Katina Peck 7th Grade Science Be a Weather Watcher Katina Peck 7th Grade Science

Weather What the outside air is like at a certain place and time. Weather can be described as: How hot or cold it is, How wet or dry it is, How many clouds are in the sky, and How windy it is.

Climate What the weather of a place is like over a long time. Just think how the weather is different for each season of the year. Lots of different things can affect what the climate is such as: How much sunlight, wind and water a place gets, Mountains, oceans and rivers that are in an area, What the soil is like, and the kind of plants that are growing.

Meteorologist Scientists who study weather and climate are called meteorologists. Meteorologists measure a lot of different things that make up the weather such as: Precipitation Wind Temperature

Precipitation Humidity The amount of rain and/or snow that falls. The amount of water in the air.

Wind Meteorologists study what direction the wind is coming from and how fast the wind is blowing.

Temperature The temperature of the air. The temperature of the ground/soil. The temperature of water (oceans and lakes).

Technology Satellites Computers Barometers Thermometers Rain gauges Orbits Earth taking pictures of clouds from space. Computers Use data to create forecasts. Barometers Measures air pressure. Thermometers Measures temperature. Rain gauges Measures precipitation. Anemometer Measures wind speed. Radar Uses radio signals to determine where precipitation is falling and how fast clouds are moving.

Air Pressure Air pressure depends on the density of air, or how close together its molecules are. Air lower in the atmosphere is more dense than air above, so air pressure down low is greater than air pressure higher up. Temperature affects air pressure: In cold air, the molecules are more closely packed together. In warm air, the molecules are further apart. Cold air is denser!!!

Rising and Sinking of Air Warm air is less dense, so it rises. Cold air is denser, so it sinks.

Wind Wind often moves from areas where it’s colder to areas where it’s warmer. The larger the temperature difference, the stronger the wind.