Weather and ClimatePrepared for STEP, May 1, 2013

By the Lunar and Planetary Institute

For use in teacher workshops

TEKS (8th grade)

(10) Earth and space. The student knows that climatic interactions exist among Earth, ocean, and weather systems. The student is expected to:

(A) recognize that the Sun provides the energy that drives convection within the atmosphere and oceans, producing winds and ocean currents;(B) identify how global patterns of atmospheric movement influence local weather using weather maps that show high and low pressures and fronts; and(C) identify the role of the oceans in the formation of weather systems such as hurricanes.

Engagement

• Why is weather important in Texas? Spend 3 minutes sharing your thoughts with 1 partner.

• Is climate important in Texas?

Underlying Forces, Connections

In order to understand weather and climate, students need to be familiar with certain physical concepts:•Density and its relationship to temperature•Convection•How energy can be transferred•Pressure

Assessments

Table Texting: •Write in the question box “The difference between weather and climate is” •Then write your opinion in the “My Response” bubble•Pass your paper to others at the table, writing replies to whatever the previous “text” said; each sheet should have things written by 4 people.Show video at http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/science/earth-sci/climate-weather-sci/

Vocabulary terms• Weather• Radiation• Absorption• Convection• Currents• Meteorology• Atmosphere• Forecast• Climate – “Climate is what you expect; Weather is what you get.”

~Mark Twain– “Weather is what you wear each day, and climate is

what’s in your closet!”

• Air pressure• Water Cycle• Fronts• Humidity• Temperature• Precipitation• Hurricane• Tornado

(A) recognize that the Sun provides the energy that drives convection within the atmosphere and oceans,

producing winds and ocean currents;

• How does the Sun’s energy drive our weather and climate systems?

Think-Pair-Share

The Sun warms the Earth’s atmosphere primarily because1.The sunlight is absorbed by the atmosphere.2.The sunlight and heat from the Sun are absorbed by the atmosphere.3.The sunlight is absorbed by the land and oceans.4.The sunlight and heat from the Sun are absorbed by the land and oceans.5.The infrared light from the Sun warms the Earth.

• Best procedures: read quietly to yourself (so you don’t give any unconscious clues)

• As the instructor, we read it too, for timing, then ask if anyone needs more time

• If not, it’s time to vote simultaneously—use your fingers, right in front of your chest so others don’t see (anonymous)

Earth’s Radiation Budget

From http://ceres.larc.nasa.gov/ceres_brochure.php?page=2

Visible Light

Time for some activities!• A Comparison of Land and Water Temperature

http://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov/lesson-plans/lesson-plans-middle-school-educators/?page_id=474?&passid=36Students examine NASA satellite observations of surface temperature.

• Fireproof Balloon

http://www.imcpl.org/kids/blog/?p=10660This demonstration can be used to get students to think about heat capacity.

• Are Cold Liquids More Dense than Warm Liquids?http://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/pdf/245900main_MeteorologyTeacherRes-Ch9.r3.pdfVerifying that warmer air is lighter than cooler air helps to take some of the abstractness out of developing a basic understanding of weather. Students examine this principal with liquids instead of gases.

• Weather Stations: Winds

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/explore/solar_system/activities/weatherStations/winds/Students use a toaster to generate wind and discover that convection drives wind.

The solar radiation heats the surface of the Earth.

Heat is transferred to air molecules that come in contact with the ground or ocean.

REVIEWING: Slides from http://greenslime.info/notes.html

As the

Warmer Air Rises…

Cooler air is pulled in from other places

Convection

Cooler air is pulled in from other places

REVIEWING: Slides from http://greenslime.info/notes.html

Where else do we see convection?

REVIEWING: Slides from http://greenslime.info/notes.html

Convection current – the transfer of heat energy through a fluid due to

gravity

REVIEWING: Slides from http://greenslime.info/notes.html

Image from http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/deserts/atmosphere/

Think, Pair, Share…

How does a convection current work?

Why do we have wind?

How does the Sun’s energy drive ocean currents?

Image from Windows to the Universe

Visuals of Currents and winds

• See http://www.fastcodesign.com/1669361/better-than-a-van-gogh-nasa-visualizes-all-the-worlds-ocean-currents And http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/visualizations/es2401/es2401page01.cfm?chapter_no=visualization

(B) identify how global patterns of atmospheric movement influence local weather using weather maps that show high and

low pressures and fronts;

Activities: The STORM Project

•Activity 5: Frontshttp://www.uni.edu/storm/downloads/Level2/Fronts-5.pdfChristine’s recommendation: Use this image http://www.uni.edu/storm/wximages/images/usfronts.gif and http://www.uni.edu/storm/wximages/images/sfc_map.gif and skip questions about windsStudents examine temperatures and precipitation compared to fronts.Possible addition; invite students to compare air pressure numbers (http://www.uni.edu/storm/wximages/images/pmsl.gif) to the fronts map as well.

•Activity 7: Precipitation Patterns

http://www.uni.edu/storm/activities/level2/act7.shtmlhttp://www.uni.edu/storm/downloads/Level2/Precipitation%20Patterns-7.pdfStudents will demonstrate the relationship between precipitation types and surface temperatures. They will use forecast maps to predict where snow or rain will fall over the next several days.

The Wind• Result of uneven heating of the Earth’s

surface– causes differences

in air pressure to develop (cold air

near the poles, warm air near the Equator)–Molecules always move from areas of

high pressure to areas of low pressure

Image courtesy of NASA.

REVIEWING: Slides from http://greenslime.info/notes.html

front boundary

REVIEWING: Slides from http://greenslime.info/notes.html

Image from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Thunderstorm_with_lead_gust_front_-_NOAA.jpg

• Cold Front: mass of cold air moving into area of warmer Cold Front: mass of cold air moving into area of warmer airair

• Warm Front: mass of warm air moving into area of cooler Warm Front: mass of warm air moving into area of cooler airair

• Stationary Front: masses of cold & warm air meet from Stationary Front: masses of cold & warm air meet from opposite directions and stop movingopposite directions and stop moving

• Occluded Front: mass of cold air overtakes mass of warm Occluded Front: mass of cold air overtakes mass of warm air moving in same directionair moving in same direction

REVIEWING: Slides from http://greenslime.info/notes.html

Cold FrontCold Front

Image courtesy of http://www.srh.noaa.gov/crp/?n=education-airmasses

REVIEWING: Slides from http://greenslime.info/notes.html

Warm Front

Image courtesy of http://www.srh.noaa.gov/crp/?n=education-airmasses

REVIEWING: Slides from http://greenslime.info/notes.html

Stationary FrontsStationary FrontsREVIEWING: Slides from http://greenslime.info/notes.html

Image from http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/Atmosphere/tstorm/stat_front.html

Occluded FrontsOccluded Fronts

Image courtesy of the http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/Atmosphere/tstorm/occl_front.html

REVIEWING: Slides from http://greenslime.info/notes.html

(C) identify the role of the oceans in the formation of weather systems such as

hurricanes.Activity:Hurricanes As Heat Engines

http://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov/lesson-plans/lesson-plans-middle-school-educators/?page_id=474?&passid=50 Students examine authentic sea surface temperature data to explore how hurricanes extract heat energy from the ocean surface

Oceans

Show movie•http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011000/a011056/The_OCEAN.mov