Content Benchmark E.8.A.5
Students know the difference between local weather and regional climate. I/S
“Climate is what you expect. Weather is what you get” according to some meteorologists. But
ask a middle school student and you may get the response, “Climate tells you what to buy and
weather tells you what to wear” (http://www.ucar.edu/learn/1_2_1.htm). This benchmark is
designed to distinguish between these two meteorological terms.
Weather
What exactly is weather? Weather is defined as the immediate or current state of the atmosphere
at a specific time and place with respect to conditions such as temperature, relative humidity,
precipitation, wind velocity, barometric pressure, etc. If you don’t like the weather, wait a
minute, because weather can change quite a bit in a short period of time. For example, when you
woke up this morning it could have been sunny with no clouds in the sky, then by lunchtime it
could be raining.
Figure 1. Weather map.
(From http://www.weather.com/maps/maptype/currentweatherusnational/index_large.html)
For current weather conditions in your area, go to the website referenced above in Figure 1.
For another site that provides detailed weather information for specific areas, go to
http://www.accuweather.com/
To view current weather conditions in Canada that can be compared to the weather in the United
States, go to
http://www.theweathernetwork.com/
For weather anywhere in the world with regional maps, including links to extreme weather such
as tornadoes and hurricanes, go to Weather Underground at
http://www.wunderground.com/global/Region/EU/Temperature.html or to
Weather Hub at, http://weatherhub.com/
Weather is what is forecasted and discussed daily in the newspaper and news reports. It is this
daily tracking and recording of weather information that is used to determine an area or regional
climate.
Tools Used to Measure Weather
In addition to technology such as Doppler radar and satellite images, meteorologists use a variety
of tools to measure and record weather. Some common tools are;
Thermometers are used to measure temperature. Temperature is a measure of the average amount
of energy present.
Figure 2. Standard outdoor thermometer.
(From http://www.freefoto.com/preview/16-11-1?ffid=16-11-1)
For information on how to use a thermometer, go to http://www.kidzoneweather.com/Tools.html
Psychrometers are used to measure relative humidity and dew point. Relative humidity is given
as a percentage and is the amount of moisture the air contains compared to the amount of
moisture the air could contain at a specific temperature. The dew point is the temperature air
must reach in order for the air to reach 100% relative humidity.
For more information on Dew Point and Relative humidity, visit
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/kinetic/relhum.html
Figure 3. Digital psychrometer
(From http://www.toolexperts.com/DSP.html)
Figure 4. Sling Psychrometer.
(From http://itsidiy.concord.org/activities/109)
The standard sling psychrometer consists of two attached thermometers. One of the
thermometers will have a wet “sock” placed over its bulb and is known as the wet bulb, the other
has no sock and is know as the dry bulb. The device is then spun in order to speed up
evaporation from the sock on the wet bulb. Once measurements have been obtained, a chart is
used to determine relative humidity and dew point.
For instructions on how to use a sling psychrometer, go to
http://rain.aos.wisc.edu/~gpetty/aos330/lab1_psychro.pdf.
For more information on relative humidity and dew point, and for a relative humidity and dew
point calculator, go to
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/kinetic/relhum.html ,
For more information on humidity and relative humidity, and for an additional relative humidity
calculator, go to
http://www.bom.gov.au/lam/humiditycalc.shtml
A Rain gage (or gauge) is used to measure precipitation. In certain regions snow gages are also
used.
Figure 5. Drum rain gage.
Figure 6. Bucket rain gage
(From http://www.seed.slb.com/en/scictr/lab/engineer/rain_gauge/index.htm)
Figure 7. Standard rain gage
(From http://www.compleatnaturalist.com/mall/professional_rain_gauge.htm)
A rain gage is a fairly simple tool that is designed to capture all the rain that falls into a given
area. Typically it is a cylinder that is 3 to 4 inches across that funnels all the rain into a collection
can, or graduated cylinder that is calibrated to read the inches of rainfall received. Once common
measure of rainfall is in inches, and stands for the height of a column of water that has fallen on
a square inch of land. Specifically, if the weather reports 3 inches of rain have fallen in the past
23 hours, it would mean that for every square inch of surface area there would have been a
column of water 3 inches tall standing on it, if it had not run off or soaked into the ground.
