
What I learned from "Changing Weather:"
- "Sea breezes", also called conviction currents happen because of temperature differences between land and sea. The hotter one gets that cool breeze.
- Jet streams are bands of wind caused by convection currents, but come from higher points in the atmosphere.
- Air masses are what air uses to move. They form in huge bodies with varying amounts of water vapor. They are moved by wind.
- Fronts happen from opposing air masses meeting. They can change the weather. A cold front (cold air mass pushing up a warm one) cause rain. Warm fronts (a fast warm air mass sliding over a cold one) makes it rain long and steady.
- Thunderstorms are caused by upward-moving moisture, which forms icy clouds with water vapor.
- Tornadoes are caused by winds of different speeds and directions forming a spinning tube of wind. This touches the ground and becomes a tornado.
- Hurricanes are formed by condensed clouds of water vapor. These release energy, creating wind to whip the clouds in a forward-moving circle.
- Barometers measure air pressure by moving a dial when there is a changed pressure.
- Anemometers have cups that spin when wind blows.
- Hygrometers measure air moisture. Some can use horsehair. This grows and shrinks to correspond to changes.
- Radar works by sending out energy. This can bounce back off raindrops. Measuring this bounced-back energy tells what a storm is doing.