Weather Instruments
What does a Wind Vane measure?
The DIRECTION that the wind is blowing :)
What is an Air Mass?
A large body of air that has similar temperature throughout
What is a Weather Front?
The boundary between two weather fronts interacting
What weather instrument is used to measure air pressure?
What kind of weather often brings lots of thunderstorms?
Warm, moist weather with high humidity
What does a Hygrometer measure?
Humidity (moisture in the air)
What direction do cold air masses move? (Towards or away from the equator?)
Towards the equator (away from the poles!)
How do air masses interact at a Cold Front?
Cold air mass moves in towards warm air mass
When air gets warmer, does its pressure go up or down?
DOWN - low air pressure
Someone who's job is predicting the weather is called THIS
Meteorologist
How does a Rain Gauge measure the amount of rain?
It collects rainwater in a container and then you measure the height of the water
What direction do warm air masses move? (Towards or away from the equator?)
Away from the equator
During a Stationary Front, a cold and warm air mass meet, but neither is strong enough to move the other. What is the weather effect at a Stationary Front?
Persistent rain/precipitation. Chances of flooding!
When air gets colder, does its air pressure go up or down?
UP - high air pressure
What method can you use to measure the amount of snow in your own backyard?
Sticking a ruler into the snow and measuring the amount of inches high the snow is!
What does an Anemometer measure?
Wind Speed
How do air masses move?
Pushed by wind (or jet streams !)
How do air masses interact at an Occluded Front?
A warm air mass becomes trapped between two cold air masses
What weather will low air pressure result in?
Stormy or cloudy
How does a thermometer work to show the change in temperature?
It uses the expansion of liquids (like mercury or alcohol) to indicate temperature.
A barometer measures the current air pressure. What can this reading be used to predict?
Incoming weather fronts - precipitation !
What determines the temperature of an air mass?
The type of land it forms over
What is the weather effect of an Occluded Front?
Complex weather, rain/snow, rapid changes
Altitude is how far above sea level you are. As you get higher above sea level, is there more or less air? AND, does this make the air pressure HIGHER? or LOWER?
Less air! This makes the air pressure lower :)
What object in space can track the movement of cloud patterns associated with fronts?
Satillites