PHS 166 - Meteorology, Weather & Climate

1. Describe the earth’s atmosphere
   1. Identify the gases that make up the earth’s atmosphere
   2. examine the relationship between air density and air pressure
   3. Diagram the vertical structure of the earths atmosphere
   4. Differentiate between weather and climate
   5. Introduce and begin weather forecasting exercise
2. Explain the earth-atmosphere energy balance
   1. Investigate energy, temperature, and heat transfer
   2. Investigate incoming solar and terrestrial energy
   3. Examine the balancing act- absorption, emission, and equilibrium
   4. Investigate the seasons in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere
   5. Investigate station model data used on surface weather maps
3. Discuss air temperature
   1. Explore daily temperature variations
   2. Examine major contributors to temperature control
   3. Analyze daily, monthly, and yearly air temperature data
4. Examine humidity, evaporation, condensation, and clouds
   1. Investigate the circulation of water in the atmosphere
   2. Investigate humidity
   3. Explain the formation of dew, frost and fog
   4. Identify various cloud types in the atmosphere
   5. Investigate temperature and moisture advection using AdvectionSim (simulation)
5. Examine the process of cloud development and precipitation
   1. Investigate atmosphere stability
   2. Examine the relationship between cloud development and stability
   3. Diagram the precipitation process
   4. Identify precipitation types
   5. Investigate cloud and precipitation development using MountainSim (simulation)
6. Examine aire masses, fronts, and middle-latitude cyclones
   1. Classify different air masses
   2. Investigate fronts that separate different air masses
   3. Analyze the development of middle-latitude cyclones and and their relationship to the jet stream
   4. Analyze the movement of middle-latitude of cyclones and anticyclones at the earth’s surface in the upper levels of the atmosphere
7. Explore weather forecasting
   1. Identify sources for acquiring weather information
   2. Identify weather forecasting methods and tools
   3. Analyze surface and upper level charts
   4. Investigate daily practices with respect to weather forecasting at the National Weather Service and a local TV station
8. Describe thunderstorm and tornado development
   1. Diagram the structure of a thunderstorm
   2. Investigate dangerous phenomenon associated with thunderstorms
   3. Investigate how tornadoes form
   4. Introduce weather forecasting parameters used in predicting severe thunderstorms and tornadoes
   5. Investigate storm chasing video
9. Explore global climate change
   1. Examine the earths changing climate
   2. Investigate possible causes of climate change
   3. Examine carbon dioxide, the greenhouse effect, and recent global warming
   4. Investigate positive and negative feedback mechanisms related to global warming