Learning Session 4: Meteorology
We introduce meteorology as the study of weather patterns and their prediction, and the tools of the trade.
Scientists that study the weather are called meteorologists. There are many kinds of tools that they use to
measure and help forecast the weather.
Activity
Co-construct a list of features that are important to measure to be able to predict weather. Think carefully
about all of the areas we have covered in this unit.
Discuss and share
Let's start our own weather station for collecting data!
You will have a choice of meteorologist’s tools to make. You may wish to make more than one. Once you
have finished making your tools, we will share them with the class and explain what they do and how they
work.
Set up several work stations. At each station will be the resources and directions for each activity. It may be
useful to include some related information about the tool and its purpose, or maybe links for the students.
Construction projects
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Anemometer - for measuring wind speed
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Barometer - for measuring air pressure
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Hygrometer - for measuring humidity
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Rain gauge - for measuring rainfall
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Weather vane - for measuring wind direction
Activity: Weather forecasting
Describe/profile the weather on three different days. Consider cloud formation, wind, temperature, rain or
any other weather feature you think is important. You could draw or write your descriptions.
1. A huge high pressure system is over your town.
2. A low is over your town
3. A high is over your town and a low is approaching
It's complicated stuff, this weather. Meteorologists have developed special symbols to show what the
weather is doing on maps and we are going to learn what these are so we can read weather maps and even
make our own!
The lines that curve across the map are called isobars (iso = equal, bar = pressure). They join together
places with the same air pressure. Some have numbers on them showing this value in hectopascals. Isobars
can tell us about the wind. Usually the wind blows along the isobars, and the closer the isobars the stronger
the wind.
What can you tell me about the wind in these two weather maps?
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Don’t worry about the colour, that is just measuring rainfall. Look at the isobars. Are they closer together or
further apart? You may notice some stick-like arrows. These show the direction of the wind. The wind
travels in the same direction as the little arrows. The more flicks at the end of the arrow the stronger the
wind.
When isobars enclose an area of high pressure this is called a "High" or "anticyclone" and its centre is
labelled on a weather map by an 'H'. When they enclose an area of low pressure this is called a "Low" or
"depression"' and its centre is labelled on a weather map with an 'L'. Have a look at this map.
Can you see any High or Low pressure systems? Can you read the difference in hectopascals? They are the
numbers which measure pressure. The higher the number then the higher the pressure, the lower the
number then the lower the pressure. In NZ we generally have highs of up to1040 hPa and lows as low as
970 hPa. Is there much difference in pressure between the high and low pressure systems? What is
happening with the wind/isobars between these pressure systems?
You may have also noticed some lines with round semicircles or pointy triangular shapes on them. Can you
think what they might indicate? They tell us about warm and cold fronts.
An air flow originating from a certain type of location (warm, cold, moist or dry) is called an air-mass. Airmasses are named according to where they have come from and each has its own characteristic
temperature and humidity. A tropical air-mass consists of air flowing from the tropics (WARM); a polar airmass consists of air flowing from polar regions (COLD); a maritime air-mass is one flowing over a large sea
area (MOIST); a continental air-mass is one flowing over a large land area (DRY).
A front is the boundary between two air masses. A cold air mass has pointy triangular symbols and a warm
front has semi circular symbols. Sometimes you will see a line with BOTH warm AND cold front symbols on
it. That means a cold front has overtaken a warm front, so that all that remains of the original warm air is
trapped above, where it cools making dense cloud and rain. Can you work out what the last variation might
mean?. There is one line representing a front, and on one side of it are warm front symbols and on the
other side of the line are cold front symbols. It means the front is stationary.
Ok, now it's your turn to be the meteorologist and write a weather report or analysis of these weather maps.
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Now here are some blank maps of NZ for you to draw your own weather patterns onto. Remember to use
the correct symbols and terms. You will need to describe your weather once you have finished.
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Activity: Weather maps
Use blank maps of New Zealand to create your own weather maps. Once you have drawn a map you can
swap with your neighbour. See if you can interpret each other's forecasts.
So. There you have it.
Now you know whether its weather or not!
Don’t forget to keep the data from your weather station. You never know it might come in handy to help you
forecast for the weather in your neighbourhood!
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