What

meteorology

does basics for

my planet? Danny Monsante

Meteorology – the study of the changes in temperature, air pressure, moisture, and wind direction

The atmosphere is a blanket of air surrounding our planet. Our weather takes place in the bottom layercalled the troposphere.

Weather systems start because the sun’s energyheats up only parts of the Earth at a time. The planetsaxis is at a perfect right angle that allows us to haveseasons.

Stability and Instability

Warm air rises because it is much less dense than cool air. As air begins to rise it expands and cools. When lifted and cooled, air is warmer than its surroundings and continues to rise. This is called instability.When lifted air becomes cooler than its surroundings it sinks and is called stability.

Evaporation – to change from a liquid or solid state into vapor

Precipitation – to fall to the Earths surface as a condensed form of water, to rain, snow, hail, etc.

Condensation – the process by which a gas or vapor changes to a liquid.

Heating from the sun helps evaporate water from oceans to create clouds and precipitation. Condensation occurs when gases change into a liquid and eventually evaporate back into clouds.

Vide

o!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrPS2HiYVp8

KS How does meteorology changes climates and seasons?

WWK:We will understand each Cloud

type and the weather that follows each one.

Kayla Roden

Period 5

Unit 8

Background Information:

Luke Howard**, in 1803, identified ten distinct categories of clouds, all of which are variations of three certain cloud forms – Puffy cumulus clouds, stratus clouds forming in layers, and feathery cirrus clouds.

Clouds: Form of condensation best described as visible aggregates of minute droplets of water or tiny crystals of ice.

Cirrus Clouds Cirrus Clouds are high, white and thin, wispy

strains. They only produce only things called fall streaks (falling ice crystals that evaporate before landing on the ground).

Some cirrus clouds can grow long enough to stretch across continents!

Cumulus Clouds Cumulus Clouds are consist individual cloud

masses. They are frequently described as having a cauliflower structure. They produce fair weather, never any storms come along with them. When influenced by weather factors such as instability, moisture and temperature changes.

Stratus Clouds Stratus clouds are

described as low sheets or layers that cover much or all of the sky.

There are no distinct individual cloud units and they are horizontal layering of clouds. They produce what we call “Cloudy Days” or “Fog” with a dark gray or nearly white clouds. They also may produce a light drizzle or snow or lightning.

VIDEO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ODJA1tIWOA

Kick Starter!

Who identified the distinct categories of clouds?

WWK

The difference between hurricanes and tornadoes and how different climates affect the strength of the storms

HOW THE TWO STORMS ARE ALIKEWith hurricanes and tornadoes, doppler radars are used to record wind speeds and identify areas of rotation within the storm. The faster the speed of wind, the higher level of storm. But tornadoes also have one devise that is used just for them. The radiosondes are meteorological balloons that send data about tornadoes back to the National Weather Service so they can have it to compare to previous tornadoes.

TORNADO’S Tornadoes are a strong, rotating

column of air that extends from the base of a cumulonimbus cloud to the ground.

They have winds from 40 mph to the record of 175 mph.

HURRICANES Hurricanes are natural storms that

have winds up to 150 mph. They cover a large area over a time that can easily last more than a week, leaving destruction in its wake.

Now for a video…

http://www.youtube.com/watch:v=V6tOs_QjrDw&feature=youtube_gdata_player

K.S.What records wind speeds and identifies areas of rotation within storms?

WWKTHE IMPACTS NATURAL AND HUMAN ACTIVITY HAVE ON

THE ATMOSPHERE.

Humanity’s effect on the atmosphere Humans have caused pollution,

deforestation, climate changes, and much more, but one of the biggest problems for our atmosphere that we cause is the increasing amount of green house gasses.

An example of carbon dioxide emissions would be the burning of fossil fuels. This is resulting in the weakening of our ozone layer.

Nature’s effects on the atmosphere There are many different ways that

nature has affected the atmosphere such as natural disasters.

These disasters can be dangerous for the atmosphere or they can have a minimal effect. One example would be volcanoes erupting and projecting volcanic and green house gasses into the atmosphere.

Changes in the atmosphere The atmosphere goes through many

changes and can cause a variety of weather changes. One of these changes would be the creation and movement of large bodies of air called air masses.

…continued There are four basic kinds of air

masses. There are polar air masses that form around the earth’s poles, tropical air masses form around the equator. Also there are continental air masses that form above land, and the last of the four is the maritime air masses that form over water.

Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1Ro

Rc0-Q6U

K.S. What are the four types of air masses??

WWK:How climate changes affect the biosphere

By: Mr. Greer

Climate changes

• 4 times every year the climate changes, this happens on the winter solstice, the summer solstice, autumn equinox, and fall equinox.

• Whenever the climate changes animals half to adapt to the new environment, different animals have different means to adapt

Animal adaptation

• The best time two c adaptation is before the winter solstice

• When the climb it starts to change before winter kicks in multiple types of burds migrate south (or north if you live in the south; but not west if you live in the east) sometimes the more wealth humans do this as well, but it is not as common as with birds

“The Great Migration”

Animal Adaption (cont.)

• Mammals commonly adapt to there environment by dawning a new, thicker, fluffier coat.

Video

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRX2JtKFUzk

K.S.

• What are 2 ways animals adapt to colder climates?