Standard Grade Geography Weather and Climate

What is the Standard Grade course? The Standard Grade course is a two year course over S3 + S4. It is split into different levels (Foundation, General and Credit). You will sit two final exams. The exams are split into two sections Knowledge and Understanding (KU) and Enquiry Skills (ES) What do you know about the Standard Grade course?

KU and ES KU: Your knowledge of the topics that we cover. ES: Your ability to gather knowledge from a range of different sources.

What is expected of you? You must take responsibility for your learning – homework must be completed on time and you must revise topics you find difficult. Use the Geography department online blog to find resources and revise. Each topic will have an end of unit test. You will also sit an S3 exam, an S4 prelim and the final exam in two years.

If you need help. You can ask any member of the Geography department. Come along to the Geography revision club on a Monday at lunchtime. Use the Geography department Blog.

Unit 1: Weather and Climate This unit should be straight forward for you as you covered it in S1.

Unit 1: Weather and Climate Starter: How many people know what the weather is going to be the next three days? How do you know? Can you predict the weather?

Unit 1: Weather and Climate Tip: Start watching the weather reports in the news, looking at the weather reports in the paper and checking online.

Unit 1: Weather and Climate Why is it important to study the weather?

Unit 1: Weather and Climate Task 1: What is the difference between weather and climate? (2 minutes to discuss)

Unit 1: Weather and Climate Weather: The state of the atmosphere at any given time. (Look out the window and view the weather) Climate: The atmosphere of an area recorded over a given time period (often 30 years)

Weather Elements: Task 2: Write down as many different weather elements that you can remember. Hint: temperature is one.

Weather Elements: Precipitation Temperature Wind Speed Wind Direction Humidity Cloud Cover Air Pressure Visibility Sunshine

Task: Weather Elements Look at page 42 of the Geography SG book. Take notes on all of the weather elements you just copied down.

Starter: Homework task Find out the weather report for the weekend and write it in your jotter under the title “Weather report for the weekend” Task, compare the weather reports that you recorded. Are they the same? If they are different why do you think this is?

Recording the weather As well as knowing all of the elements of the weather you must also know how we record each one. How do we record the weather?

Recording the weather Using the handout you have been given write down: The name of each weather recording instrument. What the measure. The unit that they measure in.

Instrument: Sunshine recorder What does it measure: Hours of Sunshine What unit does it measure in: Hours

Instrument: Rain Gauge What does it measure: Precipitation What unit does it measure in: mm

Instrument: Anemometer What does it measure: Wind speed What unit does it measure in: MPH

Instrument: Wind vain What does it measure: Wind direction What unit does it measure in: Compass points (N,S,E,W)

Instrument: Stevenson Screen What does it measure: It houses thermometers to measure air temperature. What unit does it measure in: °C This also measures humidity

Visibility is measured by the eye. Cloud cover is measured in oktas.

Location of a weather station For each of the following site write down the positives and negatives of each.

Exam question: Which of the following sites would be the best for a weather station. (5KU) You must say the positives of 1 but also mention the negatives of others to make up full marks.

Fieldwork: Jordanhill weather station. Things to remember. The weather station must have: A Stevenson screen A Barometer A Anemometer A Wind vane A Sunshine recorder A Rain Gauge You must think about all of these when you are picking the site.

Factors that influence the weather. Latitude Altitude Proximity to sea Ocean currents Rainshadow Aspect

Latitude: The suns rays are most concentrated at the equator, and they have less of a distance to cover here too. This means the closer to the equator you are the hotter it will be. The further you are the colder it will be.

Altitude: The higher up you are the colder it is. For every 100m you climb it goes down roughly 0. 6 °C. This is called the lapse rate. Very cold due to massive height

Proximity to the sea The sea cools down and warms up slower than the land. This means it helps keep places close to the sea cool in the summer and warmer in the winter. Stays cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Land heats and cools much more quickly than the sea.

