Unit 4 Day 1OBJECTIVE:

Describe the process that make up the Water Cycle.Discuss Weather Lore vs Weather Reality.

•Do Now:• Water Cycle vocabulary• Turn in Current Events: Vortex!

•Today:NEW UNIT – Earth & Space Science

• Weather Lore & Water Cycle notes• Water Cycle worksheet• Chap 23.1 GRWS (Water Cycle)

• A Week of Weather maps• Current Surface Weather

•Homework:• Textbook pg 708 #1-9 *Complete sentences

Monday 1/13/14

EARTH & SPACE SCIENCE

Water, Weather, Atmosphere and Natural Disasters

Water Cycle Also called the Hydrologic Cycle Movement and storage of water

on the planetTotal amount of water doesn’t

change – it is transported around the earth

Energy to run the cycle comes from the sun

Water re-enters that atmosphere by two processesEvaporation changes surface water

(lakes, rivers, oceans) to water vapor○Water vapor (gaseous state) returns

to the atmosphereTranspiration is the loss of water

vapor from the leaves of plants○Stomata are openings in leaves

which allow the water vapor out of the plant

CondensationAs the water vapor rises in the

atmosphere, it loses energy (cools down)

Water droplets are formed from the water vapor

PrecipitationWhen the water droplets get too heavy

it falls from the skyWeather conditions determine the type

of precipitation – rain, snow, sleet

Some precipitation re-evaporates before it reaches the ground

Most precipitation falls into existing bodies of water70% of the earth’s surface is water

The rest falls on landAbsorbed into the soil or flows over the surface as runoff (back to the oceans/lakes)

Infiltration is the process of water entering the groundSome of the water is taken up by

plantsSome percolates through the soil and

rocks until it can’t go any deeper because of clay conditions

This water layer is called GroundwaterGroundwater may seep out into

springs or be pumped out by humans

The cycle begins again: 1. Evaporation and transpiration2. Condensation3. Precipitation4. Infiltration and Runoff

THREE PHASES OF WATERGas

Liquid

Solid

In what ways do you think water is important to people?

How do you think that people change or impact the water cycle?

What serious problems are facing us with respect to how the water cycle functions?

WEATHER LORE

ANIMALS

Do cows lie down before a storm? I suppose someone, somewhere will have had a grant to study this and may even have produced a detailed report and conclusion, but I certainly haven’t read it.

Travelling through the countryside recently on a fine summer’s morning I saw a herd of cattle lying down in their field. The old piece of weather lore came to mind and, would you believe it, later in the day we had thunderstorms and heavy rainfall.

Coincidence? Probably, but it got me thinking about the actions of animals and their relationship to the weather. There’s a great deal of weather lore that uses the reactions of animals to the weather, but how much of it is merely caused by a response rather than by prediction?

Can animals pick up on slight changes in pressure, temperature and humidity or combinations of these weather elements that allow them to prepare for coming weather? Have we, humans lost the ability since we have been able to insulate ourselves, through clothing and buildings, from a close relationship with the environment?

But, how much are the birds predicting the weather rather than just responding to the present conditions? They are probably following the movements of insects, which will be carried aloft be thermals in fine, calm weather, but kept low by wind and rain.

It’s well known that birds fly high with the onset of calm, fine weather:‘When swallows fly high the weather will be dry.’The reverse also appears to be true:‘If birds fly low expect rain and a blow.’

In the USA the Katydid, a kind of cricket, has always been rated as a very reliable thermometer. The number of chirps per minute was said to be related to the temperature; count the chirps per minute, minus 40, divide by 4 and add 60! The ordinary garden cricket requires less of a mathematical brain; counts the chirps in 13 seconds and add 40 (Fahrenheit of course). Wait a minute, as much as I love weather lore, some advice, buy a thermometer!

Perhaps it is no surprise that the actions of insects, which are of course cold blooded, should depend on temperature. A Harvard scientist spent some time comparing the speed of ants to the temperature and he found that he could estimate temperature to 1 degree Fahrenheit by using his timing charts.

