Weather vs. Climate
Weather is the day to day conditions in our atmosphere.
 Sunny
 Precipitation
 Windy
 Tornados, hurricanes, etc.
Weather also includes temperature, air pressure, humidity,
wind, etc.
We base our day to day activities on weather.
Weather can change quickly but follows predictable
patterns.
Climate is the average conditions for an area over a period
of time. This can be over a season or over a number of
years.
There are three main climate zones:
1. Tropical- This area is between the Tropic of Cancer
and the Tropic of Capricorn, along the equator.
2. Temperate- 4 seasons (This is where we live.)
3. Polar- at the poles (North and South Poles)
Biomes are often identified by climate.
 Dry
 Humid
 Tropical, etc.
Wind
Wind is produced by the uneven heating and cooling of the Earth
produces the wind.
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As the sun warms the Earth's surface, the atmosphere warms
too. Some parts of the Earth receive direct rays from the sun all
year and are always warm. Other places receive indirect rays,
so the climate is colder.
Warm air is less dense than cold air and rises higher in the
atmosphere. Then cool air moves in and replaces the rising
warm air. This movement of air is what makes the wind blow.
For example.....
There are two types of breezes along coastlines.
1. Sea Breeze- occurs during the day
The sun warms up land more quickly than water, and warms
the air about the ground. The warm air expands and rises and
cool air comes in from the sea to replace the rising warm air.
2. Land Breeze- occurs at night
The air also cools faster above the land than the sea, so at
night the air above the water is hotter and rises. The cooler
air above the land now goes out to sea to replace the rising air
here. These predictable patterns make coast lines a great
place to harness wind energy!
The Study of Weather and Weather Maps
The study of weather is called Meteorology.
A meteorologist is a scientist that studies weather and the
atmosphere. They use scientific principles to explain,
understand, observe or forecast the earth's atmospheric
phenomena.
Thermometers are used to measure air temperature
Anemometers are used to measure wind speed
 Changes in wind speed indicate weather changes.
Barometers measure air pressure.
 High pressure indicates fair hot weather.
 Low pressure indicates cold or stormy weather.
A Wind Vane is used to determine wind direction.
Meteorologists use weather maps to share information
about weather.
Weather can be viewed and described using a weather map
with weather symbols.
Weather symbols are used to tell us about precipitation,
warm fronts, cold
fronts, high pressure, low pressure, etc.
Weather maps show the day to day weather.