For information on how to use a rain gauge, go to
http://ccc.atmos.colostate.edu/~hail/howto/help/rain.htm
For information on how to use a snow gauge, go to
http://ccc.atmos.colostate.edu/~hail/howto/help/snow.htm
Anemometers are used to measure wind velocity.
Figure 8. Anemometer.
(From http://student.britannica.com/comptons/art-90644/The-revolving-cup-electric-anemometer-is-used-tomeasure-wind?&articleTypeId=31)
The electronic anemometer pictured above operates on the simple design that the speed the wind
is blowing can be measured by how fast the cups rotate. A simple mechanical anemometer
consists of 4 cups, 3 of one color, and one of a contrasting color. By simply counting the number
of times the odd colored cup spins around the axis and referring to a chart that was provided with
the anemometer the wind speed could be easily determined.
For information on how to use an anemometer, go to
http://www.kidzoneweather.com/Tools.html
Barometers are used to measure atmospheric, or barometric, pressure. Barometric pressure is the
pressure exerted on the Earth by the mass of the Earth’s atmosphere. The higher the mass, the
higher the barometric pressure will be in a given area, and the lower the mass, the lower the
barometric pressure will be in a given area.
For more information on barometric pressure, go to
http://www.challengers101.com/Pressure.html
Figure 9. Barometer.
(From http://www.barometers.us/marine-barometer-400.jpg)
Wind vanes and wind socks are used to measure wind direction.
Figure 10. Wind vane.
(From http://www.westcoastweathervanes.com/Weathervane-Miscellaneous-Pages/NewsUpdates.htm )
Weather or wind vanes are designed to indicate the direction from which the wind is blowing.
Wind direction is always stated in terms of where the wind is coming from not where it is going.
So, in figure 11, the arrow and face of the dragon is pointed essentially toward the west. The
wind would be said to be a west wind, or westerly wind.
For information on how to use a wind vane, go to
http://www.ciese.org/curriculum/weatherproj2/en/docs/windvane.shtml
Figure 11. Wind sock.
(From http://www.aerocovers.com/prod11_wind_sock.htm)
Wind socks are similar to weather/wind vanes as they indicate the direction the wind is blowing.
They also have the added feature of indicating the approximate strength or velocity of the wind.
As the wind speed increases the sock will become more erect, the straighter the sock is the faster
the wind. Wind socks can commonly be seen near runways, to help pilots determine wind
conditions on the ground, and on roadways that are prone to high winds, to help high profile
vehicles avoid dangerous conditions that could flip them over or force them off the road.
For information on how to use a wind sock, go to
http://www.windpower.org/en/kids/choose/nacelle/wvassign.htm
Climate
What exactly is climate? Climate is defined as the average weather in a given location on Earth
over a long time period, usually no less than thirty years. Because climate is an average, it takes
into account unusual or extreme conditions such as drought, periods of intense rain, and storms
such as hurricanes, as well as the seasons.
When defining a regional climate there are two main variables considered; the average amount of
precipitation the area receives and the average air temperature. Climate is also affected by the
ocean’s storage of carbon dioxide and heat energy, the region’s proximity to the ocean, and a
region’s elevation. The two main variables of precipitation and air temperature are also greatly
influenced by the region’s latitude. In fact, the world is broken down into three basic climate
groups determined by latitude. These climate groups then determine the area’s biome which
includes the type of animals, plants, and soil present.
Group I:
Group II:
Group III:
Low-latitude Climates
Includes rainforest and savanna biomes
Mid-latitude Climates
Includes steppe, chaparral, grassland, and deciduous forest biomes
High-latitude Climate
Includes taiga, tundra, and alpine biomes
Tundra
Taiga
Grasslands
Deciduous
Forest
Chaparral
Desert
Desertscrub
Savanna
Rainforest
Alpine
Figure 12. World Biomes.
