Under Pressure

We have know about one aspect of weather, PRESSURE.  Now we will learn how Meteorologist map these pressure differences.  We will use the Surface Air Pressure Map to determine weather pattern in the US.

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/srh/jetstream/synoptic/ll_analyze_slp.htm

Entry 10

 Oct 28, 2010
Sunrise 7:11 AM
Sunset 5:37 PM
Daylight 10h 25m

Record low pressure in Midwest caused massive storms Tuesday and Wednesday

50-80 mph winds

4-10 inches of snow 

more then 12 tornadoes

This storm was caused by Jet Stream winds pulling 70 degree air from south and clashing with 30 degree air from the north.

Entry 9 Winter Weather

Use this web site to answer the questions about winter wheather.

Winter weather web

1. What is the name for the area where warm and cold air masses meet?
2. How is deposition related to snow?
3. What 3 things are needed for a blizzard?
4. When does frost occur?
5. What pushes a Nor'easter?
6. What causes wind chill?
7.  What activities do you like to do in winter?

Hurricane Test Notebook check

Below is all the work that we have done for this unit.  Look back at the Key Questions for Hurricanes.  Can you answer these questions?

In Class Activity

Getting Low Pressure
Hurricane Anatomy Drawing
Katrina Movie "Strom That Drowned a City"
9 Steps of Hurricane Formatiom Comic
Hurricane Webquest
Liquid Layer Lab
Density Lab
Katrina Tracking

Homework

State of Matter Vocab
Density Review 
Hurricane Vocab 1
Hurricane Vocab 2

Quiz
Density Quiz
Coriolis Effect
Hurricane Vocab 2

Entry 8

Oct 26, 2010

Sunrise: 7:08 AM
Sunset: 5:42 PM
Daylight: 10h 34m

Hurricane Richard made landfall with wind speeds of 90 mph late Sunday night in the country of Belize.  It has now been down graded to a Tropical Storm and is continuing over the countries of Gutemala and Hondurus. This is the 19th Tropical Cyclone in the 2010 hurricane season.

1. What catagory was Richard when it made landfall?

2. What are the possible wind speeds of Tropical Storm Richard?

3.  Why did the storm weaken after making landfall?

4. Is the center of this storm a high or low pressure system?

Hurricane Tracking

THE HURRICANE TRACKER PROJECT IS DUE ON FRIDAY!  ARE YOU PREPARED?

IF YOU ARE MISSING WORK HAND IT IN! 

Today we are going to track Hurricane Katrina as the storm moves west across the Atlantic.  We will track the intensity of the storm and well as were it will make landfall.  We must warn the communities where Katrina may hit by issuing Hurricane Warnings and/or Hurricane Watches.

STEP 1.   Use the websites below to find the definitions of these terms.

1. Hurricane Warning
2. Hurricane Watch
3. Landfall
4. Latitude
5. Longitude

 Lat and Long
NOAA Glossary

STEP 2: Track Hurricane Katrina.  Use the latitude and longitude coordinates to track the storm's movements.  Latitude coordinates are located on the right side of the map and longitude coordinates are on the bottom of the map.  We also need to represent the intensity of Katrina.  Use colored pencils to represent what category Katrina is at each location.

Blue Tropical Depression

Green Tropical Storm

Pink Category 1 and 2

Orange Category 3

Red Category 4 and 5

STEP 3: Issuing warnings and watches.  We must warn the people in the storm's path so that they are prepared.

1. Miami is near Katrina's path.  When would you issue a watch and when would you issue a warning for Miami?
2. When would you issue a watch and when would you issue a warning for New Orleans?
3. Which is more sever a Hurricane Warning or a Hurricane Watch, why?
4. Besides hurricane warnings and watches, describe at least 2 ways communities can be prepared for hurricanes.

Coriolis Effect

PART 1

http://www.helium.com/items/1371800-the-coriolis-effect-and-the-coriolis-force
This article explaining the Coriolis effect.  While we read the article answer these questions:

1.  The Coriolis effect is used to explain what two global systems?
2. What direction do current in the northern hemisphere spin?
3. Where on the Earth's surface is the Coriolis effect weakest?
4. Where on the Earth's surface do winds from the southern and northern hemisphere converge?
5. What weather pattern may the author be describing in the sentence below?

"Closer to the poles however, as the effect becomes stronger, vortices may form, producing strong anticyclonic and cyclonic winds"

PART 2

Watch what happens in this video made by MIT students in Boston.  The ball is going straight, but does it get to its target?   http://techtv.mit.edu/videos/3714-the-coriolis-effect

The Coriolis effect also impacts flying objects. Play this game by trying to land a plane.
 GAME

Entry 7

  Oct 18, 2010

Sunrise: 6:59 AM

Sunset: 5:53 PM
Daylight: 10 hrs 53m

A super typhoon has hit the northern Philippines. Super typhoon Megi has brought winds of up to 161 miles an hour and heavy rain. It's cut off power and forced more than a 100,000 people to evacuate. This is the strongest typhoon so far this year in the Philippines and the East Sea.

Entry 6

Oct 15, 2010

Sunrise: 6:55 AM
Sunset: 5:58 PM
Daylight: 11h 02m

Paula has been down graded to a Tropical Storm and is predicted to dump 10 inches of rain on Havana, the capital of Cuba.  Winds gusted up to 68 mph causing power outages and flooding.

Nor'easter could dump 1 to 2 inches of rain in Maine.  Winds could reach 40-50 mph causing power outages and branches and trees to fall.

