Barometers Created by Laura Glantzberg for

Barometer Basics Barometers measure atmospheric pressure, also known as barometric pressure – This means it measures the amount of pressure exerted by the weight of air over a given area – Air pressure creates changes that produce the winds that bring in clouds, or clear the way for sunny skies Barometers are very important for forecasting weather

Reading a Barometer Barometers typically have 2 types of readings: – inches- this refers to “inches of mercury” – Millibars (mb) or hectopascals (hPa)-the measurement used by meteorolgist

Adjusting Barometers Barometers read differently based on the elevation In order to get proper readings, the barometer must be adjusted according to elevation

High vs. Low Pressure Average sea level pressure is 1013 millibars – Anything below this pressure is considered low pressure Pressure in this area is below its surrounding environment The formation of a low-pressure area is called cyclogenesis. – Anything above this pressure is considered high pressure Pressure in this area is above its surrounding environment so the air will move outward to areas of less dense pressure

Practice Makes Perfect! Break into groups and practice reading different barometers Write down the reading of each barometer.