(From http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/world_biomes.htm)
Like weather, climates can also change. In fact, climates will change if the variables that
determine climate change. But, because climate is the average of weather conditions over an
extended period of time, it takes a many years to register that change.
The following websites provide good definitions and explanations of climate.
Information on climate variability can be found at
http://science.hq.nasa.gov/oceans/system/climate.html
For information on world biomes, go to
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/world_biomes.htm
For information on weather and climate, go to
http://epa.gov/climatechange/kids/climateweather.html
Weather and climate basics is located at http://eo.ucar.edu/basics/cc_1.html
An interactive climate map that shows average precipitation and temperature for different cities
in different regions can be found at
http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/interactive_climate_map/climate_map.html
Climate information on just about every city in the world is accessed at
http://www.worldclimate.com
Information on climate change with a focus on Antarctica, including an excellent graphic and
graph of carbon sinks is found at
http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/antarctica%20environment/climate_gr
aph/antarctica_climate_graph_comparitive.htm
Distinguishing Between Weather and Climate
Consider the following example when thinking of the difference between climate and weather.
The southeast United States has been experiencing drought conditions. In Atlanta, rainfall has
been up to sixteen inches below normal. This does not mean that the southeast has become a
desert! Remember, weather is variable and can change day by day, minute by minute, but
climate is more consistent. Climate, because it is more consistent, can be used as a tool to help
forecast what conditions may be in a certain area during a certain time of the year.
“In other words, look out your window any day, any time, and you see weather. Look out your
window every day for 30 years, observe the weather each day, and you can determine the
climate”
For a link to regional climate zones in the United States, go to
http://weathereye.kgan.com/cadet/climate/climate.html
For information on a variety of weather and climate topics, go to
http://www.weatherquestions.com/
Human Impact on Weather and Climate Change
Along with natural factors, such as altitude and location by latitude, humans can impact the
weather, and therefore regional climate change. The following are some ways humans can
influence weather and climate.
Urban Heat Island
One way humans influence weather and climate is by construction. Cities experience what is
known as an urban heat island. As rural land is developed into a metropolitan area the increased
concrete, asphalt, and other building materials trap thermal energy. This, along with the
decreased vegetation and human activity results in “waste heat”, which causes the area to have
higher temperatures than the undeveloped land surrounding it.
Figure 13. Urban Heat Island.
(From http://www.weatherquestions.com/What_is_the_urban_heat_island.htm)
Figure 14. Graph depicting the temperature increase due to the urban heat island effect.
(From http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=548)
Thermal Inversion
Due to solar radiation and the conversion of this light energy (insolation) into thermal energy,
usually the surface of the Earth is warmer then the air directly above the surface. Furthermore,
the air directly above the surface is warmer than the air found much higher up in the atmosphere.
Typically, differences in the amount thermal energy found at Earth’s surface and the air above it
serves to heat the air in contact with the surface. The higher in the air column you go the cooler
the air tends to become. A thermal inversion is caused when the layer of air closest to the surface
is cooler than the air above it. Then a denser layer of cool air is trapped below a layer of less
dense warm air. This inversion causes the pollutants in the cool air also to be trapped, causing
the brown haze sometimes experienced in the Las Vegas valley and in other urban areas.
Figure 15. Thermal inversion.
(From http://www.deq.state.mt.us/AirMonitoring/citguide/understanding.asp)
Figure 16. Smog in Mexico City during a thermal inversion.