Hurricane Anatomy

1. Draw the parts of a hurricane:
      Eye
      Eye Wall
      Rain Bands

2. Show how air and water flow inside the storm.
      Where does warm air rise?
      What happens as the air cools?
      Where does water rise?
      Where does most of the water fall?

3. On the back add two details about each part of a hurricane.


These websites will help you get started

http://www.cmghurricanecentral.com/hurricane_anatomy.jpg
http://library.thinkquest.org/05aug/00181/PARTS%20OF%20A%20HURRICANE_image007.jpg
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Hurricanes/hurricanes_2.php

Getting Low Pressure

Things to remember 

• As air moves it becomes less dense
• Next to every low pressure area there is an area of high pressure
• When an area of un-contained air moves faster it has less pressure
• Air rushes into a low pressure system

Station 1: 

1. Place the ruler on the edge of the table with about 1/3 of it hanging off the edge
2. Gently tap the edge of the ruler that is hanging off the table

Is the air pressing down  on the ruler (air pressure) enough to  stop the ruler from falling?
    
     3. Place the ruler back on the table with 1/3 hanging off the edge
     4. Now place a sheet of newspaper on the ruler so that it cover the part that is on the table
     5. Gently tap the edge of the ruler that is hanging off the table

Was it easier or harder to make the ruler fall?
How does the newspaper  effect the amount of air pressure?
Which pressure system did you create, high pressure or low pressure?
Where did you create it?

Station 2:

1. Hold the paper by one of the short sides directly below your mouth
2. Blow across the top of the paper

Describe what happen to the paper.
Which pressure system did you create, high or low?
Where did you create it?

Station 3:

1.  Watch the air trapped inside the glass bowl.

Which system did we create, high or low?
What happened inside the bowl?
 
Station 4:

1. Go to http://www.usatoday.com/graphics/weather/gra/gsurge/flash.htm
2. Play flash video about storm surge

What does the movie compare the eye of a hurricane to?
What are the two causes of storm surges?
Why aren't storm surges a problem when the storms are out at sea?
Why do storm surges cause problems near shore?

Entry 5

Oct. 12, 2010


Sunrise: 6:51 am
Sunset: 6:03 pm
Daylight: 11h 11m


Hurricane Paula has reached category 1. Causing flooding in Honduras and along Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. It is forecast to swing west toward Cuba where it will dump up to 6 inches of rain. This is the 9th hurricane in the 2010 season.  This season was predicted to be bigger than average with 14 to 23 named storms and 8 to 14 hurricanes.


1. With what we learned from the video about increasing hurricane intensity; could Maine be at a greater risk of strong hurricanes?  Why?

Hurricane Tracker outline

Below is a useful outline for your specific Hurricane Tracker project. This will help you get all the information you need for the project.

Name and year of your hurricane:

I. Formation
     a. Where it formed (map)
     b. When it formed
     c. What number tropical depression
II. Landfall
     a. where (map)
     b. when
     c. Category at landfall
III. Track
     a. Did it change intensity?
     b. Did it hit land more than once?
IV. Damage
     a. How many homes destroyed?
     b. How many lives lost?
     c. How much did it cost?
     d. Cause of damage: flooding, storm surge, winds
V. Termination, Diminished, Finish
     a. where
     b. when



General Info:
I. How it forms
    a. nine steps (can include your comic)
II. Parts of a hurricane (can include class work)
    a. eye
    b. eyewall
    c. rainbands

Entry 4

Oct. 8, 2010

Sunrise: 6:47
Sunset: 6:10
Daylight: 11 hr 23 m

Tropical Storm Otto is named in the Atlantic. The storm is heading north and west.

What are 3 ways New Orleans is similar to Biddeford?

How can Maine prepare for natural disasters?

Hurricane Katrina

Why was it so devistating?
What happened in New Orleans and the surrounding areas?
What can New Orleans do to better prepare itself in the future?

Nova: The Storm that Drowned a City

Hurricane Tracker Project: Due Oct. 20th

Name:                                    Block:
Hurricane Tracker
Due Oct 20th

Name of Hurricane:     
Year:

A Hurricane forms somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean and is heading toward the east coast of the USA.  How did it form? Where will it strike?  How bad will the damage be? Should people evacuate?

Your job as a Hurricane Tracker is to follow a historic hurricane from where it forms in the Atlantic to where it makes landfall.  You must inform the public about all aspects of this potentially deadly storm.  You will create a 5 min presentation in either iMovie or Keynote. 


General hurricane info:
◊    How a hurricane forms
      o     Discuss high and low pressure systems
      o     Include the nine steps of hurricane formation
◊    Parts of a hurricane

Your historic hurricane:
◊    Track the path of the hurricane    
      o    Create a map with at least five points including origin, landfall, and termination (finished)
◊    Dates: formed, hit land, and finished
◊    Classification of hurricane when it hit land
◊    Damage it caused


You will choose from a list of hurricanes whose names have been retired.  Using internet sources and class work, you will collect information about your historic hurricane.  You must cite all your internet sources.  This will be in the form of a list of the site names or the URL. You must use at least 4 internet sites.  One of those can be Wikipeda. 

You can either type or record your voice to add information for the points above.  You can include your work with hurricane formation and hurricane anatomy that we will work on in class. Below is a list of internet sites to get you started.


http://csc-s-maps-q.csc.noaa.gov/hurricanes/reports.jsp

http://www.hurricaneville.com/historic.html

http://www.weather.com/encyclopedia/tropical/history.html

http://www.wmo.int/youth/tropic_en.html