URBIZTONDO, Anne Marie SANTOS, Hannah Joyce BALDIRAY, Sarah Jane REYES, Jan Patrick

What is Meteorology?
It is the scientific study of all changes in the atmosphere. This is very useful for weather forecasting.

What is Weather ?
The four main ingredients which cause weather are the Sun, the atmosphere, water vapor and the wind. These all work together, spreading the Sun's heat around the world and making clouds, rain and snow. Weather is an endless cycle of events. The changes over a longer period of time, then it is called climate.

What is Atmosphere ?
Atmosphere, mixture of gases surrounding any celestial object that has a gravitational field strong enough to prevent the gases from escaping; especially the gaseous envelope of Earth.

78% - nitrogen 21 % - oxygen. 1% - argon (0.9 percent), carbon dioxide (0.03 percent), varying amounts of water vapor, and trace amounts of hydrogen, ozone, methane, carbon monoxide, helium, neon, krypton, and xenon.

The dry atmosphere: 78% N2, 21% O2, 1% Ar

N2 is primordial its been part of the atmosphere as long as theres been an atmosphere O2 has been rising from none at all about 2.2 Gya comes from photosynthesis Ar40/Ar36 tells us that the atmosphere has been outgassed from volcanoes

Water Vapor: H2O 0-4%

H20 can exist in all three phases at the surface of the Earth solid, liquid and gas Liquid or solid H2O can be suspended by atmospheric winds (clouds) or fall to the surface (precipitation) VERY powerful greenhouse gas (both in vapor form and as clouds)

Thickness of the Atmosphere

The atmosphere is a very thin (relatively) layer of gas over the surface of the Earth Earths radius ~ 6400km Atmospheric thickness ~ 100km

Divisions of the Atmosphere

Without our atmosphere, there would be no life on Earth. A relatively thin envelope, the atmosphere consists of layers of gases that support life and provide protection from harmful radiation

Troposphere
lowest layer of the earth's atmosphere and site of all weather on the earth. The troposphere is bounded on the top by a layer of air called the tropopause, which separates the troposphere from the stratosphere, and on the bottom by the surface of the earth. The temperature of the troposphere is warmest in the tropical

Stratosphere
Contains the ozone layer Where ultra-violet radiation is absorbed This means that we are protected from harmful high-energy radiation from the sun This also means that the stratosphere is warmer than the top of the troposphere because it has absorbed that energy

Ozone Layer
Is a variable gas At the surface Is caused by chemical reactions between a variety of pollutant gases (such as nitrogen oxides) Mostly caused by vehicle emissions Is an irritant In the stratosphere Is a beneficial gas that absorbs ultra-violet radiation Protects us from this harmful radiation Is broken down by chemical reactions with chlorine containing gases (chlorofluorocarbons CFCs): Man-made compounds used in aerosol sprays, refrigerators and air-conditioners

Mesosphere
the layer of the Earth's atmosphere in which temperature decreases rapidly. It has a thin air, molecules are spaced far apart. Theres not enough molecules to collide with each other to make it warm. This accounts for it being so cold.

Thermosphere
the region of the atmosphere above the mesosphere in which temperature steadily increases with height, beginning at about 85 km/53 mi above the Earth's surface. Within this layer UV rays causes ionization.

Sun
The Sun is the key to the world's weather. Its rays filter through the atmosphere and warm the Earth's surface which, in turn, heats the air above. This makes the air move because warm air rises. As the rising warm air moves farther away from the land, it cools and sinks. Air moves all over the world, causing winds which carry weather changes. Also, the Equator is hot because the Sun shines directly overhead. The Poles are cold because the rays hit the Earth at lower angles.

Temperature
Temperature tells us how hot or how cold the air is. This also greatly affects the weather. It is important to us because we need to wear different clothes for different temperature; and farmers must protect their crops if temperatures are extremely high or low.

Air Pressure
It is caused by the weight of all the air in the atmosphere pressing down on Earth. It is also known as atmospheric pressure. Air pressure changes with the height and also when air warms up or cools down (temperature). Changes in air pressure cause changes in weather.

Water
The World' s water About 70% of the Earth is covered with water. Most of this lies in the oceans. The Pacific Ocean alone covers almost half the world. Much of the rest of the water is in the ice sheets, glaciers and underground. Water's disguises There are 3 forms of water in the air: 1. The gas water vapour. 2. Liquid water droplets. 3. Solid ice crystals. It changes from one form to another by evaporation, freezing, melting and condensation.

The most straightforward way to predict the weather is to simply look out the window. However, for more accurate weather forecasts, you need something more than your eyes. New observational tools like radars, satellites, together with specially designed computers can give a clearer picture to the ever-changing weather conditions for better forecasting results. Weather has always been a significant concern to humankind, and our inability to control it has led us down through the ages to try to measure it, compare it to previous years, and predict it. Weather forecast is something that cannot be understand just by a few lines.

Anemometer
an instrument that measures wind speed.

Mercurial Barometer

Barometer
Aneroid Barometer

Barometer, instrument for measuring atmospheric pressure, that is, the force exerted on a surface of unit area by the weight of the atmosphere.

Weather Balloon & Radiosonde

Preparing for a launch in Antarctica, scientists plan to gather weather information from a radiosonde transmitter attached to an expandable balloon. The radiosonde will continuously measure temperature, humidity, and pressure, as well as signal its location. The balloon is filled with a light gas such as helium. As the balloon rises, the gas will expand. At some point, the balloon will burst and a parachute will bring the weather instrument back down to earth.

Outdoor Thermometer
A red-dyed alcohol thermometer measures an outside air temperature of about 6 C (about 43 F). In a thermometer, an expanding fluid such as alcohol or mercury is trapped within a closed glass rod. As the fluid expands or contracts, it is measured by marks calibrated for given temperatures. The scale may be marked for either the Celsius or Fahrenheit temperature scales or both.

GOES Weater Satellite

Broadcasters use data from meteorological satellites to predict weather and to broadcast storm warnings when necessary. Satellites such as the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) collect meteorological and infrared information about the atmosphere and the ocean.x. A camera on the GOES is continuously pointed at Earth, broadcasting satellite images of cloud patterns both day and night. Here, the GOES-C satellite is being encapsulated inside its payload fairing aboard a Delta rocket

Dopplers Radar
Doppler radar measures the speed and direction of the movement of clouds, in addition to cloud density. In this image of a thunderstorm over Oklahoma, Doppler radar shows a mesocyclone, a rotating mass of air that may signal that the formation of a tornado is imminent.