Name: __________________
Meteorology Webquest/Book Search: Weather
Directions: Please go to the sites provided to complete the webquest. You will be able to use this webquest on
your last quiz on Friday!
Go to http://www.thefreedictionary.com/weather
What is the definition of weather?
What is a cloud?
What is dew point?
Cloud Formation
Go to page 484 in your book, and answer the following questions. Make sure to do the video activities in
between
What are 3 things needed for Clouds to form:
1. Condensation Nuclei-
2.
3.
Watch this video and describe which of the three things needed for clouds is not available anymore, and
causing the clouds to “disappear”.
What are the 4 conditions that cause clouds form? Please make sure to be as detailed as possible.
1.
Convective Cooling-
This video shows the formation of what? Why is this happening (hint-look above)?
2.
Forceful Lifting-
Go to the following site, http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ess05.sci.ess.watcyc.mountwea/, and
click on “view”. What happens in the animation?
3.
Temperature Changes-
4. Advective Cooling-
Click here to learn more about Advective Fog forming. What is Advecitve Fog?
Best Video Ever- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZlRsBy6ehQ&feature=relatedWhat are your 3 favorite things about the last video?
Clouds
Go to the site http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ess05.sci.ess.watcyc.cloudtype/ and click on the view
button to observe the applet. Use the applet to define the following cloud types. Make sure to include where
they form, what they look like, and any other common characteristics
Stratus Clouds
Cumulus Clouds
Cirrus Clouds
What does Nimbus mean?
What does Alto mean?
What is Fog
Based on what you wrote above (without looking) what do you think a Cumulonimbus Cloud is?
Check your answer on the site…were you correct?
Precipitation
First go here and define these terms
RainSleetGlaze Ice (Freezing Rain)-
Watch this video and explain how hail forms below
http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/visualizations/es1805/es1805page01.cf
m?chapter_no=visualization
HailUse this applet, to create different types of precipitation. What conditions are necessary to create the following
types of precipitation? By knowing how each of these happens, you can know what the upper atmosphere is like
when one of these are occurring.
 Snow
Rain-

Drizzle-

Sleet-

Freezing Rain-
Cloud Seeding- Watch this video on cloud seeding. Describe what it is, and what benefits/problems it could
create?
Fronts and Air Masses
Go to this website http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/mck05.sci.ess.watcyc.fronts/ , and click on “view”
to open the animation about warm and cold fronts. Watch both, and describe the differences below
What 2 fronts do you see in this video?
Air Masses (map)- Go to this site, and fill in the following US map with the 6 air masses, and the direction in
which they flow. Write a brief description next to each describing the characteristics of the air mass.
Hurricanes
Watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W51niiTheIA. Based on watching this video, what process
(which we just learned in class!) drives hurricanes? What gives them power?
Origins of Hurricanes- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4f45jA5UxB0&feature=related
Where do hurricanes start, and how do they start?
Where do they travel, and how do they pick up strength?
Watch this animation here, and describe the area where hurricanes form? Does this make sense to you?
Interactive hurricanes- go to site http://www.knowitall.org/nasa/simulations/weather/hurricane.html
and take time to explore hurricanes. No need to write anything down, just spend a few minutes looking
around.
Why was this hurricane in this video here able to get so powerful?
Thunderstorms (look up in your book) How do they form?
Tornadoes
Watch this video and explain what is a Tornado is and how does it form?
Go to this site here and describe how pressure changes in a Tornado. Draw a brief diagram below.
Go here to manipulate strength and size of a tornado to measure its destructiveness. What happens for an
F-5 tornado in the demo?
Go to this site http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ess05.sci.ess.watcyc.tornado/ to analyze the
rating scale for tornadoes. Go through each image to see how many you can get correct.
Based on this video, briefly describe the scale below.