1º British: Elements and factors affecting weather

Last week we mentioned that they are many things that can change the atmosphere conditions and, therefore, the weather.

The elements are temperature, humidity & precipitation, atmospheric pressure & wind. Besides, these elements can be also affected by some factors: latitude, altitude and distance from the sea.

Let’s study carefully how all they work:

1.Temperature is the amount of heat in the air from solar radiation. Temperature is measured, with a thermometer. Latitude, altitude and distance from the sea influence temperature. How?

About latitude:

• At the equator, solar rays hit the Earth at a very direct angle (90º). They are concentrated over a small area and insolation is intense. The temperature is high.
• At the poles, the Sun’s rays hit the Earth at a less direct angle. They are concentrated over a larger area and son insolation is less intense. The temperature is low.

Maybe you will understand it better with the following drawing:

Th combination between temperature and latitude is very important because help us to divide the Earth into 3 different climate areas: torrid (warm) – medium – cold. You can learn more things with this video: Climate zones by Dr.Binocs (4 minutes, in English).

But there are more factors that affect temperature. For example, the altitude. The higher the altitude, the lower the temperature. This is because at higher altitudes the air is less dense and does not retain heat. Look at the drawing:

For example: Mont Blanc is a very famous mountain on the French Alps. It is located in Europe, that is, the medium climate zone. But Mont Blanc is 4,800 meters high! So at the top of the mountain it is really cold!.

The sea regulates temperature. Because the sea is a liquid, it takes a long time to heat up or cool down: refreshing breeze in summer, warn air in winter. Great!. That’s why temperature can change depending is you are close to the sea or not:

2.Humidity is the amount of water vapour in the air. The amount of water vapour that the air absords depends on the temperature. Warm air absorbs more than cold air. Air is saturated when it can absorb no more water vapour, and so it precipitates in the form os rain, snow, sleet or hail. Precipitation is measured by a pluviometer like this one:

When talking about precipitation, clouds are important. Watch the following video of Types of clouds by Dr.Binocs (4 minutes in English).

Precipitation is a very important issue, as we really need water to survive. That’s why droughts are so dangerous. Pay ttention again to Dr.Binocs to learn about drought and how to prevent them (4 minutes in English).

3.Atmospheric pressure is the weight or force that the air exerts on the Earth’s surface. Atmospheric pressure is measured with a barometer like this:

Extreme low-pressure weather conditions create hazards such as hurricanes and typhoons (3 minutes video, in English).

  

Wind is a mass of moving air. It happens between two areas with different atmospheric pressures. Air always moves from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure. Wind speed is measured using an anemometer and it is expressed in metres per second (m/s) or kilometers per hour (km/h).

  

Finally and as usual, to check that you have really read this information, please answer the following questions by email (blogeducativo08@gmail.com) before Monday, 11 May:

1.What is solstice? And Equinox?

2.Name one type of each level of clouds: low, mid and high level (only name, not necessary to explain anything)

3.Which type of cloud is the Dr.Binocs favourite one?

4.Open your window and take a photo of a cloud. What type of cloud is it? Send me both the photo and your answer.

5.What is fog?

6.What is drough?

7.What type of problems can create a drough?

8.Name 3 tips for saving water and avoid suffering a drough.

9.What is a hurricane?

10.What is the name for the hurricanes in the Pacific area?

And that’s enough for this week. Next Monday, we will learn how to do a climate graph...