INTRODUCTION TO WEATHER

ATMOSPHERE ALL THE LAYERS OF AIR THAT SURROUND EARTH TROPOSPHERE: LAYER WHERE ALL WEATHER OCCURS, CLOUDS FORM WHERE WE LIVE 1 ST LAYER, EXTENDS FROM THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH UP TO KM HIGH WATER VAPOR & CARBON DIOXIDE FOUND HERE AS ALTITUDE INCREASES, TEMPERATURE DECREASES AIR PRESSURE = FORCE OF AIR PUSHING ON THE EARTH AS ALTITUDE INCREASES, AIR PRESSURE DECREASES Sketch:

WATER CYCLE PROCESS IN WHICH WATER CONTINUOUSLY CYCLES BETWEEN THE TROPOSPHERE, LAND, AND OCEAN CAUSED BY SUNLIGHT AND GRAVITY SUNLIGHT- CAUSES EVAPORATION (WATER TURNS INTO A GAS) GRAVITY- PULLS WATER DOWN DURING RAIN AND HELPS CARRY WATER DOWNHILL TO LARGE BODIES OF WATER

PRECIPITATION OCCURS AFTER CONDENSATION PULLED DOWN BY GRAVITY RAIN, SNOW, SLEET, HAIL, FREEZING RAIN – DEPENDS ON WEATHER CONDITIONS (TEMPERATURE) TEMPERATURE VARIATIONS IN CLOUDS AND BETWEEN CLOUDS & GROUND DETERMINE THE TYPE OF PRECIPITATION EX: WARM AIR = RAIN FREEZING CLOUDS + WARM GROUND = RAIN

EVAPORATION/TRANSPIRATION WATERS ENTERS THE ATMOSPHERE IN THE FORM OF WATER VAPOR CHANGE FROM LIQUID TO GAS THERMAL ENERGY FROM THE SUN CAUSES WATER TO EVAPORATE OR TRANSPIRE EVAPORATION = ANY BODY OF WATER TRANSPIRATION = WATER ESCAPING THROUGH PLANT LEAVES

CONDENSATION/CRYSTALLIZATION WATER VAPOR RISES IN THE ATMOSPHERE TURNS INTO WATER DROPLETS OR ICE CRYSTALS MUST OCCUR ON A SURFACE DUST PARTICLES SERVE AS A “SURFACE” IN THE AIR FORMS CLOUDS WARM, MOIST AIR “HUDDLE” TOGETHER IN THE COOL TEMPERATURES OF THE TOP OF THE TROPOSPHERE

EXAMPLES OF CONDENSATION & CRYSTALLIZATION DEW = FORMS WHEN WATER VAPOR CONDENSES DIRECTLY ONTO A SURFACE WATER ON THE GRASS IN THE MORNING FROST = FORMS WHEN WATER VAPOR CHANGES FROM GAS INTO ICE CRYSTALS ON A SURFACE TEMPERATURE MUST BE FREEZING (32 O F OR BELOW) INCREASING THERMAL ENERGY = EVAPORATION DECREASING THERMAL ENERGY = CONDENSATION (CLOUDS, DEW, FROST)

DOWNHILL FLOW OF WATER ON LAND PRECIPITATION MAY OFTEN FALL ON LAND WATER RUSHES TO SEA LEVEL- PULLED BY GRAVITY SURFACE-WATER FLOW: WATER RUNS ON TOP OF LAND TOWARDS SEA LEVEL RIVERS, STREAMS, ETC. GROUND IS NOT POROUS (SOAKS UP WATER) AND TOO MUCH WATER STAYS ON TOP GROUND-WATER FLOW: WATER SINKS INTO THE GROUND AND GETS PULLED TOWARDS SEA LEVEL GROUND IS POROUS AND THE SOIL SOAKS UP THE WATER

MEASURING WEATHER METEOROLOGIST USE SPECIFIC TOOLS TO MEASURE DIFFERENT WEATHER PHENOMENON (THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN NATURE) CAN BE USED TO REPORT WEATHER, MAKE MAPS, ETC.

WIND SPEED MEASURED USING AN ANEMOMETER WIND MAKES THE CUPS SPIN ANEMOMETER COUNTS THE NUMBER OF TIMES IT SPINS IN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME MORE TURNS = FASTER WIND SPEED UNIT OF MEASURE = MILES PER HOUR (MPH)

WIND DIRECTION MEASURED USING A WIND VANE DIRECTION OF THE WIND = DIRECTION FROM WHICH THE WIND IS BLOWING

PRECIPITATION MEASURED USING A RAIN GAUGE MARKINGS SHOW HOW MUCH RAIN HAS FALLEN UNIT OF MEASURE = INCHES

TEMPERATURE MEASURED USING A THERMOMETER SCALE MAY BE READ IN CELSIUS OR FAHRENHEIT O C OR O F

AIR PRESSURE MEASURED USING A BAROMETER UNIT OF MEASURE = INCHES OF MERCURY OR MILLIBARS

HUMIDITY MEASURED USING A SLING PSYCHROMETER USES 2 THERMOMETERS WET/DRY BULB TO MEASURE HUMIDITY IN THE AIR HUMIDITY = HOW MUCH WATER VAPOR IS IN THE AIR TEMPERATURE READINGS ARE CONVERTED USING A RELATIVE HUMIDITY TABLE