Name: how sunlight shapes daily weather
Uploaded: 2019-03-11T09:21:42.000Z
Duration: 1 min 7 s
Channel: JoVE

K12 Standards

north-carolina-k-12-science-standard-course-of-study

North Carolina K-12 Science Standard Course of Study

9-12

Biology

ecosystems-interactions-energy-and-dynamics

Ecosystems- Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

LS.Bio.5.2

What is Weather?

Weather refers to conditions occurring in the atmosphere over short periods of time and is influenced by the interactions between the sun, atmosphere, ocean, and the land.

Solar energy enters the atmosphere and is absorbed by the land and surface water which then emit infrared thermal radiation warming the air.

Less dense warm air near the earth&#39;s surface then rises creating vertical currents into the upper atmosphere which has lower pressure. As a result, the air becomes cool and more dense causing it to fall again, a process called convection circulation.

This local atmospheric process combined with the dynamic tilt of the earth towards the sun create changes in pressure, atmospheric temperature, and rainfall each day, week, and month. Thus, these factors vary and depending on where you are on the earth&#39;s surface, the weather is different.

what is weather?

<h4>Overview</h4>

Weather refers to the current state of atmospheric conditions at a specific time and place. Weather is temporary and is influenced by the interactions between the sun, atmosphere (gases around the Earth), hydrosphere (the water bodies of the Earth), and geosphere (the land portion of the Earth). As all of these factors differ across location and time, different weather can be observed across the planet.

<h4>Solar Radiation and the Greenhouse Effect</h4>

Solar radiation penetrates the atmosphere to interact with surface water and land masses. These surfaces emit the energy as thermal radiation, or heat, warming the air. Heat either escapes through the atmosphere back into space or is trapped in the atmosphere by specific atmospheric gases&mdash;continuously warming the planet. This retention of heat in the atmosphere is called the greenhouse effect. So-called greenhouse gases retain more heat than other gases.

Warm air is less dense than cold air, so warm air rises. Rising air creates vertical currents into the upper atmosphere, which has lower atmospheric pressure. As the air gets further away from the source of thermal radiation, it begins to cool, becomes denser, and falls again. This process is known as convection circulation.

<h4>Daily Weather</h4>

Weather is typically measured by six parameters: temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind, humidity, precipitation, and cloudiness. Meteorologists measure these conditions and predict the weather of the near future based on trends of past observations. For example, atmospheric pressure reflects the weight of the atmosphere above. High pressure is usually associated with cooler temperatures and clear skies, while low pressure is associated with warmer weather and storms. Observing a drop or a rise in atmospheric pressure allows meteorologists to make short term predictions if you should bring an umbrella or expect a sunny day.

<h4>Extreme Weather Events</h4>

Extreme weather events include heat waves, cold waves, hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts, and floods. These events are often sudden and are, therefore, harder to predict. Extreme weather events are typically described in relation to conditions observed in the historical distribution for a given location. Using these historical records, research has indicated that anthropogenic climate change has led to an increase in the frequency and intensity of daily temperature and precipitation extremes. Additionally, climate models indicate that with climate change, Earth will experience more extreme weather such as persistent summer weather extremes in northern latitudes.

Overview

Weather refers to the current state of atmospheric conditions at a specific time and place. Weather is temporary and is influenced by the ...

Education

JoVE Core

Ecology

Biodiversity and Conservation

KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS

how sunlight shapes daily weather

Weather is the current state of the atmosphere at a specific time and place. It is temporary and changes from one location to another. Weather is shaped by the interaction of the sun, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere.

Solar radiation reaches Earth and interacts with water and land. These surfaces release that energy as thermal radiation, or heat, which warms the air above them. Some of that heat escapes back into space, but some is trapped by atmospheric gases. This heat retention is called the greenhouse effect, and greenhouse gases hold more heat than other gases.

Warm air is less dense than cold air, so it rises. As it rises into areas of lower atmospheric pressure, it cools, becomes denser, and falls again. This movement creates convection circulation, which helps move heat through the atmosphere.

Daily weather is measured using six main factors: temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind, humidity, precipitation, and cloudiness. Meteorologists track these conditions and use past observations to predict short-term weather changes. Atmospheric pressure is the weight of the air above us. High pressure is often linked to cooler temperatures and clear skies, while low pressure is often linked to warmer weather and storms. A rise or drop in pressure can help weather forecasters decide whether to expect sunshine or bring an umbrella.

