Using
the Synoptic Code for the Prediction of Weather
Developers:
M.
Christopher Marchese
Science Department Chairman
Northeast Catholic High School
Philadelphia, PA
Andrew
Batzell
Rohm and Haas Scientist
Lisa
McNamara
Rohm and Haas Scientist
John
Halligan
Rohm and Haas Scientist
Grade
Level:
9
through 12, College
Discipline:
Earth
and Space Science
Goals:
Upon
completion of this lesson, the students will be able
to:
1.
interpret the synoptic code
2.
construct a thermoscreen, with anemometer
3.
identify different types of clouds
4.
understand and read the barometric pressure
5.
construct a psychrometer to measure relative humidity
6.
understand what causes different types of weather
7.
coordinate their work with three different sites
8.
decode synoptic weather data via information sent by
E-mail
9.
predict weather patterns as they apply to fronts, precipitation,
etc.
Background:
Because
of the nature of this experiment, all students must
be able to use the scientific method for the purpose
of formulating a hypothesis on weather. This is very
similar to the process by which television meteorologists
study and predict weather forecasts over a five-day
period.
There
are a number of disciplines needed to complete this
experiment. Therefore, students should have full understanding
of temperature, pressure, wind speeds, weather types,
and humidity. The students after learning the different
principles of meteorology, will apply this knowledge
to the synoptic code.
Every
night when we watch our local news, besides sports and
headlines, the most popular
part of the broadcast deals with "what is the weather
forecast?" Have you ever though about how weather
is predicted, or why today it is 89 degrees and tomorrow
it is going to be 81 degrees? With today's technology,
the average human has an idea of this process. However,
in the past, there were many different types of equipment
and techniques used to determine weather patterns.
Radar
has been important in measuring weather since World
War II. Meteorological radar equipment is used for observing
precipitation, clouds and other atmospheric phenomena.
Rockets have been used in exploration and the study
of atmospheric structure. And with the birth of sophisticated
technology, meteorological satellites are in orbit around
the earth. These satellites measure infrared and visible
radiance to provide routine observations of weather
conditions in the lower atmosphere. At any given time,
there are as many as eight to ten satellites in orbit.
These satellites have the ability to construct images
as they pertain to clouds, atmospheric water vapor,
estimated atmospheric, land, and water temperatures.
They are also used for forecasting of severe types of
weather, such as, thunderstorms and hurricanes. With
the help of computer technology, these satellites are
able the predict movements of weather systems and fronts,
which help in the routing of airplane and ship traffic.
The
synoptic code is a branch study of meteorology that
combines the knowledge of atmospheric conditions with
weather. The purpose of the synoptic code is for the
quick interpretation of weather at a given station.
The method of forecasting, also known as the synoptic
method comprises data of atmospheric states, at different
locations all at the same time. The network of stations
are usually spread out at intervals of 10km.With hourly
observation, synoptic sites around the world have the
ability to construct maps, which show air masses and
frontal locations. For the purpose of this experiment,
students will be interpreting present weather, past
weather, low, medium, and high cloud types and pressure
characteristics. The information will be placed in code
at each school's site and transmitted to a home base
via the Internet for analysis.
Prelaboratory
Instruction:
Air
Pressure:
Air
pressure is directly proportional to the density of
air at any point on the earth's surface. There are many
different factors that affect the pressure of the earth's
atmosphere. They are temperature, water vapor, and elevation.
Think about playing baseball for the Colorado Rockies
or the Florida Marlins. Which home field is more susceptible
to homeruns? If you answered the Rockies, you are right.
Air is much thinner at higher altitudes. Therefore,
air pressure is not as great. The device used to calculate
air pressure is called a barometer.
Winds:
Winds
are formed by movement of air from one place to another.
They are caused by differences in air pressure and from
unequal temperatures in the atmosphere. There are two
major types of winds. The global and the local winds.
Local winds are the normal breezes we experience at
the shore or while sitting on a park bench. There are
two major types of breezes, named from their origin.
A wind coming from the sea is called a sea breeze, and
the wind coming from land is called a land breeze. Global
winds are seen by specific patterns. (See below).
There
are doldrums, tradewinds, westerlies, and easterlies.
A wind that is commonly seen on weather channels is
the jet stream. This
is a circulation of
high-speed winds that dictate weather fronts. Airplanes
feed off the jet stream for increasing jet speed when
flying from west to east. Wind is measured by an anemometer.
This device is calculates wind speed in meters per hour.
One knot is equal to 1850 meters per hour or approximately
1.166 miles per hour.
Relative
Humidity and Clouds:
Humidity
is defined as moisture in the air. Air has the ability
to hold water vapor. Depending on temperature, high
relative humidity may be unbearable. Humidity is calculated
by using a psychrometer. This device has two thermometers
attached to it. One wet bulb and one dry bulb. Based
on relative moisture in the air, the wet bulb reading
can be much lower than the dry bulb. Scientists, using
a chart, like the one below can calculate the relative
humidity in the air. This calculation is based upon
the difference in temperature of the wet versus the
dry bulb.
