1. Comprehend and apply weather in role play of being meteorologists.
Learning Goal:
Comprehend and apply weather in role play of being meteorologists.

2. El Nino - (El Nee-nyo) is the warming of water in the Pacific Ocean.
Warm water disrupts the
food chain of fish,
birds, and sea mammals.
Rain and flooding along the Pacific Coast
Tornadoes and thunderstorms in the southern US
Fewer than normal hurricanes in the Atlantic

3. La Nina
La Nina - (Lah Nee-Nyah) is the cooling of water in the Pacific Ocean.
Snow and rain on the west coast
Unusually cold weather in Alaska
Unusually warm weather in the rest of the USA
Drought in the southwest
Higher than normal number of hurricanes in the Atlantic

4. Water Cycle
Amount of water remains the same as it moves through the cycle
Fresh water is limited
All living organisms need liquid water
Earth’s water is continually being recycled

5. Evaporation – process by which water molecules
Evaporation – process by which water molecules escape into the air by radiant energy from the sun changing water into a gas (water vapor).
Relative humidity – the percentage of moisture the air holds relative to the amount it could hold at a particular temperature.
Psychrometer – instrument used to measure the amount of R. humidity in the air. It consist of two thermometers, one wet and one dry.

6. Cloud formation
Clouds form when water vapor in the air becomes liquid water or ice crystals. Water vapor changing into a liquid----CONDENSATION
The temperature at which condensation begins is called dew point.

7. Cumulonimbus – Thunderstorm clouds that produce severe weather, tornadoes, hail, strong winds. Have anvil shape to top of cloud.

8. Clouds
Cumulus – usually indicate fair weather. 2 to 7 miles in the sky (cotton balls).

9. Cirrus – Feathery or fibrous in appearance
Cirrus – Feathery or fibrous in appearance. Very high altitudes usually between 6 and 12 kilometers. Indicate the serious (cirrus) weather is on the way in the form of rain or snow in a few hours

10. Stratus clouds – smooth gray clouds that cover
Stratus clouds – smooth gray clouds that cover the whole sky and block out the sun are called stratus clouds. These clouds produce steady, light precipitation.

12. Precipitation – Water vapor that condenses and forms clouds that can fall to the Earth as rain, sleet, snow, freezing rain or hail.
sleet – water droplet that freezes when it falls through cold air. (winter)
snow – forms when water vapor changes directly to a solid.
Hail – ice balls that fall after water is frozen
in the air then pushed further up and collects more water and freezes again, over and over until it becomes to heavy to stay suspended in the air. The stronger the uplift the larger the hail stone. (summer)

13. Freezing rain – rain that freezes upon contact with the ground.

14. Isobar A line on a weather map connecting places that have the same air pressure

15. high-pressure system
A generally calm and clear weather system that occurs when air sinks down in a high-pressure center and spreads out toward areas of lower pressure as it nears the ground.
(More dense cold air)

16. low-pressure system
A large and often stormy weather system that occurs when air moves around and into to a low-pressure center, then moves up to higher altitudes.
(Less Dense Warm Air)
hers/pressure.shtml

17. Storms Caused by: Changes in temperature & drop in barometric pressure
Ex: Hurricanes are a low pressure mass over tropical (warm) water

18. Weather Fronts
Air mass-a huge body of air that has similar temperature, humidity, and air pressure
Front-the area where two air masses meet and do not mix
Dense,cold air moves underneath the less dense warm air, pushing it up

19. Front Types
Cold front-rapidly moving cold air mass that runs into a slowly moving warm air mass
Move quickly, causing violent storms
Warm front- warm air that collides with cold air
Moves slowly, causing fog or rain for days, and in the winter, snow

20. Cold Front (More Dense cold Air)

21. Warm Front (Less Dense Warm Air)

22. Stationary Front http://www.stevemcentee.com/animation3.html

23. Weather Forecasting
Meteorologists-scientists who study weather and try to predict it
Forecasting has greatly improved due to computer technology
Collecting weather data has improved because of satellites and balloons

24. Seasons and Climate
Earth has seasons because Earth’s axis tilted as it moves around the sun
Winter-axis tilted away from sun resulting in shorter days and indirect rays
Summer-axis tilted toward sun resulting in longer days and direct rays

25. Climate Caused by: Altitude Latitude Mountain barriers
Proximity (closeness) to oceans
Climate is classified by precipitation and temperature based on these factors