Geocentric Science

14 Articles About Weather & Climate

1

A Quick Review of Weather Station Models

Refer to Pressure Table and Weather Map Symbols on page 13 of the Earth Science Reference Tables Here is an example: What is the wind direction and wind speed? Answer: From the northwest at 25 knots Explanation: The wind feathers are located in the northwest quadrant. Wind is always described as the direction in which it blows from. What is the temperature (dry bulb temperature)? Answer: 39ºF Explanation: Temperature is located on the upper left side of the station model What is

2

A Warm Cloudy Night

Have you ever wondered why it feels warmer at night when there is cloud coverage? Clouds control the amount of insolation lost or gained by an area. During the day, clouds block some of the incoming solar radiation and thus preventing the temperature from rising that high. At night, the water vapor in the clouds block and reradiate the energy giving off by the Earth. As a result, the temperature remains warm.

3

Acid Rain

Although all rainfall is slightly acidic, precipitation that has a lower pH than normal rainfall (lower than 5.6), can be extremely harmful. Acid rainfall includes both wet precipitation (rain, snow, and fog), and dry depositions (particulate matter). The depositions occur downwind of volcanoes and downwind of where there is burning of fossil fuels and sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are emitted. What gases are the main contributors to acid rain and acid deposition? Answer: Sulfur dioxide,

4

Atmospheric Circulation

Refer to the diagram Planetary Wind and Moisture Belts in the Troposphere diagram on page 14 of the Earth Science Reference Tables Image from Wikipedia Atmospheric circulation is the result of two factors. The first is unequal heating of the Earth’s surface. The second factor is the Earth’s rotation, which causes the Coriolis Effect. Both factors produce prevailing winds and belts of low and high pressure systems from the equator to the poles. Equatorial regions receive more ins

5

Condensation on the Bathroom Mirror

Once the water is turned on in the shower, the hot, moisture-rich water will begin to evaporate warming the bathroom. However, the bathroom mirror still remains cold. When the warm, moist air touches the cold bathroom mirror condensation will occur (the mirror becomes “foggy”). The air in the bathroom is cooled to its dew point (saturation and condensation occurs). Another example is condensation on a cold glass of water on a hot summer day. The glass surface of the cup of water provides a p

6

Elevation and Temperature

Refer to the Selected Properties of Earth’s Atmosphere diagram on page 14 of the Earth Science Reference Tables The troposphere is the layer of atmosphere where weather occurs. Almost all of the water vapor is confined to this layer. Within the troposphere, as elevation increases, temperature decreases. This is due to the decrease of atmospheric pressure. As air rises, it will spread out (because of the reduction in pressure or force of the atmosphere pushing down). The expanding air will coo

7

Lake Effect Snow Storms

During the winter, cold dry (very low relative humidity) air develops over Canada. This air mass is known as continental polar (cP). The cP air mass will move down towards the United States. As the air mass travels over the Great Lakes, the air is warmed (water has a higher specific heat capacity than land, refer to the article Why is the North Atlantic Still Cold in August?), and the relative humidity increases. Once the air mass reaches land, the temperature decreases (due to land’s low spec

8

Mountains and Precipitation

Mountains help to control the climate. Mountains can act as barriers, keeping out the cold, and can help to create deserts. The Orographic Effect causes the windward side of mountains to receive significantly more precipitation than the leeward side of the mountain. This is observed along the Cascades Mountain Range. Warm and moisture rich water comes off the Pacific Ocean The air mass is blown up the windward side of the mountain Air pressure decreases, the air mass spreads out, and the amo

9

Signs that a Storm is Approaching

A falling barometer is the first sign. A barometer is an instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure. Typically high pressure is associated with cool, dry air and low pressure is associated with warm, moist air. Water vapor weighs less than air, therefore the more water vapor present, the lower the pressure. A falling barometer indicates that water vapor is approaching (wet weather). In addition, other common signs of an approaching storm include increasing cloud coverage, increasing intensi

10

The Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming

The greenhouse effect contributes to global warming; however, the greenhouse effect is critical for life to exist on Earth. Today, there has been an increased greenhouse effect, which causes global climate to change, as well as other concerns and dangers. Greenhouse Effect Animation What is Earth’s energy balance? Answer: The energy balance is a way of showing what happens to the energy (insolation) emitted by the sun. The Sun emits radiation (energy). Some of the radiation is absorbed

11

The Ingredients for a Cloud

There are three main ingredients needed in order for a cloud to form: The air must cool to its dew point A condensation nuclei (dust, smoke, or ash – a place for the water vapor to condense) Water vapor

12

Why are Equatorial Regions so Rainy?

Refer to the Planetary Wind and Moisture Belts in the Troposphere diagram on page 14 of the Earth Science Reference Tables The equatorial region receives a lot of insolation throughout the day (it receives a great deal of direct sunlight), and therefore gets extremely warm. As the temperature continues to rise, evaporation will take place (evaportranspiration and evaporation from bodies of water), and the air becomes moisture-rich. During the late afternoon afternoon (early evening), the temper

13

Why is the North Atlantic Ocean Still Cold in August?

Liquid water has one of the highest specific heat capacities. Specific heat capacity is defined as the amount of heat per unit mass needed to raise the temperature of a substance by 1˚C. Therefore, it takes a lot of energy for liquid water to change temperature. Although the northern Atlantic Ocean does heat up slightly during the summer months, the ocean is so large (and deep), that it does not get very warm. In order warm the North Atlantic Ocean, a huge amount of heat is required and several

14

Wind

Wind is a result of the unequal heating on the Earth’s surface. The temperature differences between locations create density differences, which results in the rising, sinking, and movement of air. All objects resonate (vibrate) at a certain frequency. Occasionally, the wind will match an object’s resonating frequency. If this occurs, the resonating will become amplified. Here’s an example of a bridge resonating. The Tacoma Bridge