Extreme weather events include heat waves, cold waves, hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts, and floods. These events can happen suddenly, so they are harder to predict than day-to-day weather. Scientists describe them using historical records for a specific place. Research shows that human-caused climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of some daily temperature and precipitation extremes. Climate models also suggest more extreme weather in the future, including persistent summer extremes in northern latitudes.

How Sunlight Shapes Daily Weather

Weather is the current state of the atmosphere at a specific time and place. It is temporary and changes from one location to another. Weather is shaped by the interaction of the sun, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere. Solar radiation reaches Earth and interacts with water and land. These surfaces release that energy as thermal radiation, or heat, which warms the air above them. Some of that heat escapes back into space, but some is trapped by atmospheric gases. This heat retention is...

global climate change

Ancient Clues to Climate Change

Ancient climate clues help scientists track global climate change. Paleoclimatology is the study of climate conditions in Earth’s past and the causes and effects behind them. By comparing recent climate patterns with older records, researchers can find strong evidence for human-caused warming. Earth’s climate has changed many times over its 4.5 billion year history. In the last 650,000 years, there have been seven cycles of glacial advance and retreat. The most recent ice age ended more than...

what is biodiversity?

Biodiversity Across Genes, Species, and Ecosystems

Biodiversity is the variety of living things at the genetic, species, and ecosystem levels. It includes not only how many kinds of organisms exist, but also how they are related and how they interact with the world around them. Species diversity spans the full evolutionary tree. It includes single-celled prokaryotes such as bacteria and archaea, as well as the eukaryotic kingdoms: plants, animals, fungi, and protists. About 1.75 million species have been identified so far, and scientists...

threats to biodiversity

How Humans Change Biodiversity

Human activity is changing biodiversity and pushing Earth toward a sixth extinction event. Earlier mass extinctions ended many species, and then new species spread into the changed environment. Today, the Holocene epoch is seeing a mass extinction linked to human actions, and it is often called the Anthropocene. Human numbers and human biomass show how large this impact has become. In 2019, the human population reached 7.7 billion and is projected to rise to 10 billion by 2060. By biomass,...

conservation of declining populations

Saving Species Through Population Recovery

Conservation of declining populations focuses on detecting a population drop, finding its cause, and stopping further loss. The goal is to prevent extinction by using scientific methods to identify the agents behind the decline. Once the cause is known, conservation teams can remove, oppose, or neutralize it. A common step is to test possible causes with a small trial group. If the cause is confirmed, the remaining animals may be moved to an unaffected area. When the population is too small or...

biodiversity and human values

Biodiversity in Food, Tools, and Medicine

Biodiversity supports human life through food, tools, medicine, and many other needs. Changes in the variety of species can also change the environment. Those environmental shifts can alter weather patterns and affect human civilizations. People have depended on biodiversity for agriculture since early human history. Agriculture began when ancestral humans found species that were good sources of food. At least 11,000 years ago, people started selecting plant and animal species to raise on...

what is conservation biology?

Protecting Biodiversity in Conservation Biology

Conservation biology is the science of protecting biodiversity and keeping ecosystems healthy. It looks at how living things, habitats, and human needs are connected. The goal is to preserve biodiversity so ecosystems can continue to function well. Healthy ecosystems provide people with important natural resources. These include food, medicines, and building materials. Ecosystems also deliver key services, such as cleaning air and water. Evidence shows that these services depend on...

what is climate?

Climate Patterns and Earth’s Energy Balance

Climate describes the usual weather conditions in a place over a long period of time. The idea is simple: climate is what you expect, while weather is what you get. Climate is shaped by geographic factors such as latitude, terrain, and how close an area is to bodies of water. Weather and climate are related, but they work on different time scales. Weather is the state of the atmosphere at a specific time and place. Climate is the average pattern of weather over much longer periods. Because of...

sustainable development

Protecting Oceans for Sustainable Development

Sustainable development depends on protecting oceans while meeting human needs. As the human population grows and uses more resources, people must stay aware of the planet’s natural limits. The goal is to improve life now without taking away the resources future generations will need. Long-term sustainability depends on understanding how human actions affect ecological systems. Oceans are a major part of this balance. They provide food for people, produce much of the atmosphere’s oxygen, and...

conservation of small populations

Saving Small Populations with Genetic Diversity

Small populations can be hard to save because they often lose genetic diversity. When variation is low, a species has fewer traits that may help it adapt to climate change, competition from other species, or new diseases. That makes extinction more likely. Large populations usually have a better chance of surviving new stresses. They are more likely to include individuals with genetic variants that are helpful in changing conditions. Small populations are much less likely to contain this kind...

habitat fragmentation

How Fragmented Habitats Affect Wildlife

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key terms and concepts

Learn how solar radiation, the greenhouse effect, convection, and air pressure shape daily weather, plus why extreme weather is harder to predict.