(From http://encarta.msn.com/media_461516754_761570933_-1_1/Thermal_Inversion.html)
For more detail and diagrams showing thermal inversions, go to
http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/7o.html
For an animation of normal conditions compared to a thermal inversion, go to
http://www.chaseireland.org/Thermal%20Inversion.htm
Deforestation
In areas that have experienced deforestation the temperatures will rise. Additionally, with the
loss of plants there is a loss of evaporation and a subsequent reduction in regional and possibly
global rain patterns. Deforestation also increases the amount of carbon, a greenhouse gas, in the
atmosphere as the plants are no longer available to remove the carbon, in the form of CO2. Some
rainforests, which store carbon, are referred to “carbon sinks”. A carbon sink is an area that
absorbs more carbon than it releases. The opposite of a carbon sink is a carbon source. Carbon
sources increase the release of carbon into the atmosphere and this is exacerbated as the majority
of deforestation is created by burning the plant material, which could result in an accentuation of
the greenhouse effect known as Global Warming.
Figure 17. Deforestation in Rondonia, Brazil from September 9, 2000 to September 26, 2006.
(From http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17600)
For more information on the deforestation of the Amazon basin of South America, along with an
animation of the change in the rainforest from the year 1984 to the year 2000 in the Santa Cruz
region of Bolivia, go to
http://whyfiles.org/238earthday/index.php?g=3.txt
Fires
Forest fires introduce additional greenhouse gas into the atmosphere by two different means,
through the burning process which releases CO2 and CO, and through the loss of the plants that
act as a storehouse for carbon. Fires also add visual pollutants into the atmosphere which can
have a limited, impact on the amount of solar insolation reaching the Earth’s surface. The smoke
particles, however, can act as the nuclei for condensation and subsequently rain drops.
Figure 18. Fire in Montana's Bitterroot Valley
(From http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap001121.html)
Content Benchmark E.8.A.5
Students know the difference between local weather and regional climate. I/S
Common misconceptions associated with this benchmark
1. Students inaccurately assume that a hot summer can predict a cold winter.
Weather forecasting is a complicated process. The fact that one season is warm cannot be
used as an accurate indicator of what the weather will be like several months later.
For an online guide to weather forecasting, go to
http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/fcst/home.rxml
2. Students incorrectly believe that animal behavior or the thickness of animal fur can
predict weather.
The behavior of a groundhog in February or the thickness of a dog’s coat does not predict
weather.
For various data and statistics on climate trends, go to http://cdiac.ornl.gov/trends/trends.htm
3. Students inaccurately think cold temperatures are caused by snow, ice, and daytime
cloud cover.
The presence of snow and ice do not create temperature, however they can influence the
temperature in a few different ways. Snow and ice have a high albedo, the highly reflective
surface absorbs little of the suns energy compared to a darker surface such as soil.
Additionally, as liquid water found in clouds freezes it releases energy, and although the
amount of energy released per snow flake is minuscule the cumulative amount can be
sufficient to raise the air temperature or at least stabilize it so it does not continue to drop.
To learn more about snow formation and the effect on weather, go to
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=1005122500721.
Cloud cover, like snow cover can act to reflect some of the incoming solar radiation back
into space. The reflected energy is not available to warm the soil resulting in cooler day time
temperatures compared to what would be if there were no cloud cover.
For more on how clouds specifically effect solar radiation, go to
http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/temperature/temperature_radiation
_heat_p_2.html
For additional information on how atmospheric temperature is determined, go to
http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/temperature/title_page.html
4. Students mistakenly believe that the greenhouse effect is the same thing as global
warming.
The way a car or a greenhouse is heated is primarily caused by trapping energy by limiting
convection. Global warming and the greenhouse effect are not the same thing. Global
warming is an increase in the average global temperature, which can be impacted when there
is an increase in the greenhouse effect.
For an animated explanation of the greenhouse effect and global warming, go to
http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/earthguide/diagrams/greenhouse/
5. Students have difficulty understanding the greenhouse effect, thinking it acts like a
blanket or like the heating of the interior of a car.
Certain gases in our atmosphere, referred to as greenhouse gasses, retain thermal energy and
reflect energy back to the Earth’s surface. This causes what is referred to as the greenhouse
effect, or what causes Earth to be warmer than it would be without an atmosphere. This is
different from the blanket or greenhouse idea, as a blanket or greenhouse increases
temperature by limiting convection, as was mentioned in the previous misconception.
