Intro to Weather Clip
Weather by Brainpop
1) What cycle is the basis of our
weather?
2) What causes precipitation to
occur?
3) Where do storms usually
occur?
Weather
Temporary behavior of atmosphere
(what’s going on at any certain time)
Small geographic area
Can change rapidly
Weather
--The study of weather is meteorology
--Someone who studies weather is
called a meteorologist
Climate
Long-term behavior of atmosphere (100+
years)
Large geographic area
Very slow to change
POLAR
90o -60o latitude
Cool summers, cold year-round
Dry
TEMPERATE
60o-30o latitude
True Seasons
Variety of climate patterns
Moderate precipitation (rain/snow)
TROPICAL
30o - equator
No winter, warm year-round
High temp, rainfall, humidity
Climate Types by Brainpop
1.What is climate?
2.Where are tropical climates
most likely to be?
3.What does “arid” mean?
What Factors Affect Weather &
Climate?
1. The Sun
2. The Water Cycle
3. The Atmosphere
4. The Ocean
How Does the Sun Affect
Weather?
It warms the atmosphere &
oceans
It creates climate zones
It keeps the water cycle going
It affects weather patterns
The Water Cycle
All the water on the planet is recycled in
this manner!
Parts of the Cycle
Evaporation—Water
Evaporation going from a
liquid to a gas (gains energy from
the sun)
Parts of the Cycle
*Transpiration—evaporation of water
from/out of plants. Locate this on the
diagram!
transpiration
Parts of the Cycle
Condensation—Water
Condensation going from a gas to a
liquid (cools or loses energy)
When this happens in the atmosphere,
CLOUDS form.
Clouds by Brainpop
Parts of the Cycle
Precipitation—when water falls out the
atmosphere. Forms when the water droplets
in clouds become too heavy to stay up.
Precipitation
Liquid water = rain
Rain Clip
Frozen water = snow or
sleet or hail
The Water Cycle
Water Cycle by Brainpop
Water Cycle Advanced by Brainpop
The Water Cycle by Brainpop
1) What process must happen for
clouds to form?
2) What is “collection”?
3) Name one way to conserve
water.
How does the atmosphere
affect weather?
The atmosphere is a mixture of gases that surrounds
the Earth
Has five different layers; each has different
properties
We’ll label them in just a minute…
Air Temperature and Pressure change with altitude
Weather occurs in the layer closest to Earth
(troposphere)
Write in the labels!
Exosphere
Thermosphere
Ionosphere
Mesosphere
Ozone layer
Stratosphere
Troposphere
Earth’s Atmsophere by Brainpop
1. What is ozone?
2. What layer of the atmosphere
does weather occur in?
3. What 2 gases compose the
most of Earth’s Atmosphere?
Air Masses
= body of air with a certain
temperature and moisture level
Can be warm or cold
Can contain a lot of moisture or
not a lot of moisture
Fronts
= places where air
masses meet
4 Types: Warm, Cold,
Occluded, Stationary
Each kind can bring
different kinds of
weather
Occluded Front: Stationary Front:
Science Saurus 221/222
& Reading a Weather
Map Worksheet
How does Air Pressure affect
weather?
How much the earth’s atmosphere is pressing
down on us
Measured with a BAROMETER
If it CHANGES, then new weather is on the way:
Falling Air Pressure = stormy weather coming
Rising Air Pressure = fair weather coming
Steady Air Pressure = no change is coming
Pressure Systems
Winds = created from differences in
air pressure
Moves from areas of HIGH to LOW
pressure
Greater the difference in pressure, the
FASTER the wind blows
Measured with wind vanes and
anemometers or you can estimate with the
Beaufort Wind Scale
ScienceSaurus 224/225
Beaufort Wind Scale
Global Winds
Thousands of kilometers long; can
cause weather to move in different
directions
Jet stream, prevailing westerlies,
doldrums, horse latitudes, trade winds
Big Winds Blowin’ Worksheet &
Science Saurus Section 217
Global Winds
Caused by the temperature
difference in different regions
Hot Tropical Regions—causes air to
rise
Cold polar Regions—causes air to sink
Global Winds
Also affected by Earth’s Spin
Coriolis Effect = causes winds to
curve to the right in the N.
Hemisphere; to the left in the S.
Hemisphere
Big Winds Blowin’ Worksheet
Winds by Brainpop
1. What does warm air do?
2. What do you call winds that
blow all the time in the same
part of the world?
3. What are jet streams?
Relative Humidity
Measure of the amount of
moisture in the air compared to
what the air could hold
How “full” of water the air is
Expressed as %
100% relative humidity =
saturated air
Relative Humidity Test Applet
http://itg1.meteor.wisc.edu/wxwise/relhum/rhac.html
Relative Humidity
Controlled by temperature
1. Warm air holds more moisture than cool
air (more space for water vapor between air
molecules)
2. As air warms,
warms relative humidity
decreases
3. As air cools,
cools relative humidity increases
Dew Point
=Temperature at which the air is
saturated (100% relative humidity)
Several events can occur when the dew point
temp. is reached:
1. If dew point temp. is above freezing:
a. water vapor condenses as liquid
b. dew will form on surfaces
Dew Point
c. cloud droplets will form in air
2. If dew point temp. is below freezing:
a. water vapor condenses as a solid
b. frost on surfaces
c. snow (or hail) in the air
Humidity by Brainpop
1. What single factor controls
humidity?