Unit 4 Day 2OBJECTIVE:

Explain formation of major cloud types and associated weather.

•Do Now:• The Water Cycle review

•Today:• Clouds notes • Recipe for a Cloud

• Chap 24.4 Water in the Atmosphere and 24.4 GRWS

• A Week of Weather maps• Cloud Cover

•Homework:• Chapter 24.5 GRWS

Tuesday 1/14/14

Clouds Clouds form when air is cooled to its dew point and it reaches saturation.

Air can reach saturation in a number of ways.

The most common way is through lifting. As air rises it cools.

Types of Clouds High-level clouds which form above 20,000 feet (6,000

meters) and are usually composed of ice crystals. High-level clouds are typically thin and white in

appearance, but can create an array of colors when the sun is low on the horizon.

Cirrus generally occur in fair weather and point in the direction of air movement at their elevation.

Cirrus

Types of Clouds Clouds look like white

fluffy cotton balls or heaps They show the vertical

motion or thermal uplift of air taking place in the atmosphere.

The tops of these clouds can reach over 60,000 feet (18,000 meters).

Cumulus

Types of Clouds Nimbus comes from the Latin word

meaning "rain". These clouds typically form between

7,000 and 15,000 feet and bring steady precipitation.

As the clouds thicken and precipitation begins to fall, the bases of the clouds tend to lower toward the ground.

Nimbus

Types of Clouds "Stratus" is Latin for layer or blanket. The clouds consist of a feature-less low layer

that can cover the entire sky like a blanket, bringing generally gray and dull weather.

The cloud bases are usually only a few hundred feet above the ground.

Stratus

MUMMATUS Clouds

• These are Mummatus clouds, a fairly new cloud classification that's only been recognized for the last few years. Their name derives from the Latin word "mamma”

• Their formation is still fairly mysterious, with more than ten proposed mechanisms. They're often associated with severe thunderstorms.

Combination Formations

Cumulonimbus

Cumulostratus

Cloud Colors … and Rainbows …are the result of the light that is reflected or absorbed by the water droplets and ice crystals.

Thunder and Lightning…enormous amounts of electrical energy - Superheated air – Sonic boom

Recipe for a cloud

Unit 4 Day 3OBJECTIVE:

Describe technology used to forecast weather.Explain formation of s air masses, fronts and associated weather.

•Do Now:• Words Weather People Use

•Today:• Weather Patterns and Technology Notes• A Week of Weather maps

• Wind and Temperatures• Weather Maps Packet• DVD Field Trip – Under the Sea

•Homework:• Chapter 24.6 GRWS

Wednesday 1/15/14

Unit 4 Day 3OBJECTIVE:

Describe technology used to forecast weather.Explain formation of s air masses, fronts and associated weather.

•Do Now:• Words Weather People Use

•Today:• Weather Patterns and Technology Notes• A Week of Weather maps…to be continued• Weather Maps Packet

•Homework:• Enjoy the long weekend!

Thursday 1/15/14Core 3

TOPIC: WEATHER

*Meteorology is the study the weather. A meteorologist measures weather, looks at the causes of weather conditions, and forecasts the weather.

*A weather forecast is a prediction about the weather for the next day or the next few days. A weather report is made up of many elements.

*Weather is the condition of the outside air at a certain time and place.

*Climate is the usual weather for the location including the temperature, rainfall, and wind.

*Geographic features such as oceans, mountains, and plains can impact the weather.