For more information on the greenhouse effect, go to
http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/7h.html
All misconceptions above were summarized from “Children's misconceptions about
weather: A review of the literature”, by Laura Henriques.
For more information on these misconceptions and literature review, go to
http://www.csulb.edu/~lhenriqu/NARST2000.htm
For general misconceptions and questions about climate changes, go to
http://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=12455&tid=282&cid=10149
For information on misconceptions on other meteorology topics, go to
http://www.ems.psu.edu/~fraser/BadMeteorology.html, and
http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/gallerywalk/misconceptions.html
Content Benchmark E.8.A.5
Students know the difference between local weather and regional climate. I/S
Sample Test Questions
Questions and Answers to follow on a separate document
Content Benchmark E.8.A.5
Students know the difference between local weather and regional climate. I/S
Answers to Sample Test Questions
Questions and Answers to follow on a separate document
Content Benchmark E.8.A.5
Students know the difference between local weather and regional climate. I/S
Intervention Strategies and Resources
The following is a list of intervention strategies and resources that will facilitate student
understanding of this benchmark.
1. What Happens When a Storm Comes?
Click on the link that follows to get to a page that contains instructions to make simple
weather tools out of household items. Instruments include; wind, air pressure, moisture, and
temperature devices.
To access these instructions please visit
http://www.miamisci.org/hurricane/weathertools.html
2. Scholastic: Weather Watch
This is another site that provides instruction for construction of simple weather tools. Also
included is information on a snow gauge if that is appropriate for your area. Tools include an;
anemometer, wind vane, barometer, rain gauge, snow gauge, and thermometer. Information
about each tool along with instructions for building it and using it in an experiment are
provided.
To access these instructions please visit
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/wwatch/gather_data/
3. Differences Between Weather and Climate
University Corporation of Atmospheric Research
This activity provides students with the opportunity to collect weather data over a period of
time and apply data analysis to determine how knowledge of local weather changes relates to
local climates.
To access this activity go to http://www.ucar.edu/learn/1_2_2_8t.htm
4. The Frozen Desert: Graphing and Comparing Climates
This lesson plan has students graph weather data that influences climate, and then has
students use these graphs to compare different climates, including the climate in Antarctica.
To access this activity go to
http://tea.armadaproject.org/activity/tremblay/thefrozendesert_main.html
5. Climate vs. Weather – Print your Climatoscope!
Visit this site to uncover the weather/climate conditions on your birthday! The surface
climate is the average or normal state of Earth's surface conditions. The surface weather is
the actual state of the Earth's surface at a given time. Since this is usually close to the
climate, it is most easily shown as the departure from normal conditions, or an anomaly.
To view a climatoscope for conditions on your birthday, go to
http://ocp.ldeo.columbia.edu/climatekidscorner/sst.shtml
6. EPA Climate Change Kids Site
“Weather is all around us. Weather may be one of the first things you notice after you wake
up. Chances are, if it is cold and snowing, you'll wear a jacket when you go outside. If it's hot
and sunny, you may wear shorts. Sounds pretty simple, right?, But what about climate?, How
is it different from weather?, And what is weather, exactly?”. These issues are explored at
Climate Change Kids Site.
For basic information on weather, climate, and climate change, as well as an animation
depicting how changes in the water cycle can affect climate change, go to
http://epa.gov/climatechange/kids/climateweather.html
7. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
The one-stop shop for everything related to weather!
For information on weather and climate including links to active weather alerts, local, and
national weather organizations, go to
http://www.noaa.gov/
8. Northeast Regional Climate Center
Links to the National Climatic Data Center, Regional Climate Center, and a host of more
specialized locations along with an extensive list of links to related “weather” sites including;
Climate Variability, and Weather and Climate Educational Links can be accessed at,
http://www.nrcc.cornell.edu/weather_climate_links.html