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An Introduction to Weather. By MU Meteorology Students: Philip Bergmaier, Elmer Bauers IV, Katie Nohe, Sarah Miles, & Travis Toth. Main Components of Weather. The Water Cycle. Clouds. Weather Instruments. Weather Forecasting. Important Components of Weather. Temperature. Wind. Humidity.
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An Introduction to Weather By MU Meteorology Students: Philip Bergmaier, Elmer Bauers IV, Katie Nohe, Sarah Miles, & Travis Toth
Main Components of Weather • The Water Cycle • Clouds • Weather Instruments • Weather Forecasting
Important Components of Weather Temperature Wind Humidity Air Pressure
Temperature • Definition: The measure of how much heat is in the air • Important for “making weather happen” • Measured using a thermometer
Air Pressure • The measure of how much the air is pushing down on the Earth • Low pressure usually brings stormy weather • High pressure usually brings clear weather • Air pressure is measured with a barometer
Wind • Wind is created by air moving from high pressure to low pressure • The 150+ mph winds high in the atmosphere is called the jet stream • The jet stream winds make weather move
Humidity • Humidity is how much water or moisture is in the air • Humid conditions usually come with rainy weather or hot, steamy days • Humidity is measured with a hygrometer
www.cls.yale.edu A Picture of a Humid Air Mass
Definition of the Water Cycle: A continuous exchange of moisture between the oceans, the atmosphere, and the land. -Evaporation: Liquid to Gas -Condensation: Gas to Liquid -Precipitation: Falls as Liquid or Solid
Evaporation • The Sun heats the water from oceans, lakes, and rivers • Water to Water Vapor (Liquid to Gas) • Air reaches saturation point when it can hold no more water vapor
http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/data/g8/latest_g8wv.gif http://www.rap.ucar.edu/weather/satellite/displaySat.php?region=US&isingle=multiple&itype=wv
Transpiration • Plants can absorb water from the ground • Evaporation of water from the leaves and stems of plants • Accounts for a small portion of all evaporation in the atmosphere
Sublimation • Ice to vapor (solid to gas) • Acts like evaporation, below freezing
Condensation • Water Vapor to Water (Gas to Liquid) • Water droplets group together to form: • Clouds (Condensation at High Levels) • Fog (Condensation just above Ground Level) • Dew (Condensation at Ground Level above 32F) • Frost (Condensation at Ground Level below 32F or when dew forms before ground freezes)
Precipitation • Liquid or solid, depending on temperature • The condensation that occurs in the upper atmosphere leads to • Rain Snow • Hail Sleet (Falls as snow, melts, and freezes again before hitting the ground as pellets) • Freezing Rain (Snow to Rain to Ice) (Falls as snow, melts, and freezeson impact with the ground)
Run Off • Some rain or snow is absorbed by plants • Remaining snow melts to a liquid and the liquid water runs down to rivers and underground • This water eventually travels to a larger body of water • The Cycle starts over again
Condensation Precipitation Condensation Transpiration Evaporation Run Off http://www.btinternet.com/~n.j.f/Y7science/WATER/DragDropWC.htm
www.alanbauer.com 20,000+ feet high Made up of ice crystals Sign of approaching precipitation Shows direction of wind high in the sky Cirrus Clouds
Indicates rainy or dreary weather Essentially fog that does not reach the ground Nimbostratus, stratocumulus, cirrostratus Stratus Clouds
Fog cache.eb.com
www.leslietryon.com Cirrostratus Clouds
Indicates fair weather 1 mile up or lower May later develop into cumulonimbus clouds Lifetime of 5-40 minutes Cumulus Clouds www.carlwozniak.com
Also known as thunderstorms Can reach 60,000 feet tall The largest types of cumulonimbus clouds are supercell thunderstorms Cumulonimbus Clouds images.encarta.msn.com