Types of Technology used in Forecasting

• Satellites: provide Global view– G.O.E.S – orbit earth; short range forecasts

(goes around the world)

– P.O.E.S – stationed over poles; long range forecast

Types of Technology used in Forecasting• Weather balloons: more detailed view of low

altitudes• Radar: Doppler or “Nexrad” bounces

microwaves off of water drops in the atmosphere to detect storm clouds and Tornadoes

***Increased tornado warnings from 5-12 minutes!***

Types of Technology used in Forecasting

• Anemometer: measures wind speed

• Thermometer: device that measures temperature or temperature gradient

• Weather maps: show weather conditions

Meteorology “Buzz-words”

• Lake Effect – as a storm system passes over a body of water, water vapor is collected and increased precipitation is dumped on the other side

Meteorology “Buzz-words”

• Urban Heat Effect – buildings limit wind, therefore trapping hot air. Air rises (filled with city pollution) causing “haze” and “smog.”

Meteorology “Buzz-words”

• Inversion – a layer of warm air traps a layer of cool air beneath it. Common in valleys during fall and winter. A major contributor of air pollution.

Meteorology “Buzz-words”

• Jet Stream: a 200 mile/hr “river of air” above the Earth’s surface (20-30,000ft)

Wind Wind is simply the air in

motion. Usually when we are talking about the wind it is the horizontal motion we are concerned about.

Although we cannot actually see the air moving we can measure its motion by the force that it applies on objects. Officially, a wind vane measures the wind direction and an anemometer measures the wind speed.

Wind and Pressure Surface maps are

marked with H's and L's which indicate high and low pressure centers.

The lines called isobars. "Iso" means "equal" and a "bar" is a unit of pressure so an isobar means equal pressure…

The closer the isobars are packed together the stronger the pressure gradient is.

The wind direction (yellow arrows) is clockwise around the high pressure system and counter-clockwise around the low pressure system.

Fronts Fronts are the boundaries between two air

masses. Fronts are classified as to which type of air mass (cold or warm) is replacing the other.

Section 24.5

Precipitation Sources of moisture

Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and Gulf of Mexico

Winds around high and low pressure systems transport this moisture inland.

Cloud droplets and/or ice crystals are too small and too light to fall to the ground as precipitation.

Two ways rain forms:1. Collision and coalescence occurs

between cloud droplets forming larger drops.

Finally the drops become too large to be suspended in the air and they fall to the ground as rain.

2. The Ice Crystal Process occurs in colder clouds when both ice crystals and water droplets are present. Water vapor deposits onto the ice crystals and they eventually become heavy enough to fall. If it is cold near the surface it may snow, otherwise the snowflakes may melt to rain.

North American Air Masses

Figure 24.5

Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds -These aren't ocean waves, but a cloud formation known as Kelvin-Helmholtz waves. Kelvin-Helmholtz waves form when a fast layer moves over a slower layer, dragging the top along to create a curled shape

Unit 4 Day 4OBJECTIVE:

Describe technology used to forecast weather.Explain air masses, fronts and associated weather..

•Do Now:• Words Weather People Use – flip side

•Today:• Homework Review 24.6 GRWS• A Week of Weather maps…to be continued• Weather Maps Lab

•Homework:• Enjoy the long weekend!

Thursday 1/16/14

Unit 4 Day 4OBJECTIVE:

Describe technology used to forecast weather.Explain air masses, fronts and associated weather..

•Do Now:• Words Weather People Use – flip side

•Today:• Homework Review 24.6 GRWS• DVD Field Trip – Under the Sea• A Week of Weather maps…to be continued• Weather Maps Lab

•Homework:• Enjoy the long weekend!

Thursday 1/16/14Core 2

Unit 4 Day 4OBJECTIVE:

Describe technology used to forecast weather.Explain air masses, fronts and associated weather..

•Do Now:• Words Weather People Use – flip side

•Today:• Homework Review 24.6 GRWS• DVD Field Trip – Under the Sea• A Week of Weather maps…to be continued• Weather Maps Lab

•Homework:• Enjoy the long weekend!

Thursday 1/16/14Core 3

A Weather ForecastThink about the daily weather report you see on TV, read in the newspaper, or hear on the radio.

1. What types of information are given in the weather report?

2. What kinds of instruments do meteorologists use to

measure current weather conditions and to forecast the weather?