Ocean currents. Ocean currents can cool or warm the land. The UK is kept warm due to the North Atlantic Drift (or Gulf Stream) coming from S.American water. Thermal images show the warm current

Rainshadow The Rainshadow is caused due to areas of high land. The moist air from the sea is blown over mountains and therefore many clouds are formed, and there is lots of rain. This means that the area after the mountains will have a dry period. This is known as the rainshadow. Copy this diagram

Aspect – in the northern hemisphere south facing slopes receive more sunshine than north facing slopes. North facing slopes are in the shade and so will be colder than south facing slopes. Snow tends to last longer on north facing slopes. North: This will be cooler in the northern hemisphere South This will be warmer in the northern hemisphere

Air masses Air masses also affect the weather greatly. The UK is affected by 5 main air masses. Arctic Maritime

Air masses This may seem complicated but it is actually pretty easy. You just have to know what each word means, and it is easy to work out. Polar Tropical Maritime Continental = cold = hot = wet = dry

Air masses Now just add them together. Polar continental = Polar maritime = Tropical continental = Tropical maritime = Arctic = Cold and dry weather Cold and wet weather Hot and dry weather Hot and wet weather. Extremely cold weather

Stevenson Screen: You have been given a handout with a diagram of a Stevenson Screen on it. You must explain why it has each of it’s features.

Inside the Stevenson screen What is inside a Stevenson screen? Maximum and minimum thermometer. Wet and dry bulb thermometer. (to measure humidity)

Slated sides 1m long legs Sloped roof Painted White Placed on grass

Stevenson Screen: homework Features: 1m long legs. Placed on grass. Slanted roof. Slats in the side of the main box. Painted white. Why does it have each of these features?

1m Long legs. So that the ground temperature is not measured. This makes the reading of the air temperature more accurate.

Placed on grass Grass does not heat up as much as other surfaces such as tarmac. This means that the readings from the thermometer are more accurate.

Slanted roof. This is so rain and snow do not lie on top of the Stevenson screen. If they did they could lower the temperature readings.

Slats on the sides. This is so air can circulate through the box without letting precipitation get in. If it was enclosed the temperature would increase a lot when hot.

Painted White White reflects heat more than any other colour. This means that the readings are far more accurate as the Stevenson Screen does not heat up.

Weather forecasting. We know that you can get information from a weather station. But one weather station is just a single location.

Weather forecasting. Sometimes we need to look at weather on a bigger scale. How does the MET office get their information?

Satellite Satellites around the planet give detailed information to weather offices.

Weather Planes: These planes are fitted with devices that help measure the weather. They can get readings from high in the sky and also over large distances.

Radiosonde/ Weather balloon These ballonons are sent up in the atmosphere and collect data.

Weather ship. These ships have weather stations on them to collect data at sea.

The Met Office collects Information to predict the Future state of the weather. The Met Office collects Information to predict the Future state of the weather. Satellite Aircraft or land weather station Aircraft or land weather station Radar Weather ship Radiosonde/ balloon Radiosonde/ balloon THIS IS CALLED FORECASTING

Weather Symbols Aims of this section: To learn what different weather symbols mean. To be able to identify the weather from looking at weather charts and maps.

Weather Symbols Task: Collect a whiteboard 1 between 2. A number of different weather situations will come up on the board. You must draw what you think the symbol could look like.

Weather Symbols Sunny RainSnow CloudyHeavy Cloud Heavy rainSleet Fog Sunny with showers 10mph winds Hail

TYPICAL MEDIA WEATHER MAP Look at the symbols. What weather does Eastern England have? What is the weather like in Northern Scotland ?

MET office weather symbols. See weathersymbols.pp Lesson starter: See whiteboard.

Pressure systems. We are going to learn about two different types of pressure systems: Low pressure systems: A depression. High pressure systems: An anti-cyclone.

But first…….. We have to know a few things

Things we need to know. Iso bars Isobars show air pressure on weather charts. The level of pressure will be shown by numbers. Generally under 1000mb is low pressure, and over is high pressure Isobars also tell us what the wind will be like. If the isobars are close together it will be very windy. If they are far apart it will be calm Low pressure usually brings bad weather. High pressure usually brings calm nice weather.

Fronts Fronts are VERY important too. Important: Fronts of any sort ALWAYS bring rain!

Fronts Warm front: Warm air comes behind it. Generally brings light steady rain. Cold sector Warm sector Direction of front

Fronts Cold front: Cold air comes behind it. This front will cause very heavy rain and thunderstorms on occasion. Cold sector Warm sector Direction of front

Fronts Occluded front: This will bring the worst weather. Very wet, windy and usually storms. Direction of front

High pressure and low pressure. The amount of air pressure is how much the air in the atmosphere is pushing down on the earth.