2. What temperature air can hold
the most water molecules?
3. What causes water to evaporate
into the atmosphere?
Rainbows
Caused by sunshine on raindrops
White light (all colors) is refracted (bent)
into colors as it enters and exits the drop
To see a rainbow you must have the sun
behind you and raindrops in the air
Diagram:
Rainbow by Brainpop
How does the Ocean affect
weather?
Ocean currents affect the temperature of the land
they pass by
Cold ocean currents = cooling effect
Warm ocean currents = warming effect
Temperature changes affect pressure – which then
creates WINDS
Winds blow this cooling or warming effect over the
land
http://earth.rice.edu/MTPE/hydro/hydrosphere/topics/Ocean_Atm_Circ_ElNino.mov
http://www.wunderground.com/MAR/
Science Saurus Sections 203-204-205-206
Advanced Weather by Brainpop
Violent Weather
Thunderstorms
Requires a mature cumulonimbus cloud
Signs
a. Sudden reversal of wind direction
b. Noticeable increase in wind speed
c. Sudden drop in temperature
Thunderstorms
Possible weather:
a. heavy rains (flash floods)
b. lightning (forest fires)
c. thunder (frightens animals)
d. hail (crop damage)
e. tornadoes
f. strong, gusty winds
Thunderstorm by Brainpop
Safety Rules
Stay indoors
Prepare for lightning, strong winds
Listen on radio/TV for tornado
watch/warning
Thunderstorms don’t last long
Lightning Storm
Cumulonimbus cloud becomes electrically
charged and ground below has opposite
charge
Lightning stroke: flow of current thru air (a
poor conductor) from the – to the +
Lightning can flow from cloud to ground,
cloud to cloud,
cloud and from ground to cloud
Bright light is caused by glowing air
molecules heated by the current
Lightning follows the path of least
resistance (easiest way to positive)
Lightning rod offers lightning an easy,
easy safe
path to the ground (+)
Thunder is the shock wave caused by the
explosive expansion of heated air
Sound travels @ about 1100 ft/sec in air
5,280 ft in one mile
Distance from you to lightning = number
of seconds between seeing the flash and hearing
the thunder divided by 5.
(5,280 ft / 1100 ft/sec = 5 seconds)
Types of Lightning
Streak or bolt
a. Single or branched lines of light
b. Common in Puget Sound area
Sheet
a. shapeless flash over wide area
b. is cloud-to-cloud bolt hidden by the
clouds
c. common in Puget Sound area
Other types of lightning
a. heat, ribbon, beaded (types of bolt)
b. ball (only other shape lightning can have)
Safety rules for lightning storms
Stay indoors
Stay away from anything that conducts
electricity (stove, sink, telephone, TV)
Get out of the water and off of small boats
Stay away from open doors, windows, fireplaces
Stay in your car (very safe place to be)
Don’t stand under lone trees or in open places
Avoid hilltops
If your hair stands on end, or your skin tingles,
drop to the ground but try to keep as little
contact with the ground as possible
Lightning Strikes
(17 minutes)
Stories of people hit by lightning
Tornado (a.k.a twister,
cyclone)
Counterclockwise column of rotating air
extending from cumulonimbus cloud
Per square foot, is the most destructive
atmospheric event
Rated by wind speed (F1 to F5)
“Tornado season” = April, May, June
Tornadoes that form over water are called
“waterspouts”
Behavior of a tornado is unpredictable
Typical tornado will:
1. Occur between 3-7 pm
2. Travel 4 miles
3. Be 300-400 m wide
4. Travel 25-40 mi/hour
5. Have wind speeds up to 300 mi/hr
6. Produce extremely low pressure
7. Be dark due to debris picked up
Tornado by Brainpop
Safety Rules
Rule #1: Take immediate action!
Move away from tornado’s path
Tornado’s path
Move away at a right angle
Lie flat in nearest ditch, etc.
At home
a. open windows, doors
b. seek shelter in basement or under heavy
table in middle of house
On the trail of a tornado
Tropical Cyclone
Nicknames
1. Atlantic: hurricane
2. SE Asia, Japan: typhoon
3. Australia: willy-willy
4. Indian Ocean: cyclone
Tropical Cyclone
Rated by wind speed (category 1 to 5)
Starts and grows over warm ocean water
Composed of bands of thunderstorms
spiraling counterclockwise around a low
pressure center
Characteristics
Several hundred miles wide
Last many days (even weeks)
Winds from 74-200 mi/hr
Contains an “eye” Hurricances by Brainpop
a. Small region of low pressure
b. Surrounded by highest winds
c. Calm, peaceful, sunny weather
d. Last for about 1 hour as hurricane passes by
Safety Rules
Prepare for high winds
Prepare for flooding (greatest source of
damage)
a. Up to 20 in. of rain
b. Flooding by coastal water
3. Prepare for thunderstorms
4. Have on hand stored food, water,
blankets, candles, matches, radio, etc.
5. Seek shelter
Hurricanes Clip