How Sunlight Shapes Daily Weather | JoVE K12

JoVE Core series brings biology to life through over 300 concise and easy-to-understand animated video lessons that explain key concepts in biology, plus more than 150 scientist-in-action videos that show actual research experiments conducted in today’s laboratories.

biology

Earth and Environmental Science

Earth and Human Activity

ESS.EES.5.3

Earth's Place in the Universe

ESS.EES.1.4

Earth's Systems

ESS.EES.2.5

ESS.EES.3.3

ESS.EES.3.4

ESS.EES.3.5

ESS.EES.4.3

ESS.EES.4.4

Pennsylvania State Academic Standards

Earth and Space Science

3.3.9-12.H

3.3.9-12.L

3.3.9-12.N

Human Sustainability

3.3.9-12.M

Weather and Climate

3.3.9-12.E

Life Science

interdependent-relationships-in-ecosystems

Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems

3.1.9-12.N

Louisiana Student Standards for Science

High School

Earth Science

Earth’s Systems

HS-ESS2-1

HS-ESS2-4

HS-ESS3-6

Life Sciences

Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy And Dynamics

HS-LS2-1

HS-LS2-7

Environmental Science

Environmental Awareness And Protection

HS-EVS2-3

ohios-learning-standards-and-model-curriculum

Ohio’s Learning Standards and Model Curriculum

Diversity And Interdependence Of Life

Loss of diversity

Tennessee Academic Standards

Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

BIO1.LS2.2

Biological Change: Unity and Diversity

BIO1.LS4.3

Virginia  Standards of Learning

HIgh School

BIO.8

BIO.8.d

ES.10

ES.10.c

ES.11

ES.11.a

ES.12

ES.12.a

ES.12.b

ES.12.c

ES.12.d

LS.8

LS.8.a

LS.9

LS.9.c

Minnesota Academic Standards in Science

2.1.1 9L.2.1.1.2

4.2.2 9L.4.1.1.3

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills

Earth Systems Science

112.49.c.11

112.49.c.11.B.

112.49.c.11.F.

112.49.c.11.G.

112.49.c.12.

112.49.c.12.B.

112.49.c.12.C.

Arizona Science Standards

HS.E1

HS.E1U1.11

HS+E.E1

HS+E.E1U3.11

Alabama Course of Study Science

Unity and Diversity

9-12.B.4.15

9-12.ESS.2.8.b

Astronomy

112.48.c.9.

112.48.c.9.C.

112.48.c.11.

112.48.c.11.D.

112.48.c.12.

112.48.c.12.C.

112.48.c.12.D.

Next Generation Science Standards

HS-LS2-5

HS-ESS2-2

HS-ESS2-6

HS-ESS3-1

HS-ESS3-5

Florida Department of Education

SC.912.E.5

SC.912.E.5.4

SC.912.E.7

SC.912.E.7.6

SC.912.L.17

SC.912.L.17.4

SC.912.L.17.8

BIO.13

BIO.13.D

south-carolina-college-and-career-ready-science-standards

South Carolina College and Career Ready Science Standards

B-LS2-2.

B-LS2-7.

Earth and Space Science (ESS)

E-ESS2-2.

E-ESS2-4.

E-ESS2-6.

E-ESS2-7.

E-ESS3-5.

E-ESS3-6.

E-ESS3-7.

new-york-state-science-learning-standards

New York State Science Learning Standards

matter-and-energy-in-organisms-and-ecosystems

Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems

HS-LS2-5.

Earth and Space Sciences

Space Systems

HS-ESS1-7.

HS-ESS2-2.

HS. ESS2-4.

HS-ESS3-5.

HS-ESS2-8.

HS-ESS3-1.

HS-ESS3-6.

Georgia Standards of Excellence

Oceanography

SO4.

SO4.1

Meteorology

SM4.1

How Sunlight Shapes Daily Weather

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