Meterology notes

Meteorology

The study of atmospheric

phenomena

Weather vs. Climate

• Weather: the current state of the

atmosphere

• Climate: long-term variations in

weather for a particular area

Weather terms

• Humidity: a measure of the amount of water

the air is holding at a certain temperature

• Dew Point: the temperature at which dew or

rain will fall from the air.

• Barometric pressure: a measure of how hard

the air is pressing down. (low pressure is
rainy/storm and high pressure is clear.)

• Meteorology

is the study of
weather on
the surface as
well as in the
atmosphere.

Wind Systems cause weather

• A wind system is caused by air flowing from

areas of HIGH pressure to areas of LOW
pressure.

• Wind systems are named based on the

direction they come from. Ex: A northeast
wind comes from the NORTHEAST- and flows
toward the SOUTHWEST.

What are the wind systems of Earth

What is the Jet Stream

The Jet stream is a high altitude, narrow
westerly wind, band that occurs above
large temperature contrasts and can flow
as fast as 185 km/h

Surface data

• Different tools are used to measure different

data on the surface:

• Thermometers measure temperature.
• Barometers measure air pressure.
• Anemometers measure wind speed.
• Hygrometers measure relative humidity.

How is weather measured in the

Atmosphere?

A radiosonde is a small package of sensors
used in weather balloons to measure pressure,
altitude, wind speed, and humidity.
• Data is transmitted back to ground stations

by radio signals and plotted on a chart.

• These charts are used in forecasting and

predicting changes in surface weather.

How does Doppler Radar work

How to read a weather radar | Understanding the colors | wcnc.com

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Multiple Choice

Long term averages in the weather are considered

• climate

• weather

Multiple Choice

Winds are named based on where they:

• go to

• come from

Air masses

• A large body of air that takes on the

characteristics of the area over which it forms.

Air Masses

• Air masses are classified according to their

source regions. The main types of air
masses, are

• warm and dry continental tropical,
• warm and humid maritime tropical,
• cold and dry continental polar,
• cold and humid maritime polar,
• and arctic.
All five main types of air masses

can be found in North America.

Multiple Choice

A warm humid air mass is classified as:

• maritime tropical

• maritime polar

• continental tropical

• continental polar

Multiple Choice

A cold dry air mass is classified as:

• maritime tropical

• maritime polar

• continental tropical

• continental polar

• Air masses do not stay in one place. When the air masses move, it changes the weather.
What is a weather front?

A front is a boundary between two different
air masses, resulting in stormy weather. A
front usually is a line of separation between
warm and cold air masses.

• How do you identify a front on a surface

weather map or by your own weather
observations?
Look for: changes in

• Temperature
• Pressure
• Humidity
• Wind

• What is a cold front?

A cold front is a
boundary between two
air masses, one cold
and the other warm,
moving so that the
colder air replaces the
warmer air. These usually move through quickly.

Weather? Rain,
thunderstorms

• What is a warm front?

A warm front is a
boundary between two
air masses, one cool
and the other warm,
moving so that the
warmer air replaces the
cooler air.

• Weather? Usually rain

over a longer period of
time. Less violent.

• What is a stationary front?

A stationary front is a boundary between two
air masses that more or less doesn’t move,

Rainy
for
days

• What is an occluded

front?
An occluded front is a
combination of two
fronts that form when a
cold front catches up
and overtakes a warm
front. A counterclockwise circulation results.

• Weather? Rainy, stormy,

bomb cyclone

Multiple Choice

When cold air moves into warmer air, warmer air

• rises over the cold forming clouds

• sinks under the cold forming clear skies

• rises over the cold forming clear skies

• sinks under the cold forming clouds

Multiple Choice

A bomb cyclone, a severe storm with pressure that drops quickly often forms due to a(an)

• cold front

• warm front

• occluded front

• stationary front

Multiple Choice

Which type of front typically moves through faster than the others?

• cold front

• warm front

• occluded front

• stationary front

• What is a trough?

A trough on a
weather map is an
elongated area of
relatively low
pressure.

• Weather? cloudy

and rainy.

Not this

High versus low pressures

High pressure means the air is falling, thus the air is clear.

​

​Low pressure means the air is rising into the atmosphere, thus we get rain and storms. The lower the pressure, the worse the storm

isobars

• Lines that connect areas of equal pressure

What do close together isobars mean?

• Isobars are kind of like contour lines on a map.

If they are closer together the gradient is
“steeper.”

• The winds are blowing from the high to the

low pressure→high winds when lines are
close together.

Where is it windy?

Isobars during a hurricane

Air pressure in a hurricane eye can be as

low as 899 millibars (26.5 inches Hg)!

Multiple Choice

When isobars are close together, the wind will be

• fast wind

• light wind

Multiple Choice

Wind moves from

• high pressure to low

• low pressure to high

• high pressure to high

• low pressure to low

Poll

When I grow up, I would LOVE to be

• a meteorolgist

• a TV weather reporter

• an Earth Science teacher who can teach about weather

• all of the above