WEATHER

DESCRIPTION VARIABLES -AIR PRESSURE -AIR TEMPERATURE -WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION -HUMIDITY -CLOUD COVERAGE -PRECIPITATION

AIR PRESSURE -DECREASES AS ALTITUDE INCREASES -MEASURED BY A BAROMETER AIR TEMP -AMOUNT OF KINETIC ENERGY OF AIR MOLECULES WIND -AIR MOVES FROM HIGH TO LOW PRESSURE -MEASURED BY AN ANEMOMETER

HUMIDITY -LOW = LESS WATER VAPOR -RELATIVE HUMIDITY MEASURED BY A PSYCHROMETER GIVEN AS A % CLOUD COVERAGE -WATER DROPLETS/ICE CRYSTALS IN THE ATMOSPHERE -STRATUS: FLAT, UP TO 2,000 -CUMULUS: FLUFFY, BETWEEN 2,000-6,000 -CIRRUS: WISPY, ABOVE 6,000 -FOG: NEAR SURFACE

WEATHER PATTERNS PRESSURE SYSTEMS -HIGH: COOLER AIR AT CENTER CLEAR SKIES -LOW: WARMER AIR AT CENTER CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION

AIR MASSES CAUSES A CONSTANT TEMP., HUMIDITY, AND PRESSURE DUE TO A HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM CLASSIFIED BY TEMP. AND MOISTURE -ARTIC (NORTH) -CONTINENTAL POLAR (OVER LAND IN NORTH) -MARITIME POLAR (OVER WATER IN NORTH) -CONTINENTAL TROPICAL (OVER LAND NEAR EQUATOR) -MARITIME TROPICAL (OVER WATER NEAR EQUATOR)

FRONTS CAUSES DRASTIC WEATHER CHANGES DUE TO AIR MASSES COLLIDING COLD -COLD AIR MASS MOVES TOWARD A WARM AIR MASS (STORMS) WARM -WARM AIR MASS MOVES TOWARD A COLD AIR MASS (RAIN, SNOW, HUMIDITY, WIND SHIFT) STATIONARY -TWO AIR MASSES STAY IN ONE PLACE (CLOUDY) BLOCKED (OCCLUDED) -FAST MOVING COLD FRONT CATCHES UP WITH A WARM FRONT (RAIN)

SEVERE WEATHER THUNDERSTORMS AKA ELECTRICAL STORMS -NEED WARM TEMPS., MOISTURE, RISING AIR -3 STAGES -CUMULUS: CLOUDS AND RISING/FALLING AIR -MATURE: WIND, RAIN, LIGHTNING -DISSIPATION: STORM WEAKENS -RISING/FALLING AIR: CAUSE + AND – CHARGED PARTICLES (LIGHTNING)

http://cache.eb.com/new-multimedia/mp4/thunds010.mp4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNYdZqLLLyQ

TORNADOES -RISING AIR IN THUNDERSTORMS ROTATE  FUNNEL CLOUD REACHES GROUND -TORNADO ALLEY -CENTRAL U.S. -CLASSIFICATION -FUJITA SCALE (F0-F5)

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/101-videos/tornadoes-101

HURRICANES -FORM IN LATE SUMMER OVER WARM WATER -CENTER IS EYE: CLEAR SKIES/LIGHT WINDS -CREATE HIGH WAVES, FLOODING, WIND DAMAGE -ASIA: TYPHOON, AUSTRALIA: CYCLONE

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/101-videos/hurricanes-101

SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY -U.S. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE -WATCH: SEVERE WEATHER POSSIBLE -WARNING: SEVERE WEATHER IS OCCURING

WEATHER FORECASTS MEASURE WEATHER -SURFACE REPORT -UPPER AIR REPORT -SATELLITE IMAGES (INFRARED WAVES) -RADAR IMAGES (RADIO WAVES)

WEATHER MAPS INCLUDE: -STATION MODEL (INFO ON VARIABLES) -ISOBARS (HIGH/LOW PRESSURE, WIND) COMPUTER MODELS -PREDICT TEMPS., WINDS, PRECIPITATION, CLOUD FORMATION BASED ON MATH FORMULAS