High pressure and low pressure. If the pressure is high that means that the air is low and pushing down on the earths surface. Air is low = Lots of pressure = high pressure

High pressure and low pressure. If the pressure is high that means that the air is low and pushing down on the earths surface. Air is low = Lots of pressure = high pressure

High pressure and low pressure. If the pressure is low it means the air is higher and therefore not putting as much pressure on the earth. Air is up high = Low pressure

High pressure and low pressure. QUESTION: If the air is close to the ground (high pressure) what do you think we will not get? Answer: Clouds. The air is close to the ground and therefore too warm for clouds to form. Copy this: In areas of high pressure you do not get many clouds in the sky.

High pressure and low pressure. QUESTION: If you don’t get clouds in areas of high pressure what happens in areas of low pressure? Answer: The air is higher up and therefore it cools, condenses and forms clouds. Copy this: In areas of low pressure the air is high in the atmosphere and it is colder. This means that it cools, condenses and forms clouds. (The 3 C’s)

High pressure – what does it mean? From what we know already about isobars, air pressure and fronts what can we tell about this pressure system. What will the weather be like? Talk with each other come up with as many ideas as you can

High Pressure = an anticyclone Isobars are far apart. This means that the winds will be calm. Air pressure is getting higher as it moves into the middle, also over 1000mb = high pressure Air pressure is high so no cloud cover One last thing you can tell is wind direction. In an anticyclone wind blows clockwise. (In the northern hemisphere)

High pressure/anticyclone weather High pressure in the summer: Calm Dry Sunny Warm weather Sometimes thunder and storms High pressure in the winter: Calm Dry Clear conditions Cold Frosty Fog

Low pressure systems = Depression Isobars close together, this means strong winds. Low pressure, this means very cloudy Pressure decreases towards the centre. This shows a depression Again you can tell wind direction. It travels anti clockwise in a depression

Weather during a depression The weather during a depression depends a lot on the fronts that come with it Each stage of a depression brings very different weather.

Cold sector = cold air Cold sector = cold air Warm sector = warm air

Depressions – how are they formed? Depressions form where warm air meets cold air The boundary between the two air masses is called a front Along a front there will usually be thick cloud and heavy rain

A Depression Cold Front Warm Front

Depressions bring very changeable weather. The weather in Wick would be very different to Stornoway

Passage of a depression

Living graph of a depression. Copy the diagram on the white board then place the numbers on it: 1. Weather getting warmer with only a little drizzle. 2. Weather for T-shirt, shorts and sun glasses. 3. Warm clothes but you can leave the umbrella at home. 4. Umbrella and wellies needed! Warm clothes too.

Q: Describe the weather in Wick over the next 12 hours.

Lesson starter. The direction of wind. You would be right to think the wind was blowing in an anticlockwise direction here. But that’s not what you would say in an exam. You need to say the direction it is coming from.

A B C D A B C D

DECEMBER

IMPORTANT! The difference between DESCRIBE and EXPLAIN

IMPORTANT! DESCRIBE: Say what you see, or what is happening. You don’t have to say why! EXPLAIN: Say why something is happening or how you know something is happening.

Q: Explain the changes in weather in Wick over the next 12 hours.

Explain the changes in weather. The weather in wick will start off with relatively clear sky's as the warm front is yet to pass over it (1). There will be some wind but it will not be too strong as the isobars a spaced apart (1). As the warm front comes in the warm air will meet the cold air which will cause the air to cool, condense and then form clouds (1).This will produce light steady rainfall (1).

Explain the changes in weather. The temperature in wick will rise as the warm front passes over it bringing warmer air (1). At this time wick will experience relatively clear sky’s as no fronts will be overhead (1). As the cold front approaches the weather will become far worse. The cold air will force the warm air up quickly causing very rapid condensation. This will bring heavy rain, lots of cloud cover and possible thunderstorms (2)

Explain the changes in weather. Wick will experience higher winds as the isobars are far closer together (1). After the cold front has passed the temperature will fall as the cold sector passes over wick (1). After the cold front there may be some showers, but as the front is gone there will not be heavy rain (1).

Weather and people

For Credit level questions you will often be asked about how the weather can affect people.

High pressure synoptic chart The word high is written in the middle of the high pressure area The isobars are widely spaced The value of the isobars get higher towards the centre of the anticyclone

Anticyclone weather - Summer Dry and hot days with little or no cloud. Early morning dew and mist. Nights are cool due to lack of cloud during the day.

Anticyclone weather - Winter Fog that may last all day. Mostly clear skies. Frost in the mornings. Freezing nights. Dry.