Download File

WEATHER NOTES
Temperature – is the measurement of the amount of heat in the atmosphere.
Measured in 2 types of Units:
1) Fahrenheit = US customary Unit
2) Celsius = Metric Unit
Important Temperatures
Freezing
Boiling
32 F 0 C
212 F 100 C
Thermometer – is the tool used to measure temperature.
F
C
F
C
80
25
25
80
70
20
70
20
60
15
60
15
50
10
50
10
40
5
40
5
0
30
0
30
-5
20
-5
20
- 10
10
Example:
This thermometer
reads about
5 degrees Celsius (C)
and
40 degrees Fahrenheit
(F).
- 10
10
Humidity – describes the amount of moisture in the air.
Hygrometer – the tool used to measure the amount of moisture in the air (humidity).
Humid days feel hot because the moisture in the air prevents sweat from evaporating and
cooling your body.
When air is compressed (pushed down on) its pressure increases. Like in the chamber of a
pump that has had the lever pushed down.
Hair becomes very curly when it is humid. Hair absorbs water causing it to curl.
Barometer – tool used to measure air pressure.
A RAIN GAUGE measures the amount of rain that has fallen over a specific time period.
A WIND VANE is an instrument that determines the direction from which the wind is
blowing.
An ANEMOMETER measures wind speed. The cups catch the wind, turning a dial attached
to the instrument. The dial shows the wind speed.
High pressure brings mild winds, stable temperatures, and clear weather.
Low pressure brings strong winds, dropping temperatures and precipitation.
Find more information at : http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-instruments.htm
LAND AND SEA BREEZES
What is wind?
Wind is air in motion. It is produced by the uneven heating of the earth’s surface by the sun. Since the earth’s
surface is made of various land and water formations, it absorbs the sun’s radiation unevenly. Two factors are
necessary to specify wind: speed and direction.
What causes the wind to blow?
As the sun warms the Earth's surface, the atmosphere warms too. Some parts of the Earth receive direct
rays from the sun all year and are always warm. Other places receive indirect rays, so the climate is colder.
Warm air, which weighs less than cold air, rises. Then cool air moves in and replaces the rising warm air. This
movement of air is what makes the wind blow.
http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-wind.htm
1
2
1) A sea breeze is created when the surface of the land is heated sufficiently to start air
rising. As air rises, it is replaced by air from the sea; you have now created a sea breeze.
Sea breezes tend to be much stronger and can produce gusty winds as the sun can heat
the land to very warm temperatures, thereby creating a significant temperature contrast
to the water.
2) A land breeze is created when the land is cooler than the water such as at night and
the surface winds have to be very light. When this happens the air over the water slowly
begins to rise, as the air begins to rise the air over the surface of the ocean has to be
replaced, this is done by drawing the air from the land over the water, thus creating a sea
breeze.
Websites where you can see animations and extra information of land and sea breezes :
http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/visualizations/es1903/es19
03page01.cfm
http://www.kidsgeo.com/geography-for-kids/0098-sea-land-breezes.php
http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-wind.htm
SCIENCE WEATHER VOCABULARY WORDS :
climate- the weather patterns of a location over time
weather- the state of the atmosphere at a given time and place
isobar - a line on a weather map connecting areas of equal pressure
cirrus- high thin wispy clouds made of ice, usually indicates fair weather
stratus- clouds that form layers or sheets of clouds, covering the sky
nimbo- these clouds bring rain
cumulous -puffy white clouds that are a sign of fair weather
fog -stratus cloud that forms at ground level
run off -the flow of water, snow or other precipitation over the land
water cycle -the journey water takes from land, to atmosphere and back again
precipitation - the part of the water cycle where rain, sleet, snow, and hail falls
evaporation- part of the water cycle where liquid water is heat and becomes water vapor
condensation- clouds are formed in this part of the water cycle, when water vapor cools
and becomes drops of liquid water
infiltration- when water soaks into the ground becoming ground water
front -a leading edge of an air mass
front- the boundary between two air masses of different temperature and moisture levels
cold front – a leading edge of cooler air approaching warmer air
warm front – a leading edge of warmer air approaching cooler air
occluded front- when one cold front overtakes slower moving cold (though warmer than
the other cold front) front; the warm, moist air is forced upwards
stationary front -when a warm and cold front meet and do not move
sea breeze- air over land is heated up during the day (low pressure)and rises. The air is
cooler over the water causing an area of higher pressure, causing the winds to blow from
the sea to land.
Land breeze – air over the sea is warmer at night than the land and this air rises. The air
over the land is cooler and moves in to replace the warm air over the water, causing wind
to blow from the land to the sea.
valley breeze- similar to a sea breeze, valley air is heated and rises, causing a warm breeze
to move up the mountains. At night this process reverses and a cool breeze moves down
the mountains
rain shadow- when the windward side of a mountain gets rain and leeward side is drier
thermometer- instrument used to measure temperature
anemometer - instrument used to measure wind speed
barometer- instrument used to measure air pressure
hygrometer- instrument used to measure humidity
humidity- the amount of moisture in the air
air pressure- because air has mass and takes up space, it has pressure (causes areas of high
and low pressure over the earth
wind when air moves from an area of high pressure to low pressure
high pressure- cooler, denser air creates this type or air pressure, creating a more pressure
at the surface. It brings “happy weather”
low pressure warmer, less dense air creates this type of pressure, creating less pressure at
the surface, this brings “lousy weather”