Download Tools of Meteorology

Tools of Meteorology
 Barometer measures air
pressure
(mercury and
aneroid)
Tools of Meteorology
 Anemometer
measures wind
speeds ten
meters above the
ground.
Tools of Meteorology
 Psychrometer measures
humidity. Consists of 2
thermometers, one dry-bulb
(to show air temp) and one
wet bulb (has water-soaked
wick wrapped around bulb)
a fan blows air past the 2
thermometers or you can
swing them in the air
manually, 2 thermometer
read different temps and the
difference shows the
amount of humidity.
Tools of Meteorology
 Thermometer
measures
temperature.
Scientist use
Celsius scale
(0ºC freezing pt
of water, 100ºC is
boiling for water)
Tools of Meteorology
 Wind vane –
is an instrument
used to determine
the direction of
winds.
Layers of the Atmosphere
 Thermosphere – above 90km , 4th layer, thin
atmosphere, temps increase with altitude from -80ºC to
above 1000ºC
– Ionosphere is part of thermosphere
(about 90-500km above Earth), where auroras take place.
 Mesosphere – 3rd layer, 50-90km above Earth’s surface,
temps drop with increasing altitude from -20ºC to -90ºC.
 Stratosphere – 2nd layer, clear, dry layer, lower portion
is cold about -60ºC to upper portion about-20ºC.
Temperature increase caused by ozone (ozone
absorbs ultraviolet rays from sun and then releases some
of it energy in form of heat.
 Troposphere – lowest layer of Earth’s atmosphere,
temperatures decrease with altitude from 18ºC to -60ºC,
contains most of water vapor in atmosphere so
most of weather occurs here, plans fly here.
Layers of the Atmosphere
Layers of the Atmosphere
Types of Clouds
 Stratus clouds – layered,
low clouds, form in stable
air so it spreads out
horizontally
 Cumulus clouds – fluffy,
grow upward, flat bases
 Cirrus clouds – feathery,
high clouds, feathery ice
clouds
 Alto – clouds between
2,000-7,000 meters
 Nimbus – dark rain clouds
Types of Clouds
Types of Clouds - Cirrus
Types of Clouds - Cumulus
Types of Clouds - Stratus
Formation of a Cloud
Coriolis Effect and the Currents
 Direction in which
currents flow depends
is influenced by the
Coriolis Effect.
 Air currents in
Northern Hemisphere
turn clockwise (to the
right)
 Air currents in the
Southern Hemisphere
turn counterclockwise
(to the left)
Global Winds
Westerlies
(where we live)
Trade Winds
Kinds of Fronts
 Cold Front – boundary between an advancing
cold air mass and the warmer air mass it is
displacing, moves quickly (about twice as fast as a
warm front), precipitation associated with it usually
ends shortly after the front passes
 Warm Front – when warm air displaces cold air,
warm air rises above denser cold air mass,
weather changes are less dramatic, but
precipitation may last for a day or more.
 Occluded front – when a cold front catches up to
a warm front, causes the warm caught between 2
colder air masses to rise, causes cloudiness and
precipitation.
 Stationary front – when a front is not moving
forward, if the front remains stationary for too long
flooding can occur.
Front Symbols
Warm and Cold Fronts
How to Read the Weather Symbols
Global Climates