Weather and the Water Cycle By: Calum Palmer NWRMS Science Bowl Team B

What is weather? Weather is the state of atmosphere at any time, including things such as temperature, precipitation, air pressure and cloud cover. Weather describes the short-term state of the atmosphere.

Weather Terms Temperature is the degree or intensity of heat present in a substance or object, especially as expressed according to a comparative scale and shown by a thermometer or perceived by touch. Precipitation is the action or process of precipitating a substance from a solution. Air pressure is the force exerted by air, whether compressed or unconfined, on any surface in contact with it. Also atmospheric pressure sometimes also called barometric pressure, is the pressure exerted by the weight of air in the atmosphere of Earth (or that of another planet).

What is Climate? Climate is the average weather usually taken over a 30 year period for a particular region and time period. Climate is not the same as weather, however, it is the average pattern of weather for a particular region.

What is our climate system? Atmosphere -the gaseous envelope surrounding the earth. Oceans -the vast body of salt water that covers almost three fourths of the earth's surface. Land -any part of the earth's surface not covered by a body of water. Ice -the solid form of water, produced by freezing. Biosphere -the part of the earth's crust, waters, and atmosphere that supports life.

Natural Disasters Tornados - A tornado, or twister, is a violently rotating column of air that extends between the Earth's surface and a cloud, usually a cumulonimbus cloud. Hurricanes - Hurricanes are massive storms that form over water then travel on land. Tsunamis - Tsunamis are a series of ocean waves that sends surges of water, sometimes reaching heights of over 100 feet (30.5 meters), onto land. Ice Storms - Ice storms are caused by freezing rain. The raindrops move into a thin layer of below freezing air right near the surface of the earth.

What is Global Warming / El Nino / La Nina? Global warming is a gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and other pollutants. El Nino is an irregularly occurring and complex series of climatic changes affecting the equatorial Pacific region and beyond every few years. La Nina generally create a more active hurricane season in the Atlantic. Also during La Nina the water near the equator gets colder.This also weather around the globe and in the U.S.

What is the Water Cycle? The water cycle is the cycle of processes by which water circulates between the earth's oceans, atmosphere, and land, involving precipitation as rain and snow, drainage in streams and rivers, and return to the atmosphere by evaporation and transpiration.

The water cycle is made up of a few parts: Evaporation is the process of turning from liquid into vapor. Condensation is the conversion of a vapor or gas to a liquid. Precipitation is the action or process of precipitating a substance from a solution.

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