Weather and climate
What is weather?
The conditions of the atmosphere at a particular place over a short period of time
What is the instrument used to measure:
1) Rainfall
2) Wind speed
3) Wind direction
4) Temperature
1) Rain Gauge
2)Anemometer
3) Wind Vane
4) Sixth thermometer
What is temperature?
The degree of hotness or coldness of the air
What is rainfall?
Amount of rain received by an area over a period of time
What is wind?
Movement of air over the surface of the Earth
Someone who studies the weather
Meteorologist
Where is a suitable place to place a rain gauge?
In an open space/area with no obstacles blocking the rain
Why is the temperature different throughout the day?
Temperature rises and falls as the Earth rotates from West to East
What is the function of the funnel inside the rain gauge?
Collects and channels rainwater into the glass bottle/container
Why does wind moves?
Wind moves because air moves from high-pressure areas where cool air sinks to low-pressure areas where warm air rises
What is climate?
The weather pattern over a long period of time, usually 30 years or more
Where are thermometers placed?
In the stevenson screen
How do we measure the maximum temperature?
When the temperature rises, the mercury expands and the metal index is pushed upwards to show the maximum temperature
Rainfall data will be represented as a _____________ in a climograph.
Bar chart
Where do we place wind vane?
High, open area with minimal obstructions to wind flow
The average daytime temperature in Sydney, Australia is 23 degree Celcius. Is this referring to weather or climate?
Climate
Why thermometers need to be placed inside the stevenson screen? Give two reasons.
It is sensitive to temperature changes, and needs to be placed where 1) air can circulate freely and 2) sheltered from the direct heat of the sun
Why is alcohol used inside a minimum thermometer?
It has a high cooling point/low boiling point
Why shouldn't the rain gauge be placed on a concrete path?
The hard surface will cause unwanted splashes to enter the rain gauge
What is prevailing wind?
The direction that the wind blows most often
Why is the weather and climate different around the world?
Different parts of the Earth received different radiations (sunlight) at different times of the year.
3 features of stevenson screen
White (wooden box)
Has louvres to circulate the air
It is set 1 metre above ground to avoid heat radiating from the ground
Given that the:
daily maximum temperature is 34° C
daily minimum temperature is 25° C.
What is the mean daily temperature?
(34+25)/2 = 29.5 °C
The distribution of annual rainfall can be shown on a ____________ map.
Rainfall
The wind direction for each day of the month is plotted on a graph called .............
Wind rose