Weather: space & time
differences
Prof. Grant Bigg, Head, Department of
Geography, University of Sheffield
The Climate System
The Climate System
(Naturally varying)
The Climate System
(directly anthropogenically varying)
Differences (or variability) over
different timescales
• Millennial
• Centennial
• Decadal
• Interannual
• Seasonal
• Daily
• Hourly
Millennial cycling
Centennial change
Fig. 6.10 IPCC
(2007)
Decadal change
Global surface
air temperature
(IPCC Fig. 3.6)
Interannual change
oC
Central England Temperature
(from www.metoffice.gov.uk/hadobs)
Seasonal change
oC
Central England Temperature 2009-2011
(from www.metoffice.gov.uk/hadobs)
Daily change
Central England Temperature 2012
(from www.metoffice.gov.uk/hadobs)
Hourly change
Let’s look at Google Earth’s weather
overlays for hourly variation
Then go to spatial scales
• Stop slide show
• Go to Google Earth (pre-set to Weather &
Terrain only)
• Expand weather layer
• Comment on cloud patterns observed over
eastern Atlantic
• Click cloud animation in Temporary Places
• Turn off weather layer
• Drag play pointer slowly along describing
time evolution and introducing spatial
scales
• Go to yesterday evening and zoom to UK
or some other region where overnight
variation
• Point to reduced scale and zoom in to
area
• Move through sequence commenting on
what it reveals about space and time
scales
• Go over UK if not there
• Turn on weather layer
• Draw attention to weather data and
temperature
• Zoom in to bring more stations
• Click on station – note features (and that
probably from analysis, not real data)
• Click on hourly and details to give hour by
hour step
• Note forecast only, from US Weather
Channel
• Remove and note spatial limitations of this
detailed data to major towns
• Now switch to radar data and move to
clear rainfall zone
• Note 3 hour 30 minute delay between
radar and cloud (radar ahead) – hence
mismatch in patterns
• Activate radar animation
• Follow through, discussing spatial and
temporal scales
Sources of data or ideas
• Royal Meteorological Society MetLink site
(www.metlink.org)
• Meteorological Office Weather Observations
Website (wow.metoffice.gov.uk/home)
Suggestions For Weather SpaceTime Differences Questions That
Can Be Explored With Student
Observations
• Variation over time at home (hourly, daily
or longer)
• Variation over school catchment at same
time (synoptic view)
• For those with solar panels – how does
power generation relate to cloudiness?
Any Questions?