Weather and Climate part 2 Tools to Measure Weather: Thermometer: A liquid-filled tube used to measure air temperature. Temperature @ BainPop.

Weather and Climatepart 2

Tools to Measure Weather:

Thermometer:A liquid-filled tube used to measure air

temperature.

Temperature @ BainPop

Weather and Climatepart 2

Tools to Measure Weather:

Anemometer: An instrument that measures wind speed with small cups that spin in the wind.

Wind Vane and Wind Socks: Show wind direction.

Barometer: Measures air pressure.A spring inside can squeeze or relax as air

pressure increases or decreases

Weather and Climatepart 2

Air Mass:A huge body of air with similar air temperature and

humidity throughout.

Front:Boundaries where warm and cool air masses

meet.

Weather FrontsWeather Fronts

MAP TAP 2002-2003 Weather Fronts 5

Air Mass

A large body of air with similar temperature and moisture.

Air masses form over large land or water masses.

MAP TAP 2002-2003 Weather Fronts 6

Frontal Boundaries

Where air masses interact – also know as a front.

4 kinds of fronts:– Cold front– Warm front– Occluded front– Stationary front

Cold Front A cold air mass

is replacing a warmer air mass.

Shown on a weather map by a blue line with triangles pointing the direction the cool air is moving.

Back toactivity

MAP TAP 2002-2003 Weather Fronts 8

Warm Front

Warm air mass replacing a cooler air mass.

Shown on a weather map by a red line with half circles pointing the direction the warm air is moving.

Back toactivity

MAP TAP 2002-2003 Weather Fronts 9

Comparing Warm and Cold Fronts

Cold fronts move faster than warm fronts.

The weather activity in a cold front is often violent and happens directly at the front.

Cold fronts have sudden gusty winds high in the air

creating turbulence.

The weather activity in a warm front generally happens before the front passes.

In a warm front the cloud formation is very low often creating situations of poor visibility.

MAP TAP 2002-2003 Weather Fronts 10

Occluded Fronts When a warm front

is trapped by 2 cold fronts.

Shown on a weather map by a purple line with alternating triangles and semicircles pointing the direction the front is moving.

Back toactivity

MAP TAP 2002-2003

Stationary Fronts A front that stops moving or is moving very slowly. Shown on a weather map with alternating red

semicircles pointing away from the warm air and blue triangles pointing away from the cold air.

Back toactivity

Locate the 4 types of fronts on this weather map.

Hint1

Hint2

Hint3

Hint4

Cold Fronts

Warm Front

Stationary Front

Occluded Front

Weather Fronts 17

Be a Weather Forecaster

You are planning to travel to Alabama in 2 days. The high temperature there for today is 68º F.

Use the map to help you predict whether the temperature in Alabama will increase, decrease, or stay the same. Explain why you think so.

18

Be a Weather Forecaster

There is a cold front approaching. The temperatures will probably be cooler behind the front.

MAP TAP 2002-2003 Weather Fronts 19

Be a Weather Forecaster

Of course, meteorologists (weather forecasters) use much more data than fronts and air masses to help them forecast the weather more accurately. But any forecast is just a prediction of what might happen. Even with the best data, weather forecasts can be wrong.

Weather and Climatepart 2

Cold Front:Develops when a cold air mass moves into a

warm air mass.

Cold Fronts often bring brief, strong storms followed by cooler, drier weather.

Weather and Climatepart 2

Warm Front:Develops when a warm air mass moves into a

cold air mass.

Warm fronts tend to bring steady, light precipitation followed by warmer, more humid

weather.

Weather and Climatepart 2

So, what occurs where air masses with different temperatures meet?

Weather and Climatepart 2

So, what occurs where air masses with different temperatures meet?

Precipitation!

Weather and Climatepart 2

Climate:The average weather pattern in an area over

many years.

Climate @ BrainPop

Weather and Climatepart 2

How can a mountain range impact an area's climate?

Weather and Climatepart 2

How can a mountain range impact an area's climate?

Often one side of a mountain range receives a lot of precipitation because air cools and loses its

moisture as it rises over the mountains.

This causes a Rain Shadow, or dry area on the other side of a mountain range.

Weather and Climatepart 2

Greenhouse Effect:Gasses that trap heat keeping Earth's climate

warm.

Global Warming:A warming of the Earth caused by more

greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Global Warming @ BrainPop