent on only the amount of moisture in the air. Relative humidity is the percent of saturation at a given temperature; it depends on moisture content and temperature.
PowerPoints
Atmosphere & Climate
The atmosphere is the layer of gases that surrounds Earth above the air layer. Its condition affects our climate, which is the pattern of variation in temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, precipitation, ultraviolet light, and other climate variables that occur over long periods.
The atmosphere is the layer of gases that surrounds Earth above the air layer. Its condition affects our climate, which is the pattern of variation in temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, precipitation, ultraviolet light, and other climate variables that occur over long periods.
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PowerPoints
Severe Weather
Severe weather can happen anytime, in any part of the country. Severe weather can include hazardous conditions produced by thunderstorms, including damaging winds, tornadoes, large hail, flooding and flash flooding, and winter storms associated with freezing rain, sleet, snow and strong winds.
There are 3 conditions severe storms like blizzards, hurricanes, and thunderstorms require
1. Energy source
2. Moisture
3. Unstable Air
Severe weather can happen anytime, in any part of the country. Severe weather can include hazardous conditions produced by thunderstorms, including damaging winds, tornadoes, large hail, flooding and flash flooding, and winter storms associated with freezing rain, sleet, snow and strong winds.
There are 3 conditions severe storms like blizzards, hurricanes, and thunderstorms require
1. Energy source
2. Moisture
3. Unstable Air