Mitchell’s Water Cycle and Weather Presentation Mitchell Galluccio 11/05/11

Topics Water Cycle and the States of Water The Forms of Precipitation Cloud Formation and the Different Types of Clouds The Difference between Weather & Climate The Tools to Measure Weather Hot & Cold Fronts

The Water Cycle The water on the Earth changes from one form to another over and over again. The water cycle is the movement of water into the air as water evaporates and then condenses and falls back to the Earth’s surface as precipitation.

Three States of Water GAS LIQUID SOLID Water is found in three states on Earth; liquid water, solid water (called ice), and gaseous water (called water vapor). Liquid water can be found in our oceans, lakes, rivers, and rain. Solid water is found when it gets cold in the winter and ice forms on our lakes or pools. Water vapor is formed when heat is added to liquid water. GAS LIQUID SOLID

4 Forms Of Precipitation Rain: Rain is falling drops of liquid water. Sleet: Sleet is rain that freezes as it falls. Snow: Snow is water vapor that freezes and forms ice crystals. Hail: Hail is rain that freezes and then is carried high up into the clouds by strong winds.

Cloud Formation Clouds form when water vapor in the air condenses. A cloud that condenses close to the ground is called fog.

Stratus Clouds Stratus clouds are low-level clouds that form in layers. Stratus clouds usually bring rain.

Cumulus Clouds Cumulus clouds are fluffy and flat at the bottom. They form low in the sky. Cumulus clouds usually bring fair weather.

Cirrus Clouds Cirrus clouds are thin clouds that look like feathers. They are made of ice crystals and form high in the sky. Cirrus clouds usually mean fair weather.

Cumulonimbus Clouds Cumulonimbus clouds are dark clouds charged with electricity; and associated with thunderstorms.

Climate Versus Weather Climate is how the atmosphere "behaves" over a long period of time for an area of the globe. Climate is described in terms of averages of precipitation, temperature, humidity, sunshine, wind velocity, and storm types. Weather Weather is condition of the atmosphere at a specific location over a short period of time. Weather is described in terms of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, and wind.

The Thermometer A thermometer measures the temperature of the air.

The Rain Gauge A rain gauge collects and measures the amount of rain that has fallen at a specific place.

The Barometer A barometer measures air pressure.

The Wind Vane A wind vane measures wind direction.

The Anemometer An anemometer measures the speed of the wind.

Cold Front Versus Warm Front Forms as cold air pushes into warm air and it pushes the warm air up. Clouds form and precipitation comes with a cold front Often thunderstorms appear with a cold front. For the US, cold air comes down from Canada. Warm Front Forms as warm air pushes into cold air. Gray clouds and precipitation come with a warm front. For the US, warm air move up from Mexico.

What I Learned I learned about the different types of clouds. Both a cold & warm front can bring rain or snow, but a cold front can bring thunderstorms or tornadoes. There are a lot of different tools to measure the weather; a barometer, a wind vane, an anemometer, a thermometer, and a rain gauge. I learned about the different types of clouds. There is a lot of information on the internet about weather.