Because
of these phenomena, clouds form. Clouds are composed
of moisture held in the air. When moisture condenses
clouds form. There are many different types of clouds.
These clouds are structurally different based on the
altitude where they exist. In times of complete atmospheric
saturation, clouds return rain, sleet, snow, or hail
to the earth's surface. The type of water returned to
the surface depends solely upon atmospheric temperature
and surface temperature.
Temperature:
Temperature
is determined by the amount of heat in the air. The
primary source of heat is the sun. What causes different
temperatures on the earth's surface? The angle at which
the sun's rays strikes the surface of the Earth. If
you looked at a typical drawing of the planet, you will
notice its shape to be almost spherical. At the equatorial
region of the earth, the sun's rays have the most direct
path of incidence, as compared to the polar regions.
Therefore, it makes sense that the air temperatures
of land masses located closer to the equatorial regions
are warmer.
By
combining the knowledge of the following, students will
have the ability to predict and give weather forecasts.
It all starts with the construction of the thermoscreen
Preparing
the Thermoscreen:
The
students working together as a class will first construct
the thermoscreen. Each group of students will have a
particular area to work on for the construction of the
thermoscreen. The idea of the experiment is for this
thermoscreen to be placed at a site away from the influence
of the school building. Temperature, wind speed, relative
humidity, barometric pressure, cloud coverage, wind
direction, and precipitation. Based on hourly observations,
the students will be able to take the observed information
and interpret it by using meteorological symbols and
synoptic code.
Materials:
wood
screws
psychrometer--wet and dry bulb
thermometer
rain gauge
barometer
plywood
lattice work
Dimensions:
4
@ 6' 2 x 4
12 @ 3' 2 x 4
8 @ 2 x 2 x 4 ‘
1 @ 3/3 x 3/3 x �' plywood
1 @ 2/10 x 2/10 x �"
2 sheets 4 x 8 plastic latticedrywall screws
plywood door hinges
latch workings
Preparing
Students for Synoptic Interpretation:
Because
the synoptic code is detailed and lengthily, students
will be given the code symbols and numbers. Typically
only one two-digit code is used for the observation
of present weather. Numbers 20 through 29 is weather
observed within the past hour.
Figure
1. Synoptic Codes
Present
Weather
00 No
cloud development observed
01-03 Cloud development or dissipation observed
04 Visibility reduced by smoke
05-06 Haze
07-08 Dust or sand whirl
09 Duststorm or sandstorm within site
10 Mist
11-12 Shallow fog or ice fog
13 Lightning
14-16 Precipitation in sight, not at station
17 Thunder
20-29 Weather in past hour
20 Drizzle
21 Rain
22 Snow
23 Rain and snow
24 Freezing drizzle or rain
25 Rain shower
26 Snow shower
27 Hail shower
28 Fog
29 Thunderstorms
30-35 Dust or sandstorm
36-39 Drifting snow
40-47 Fog
47-49 Freezing fog
50-59 Drizzle
60-69 Rain
70-79 Snow
80-90 Showers
91-99 Thunderstorms
Past
Weather
Past
weather is defined as weather occurring in the hours
of 00, 03, 06, 09, 12, 15, 18, 21 UTC. This information
is calculated over a time span of three hours.
0-2 Cloud
cover
3 Sandstorm, duststorm or blowing snow
4 Fog, ice fog or thick haze
5 Drizzle
6 Rain
7 Snow
8 Showers
9 Thunderstorms
Low
Cloud Type
0 No
stratocumulus, Stratus, Cumulus or Cumulonimbus
1 Cumulus humilis or Cumulus fractus
2 Cumulus mediocris or congestus
3 Cumulonimbus calvus
4 Stratocumulus cumulogenitus
5 Stratocumulus
6 Stratus nebulosus or Stratus fractus
7 Stratus fractus or Cumulus fractus
8 Cumulus and Stratocumulus
9 Cumulonimbus capillatus
* Sky obscured
Medium
Cloud Type
0 No
Altocumulus, Altostratus or Nimbostratus
1 Altostratus translucidus
2 Altostratus opacus or Nimbostratus
3 Altocumulus transludicus
4 Lenticular Altocumulus translucidus
5 Thickening Altocumulus translucidus
6 Altocumulus cumulgenitus
7 Altocumulus and Altostratus or Nimbostratus
8 Altocumulus castellanus or floccus
9 Altocumulus of a chaotic sky
* Sky obscured, often by lower cloud layer
High
Cloud Type
0 No
Cirrus, Cirrocumulus or Cirrostratus
1 Cirrus fibratus or uncinus
2 Cirrus spussatus or Cirrus castellanus or floccus
3 Cirrus spisatus cumulonimbogenitus
4 Thickening Cirrus uncinus or fibratus
5 Low, thickening Cirrus and Cirrostratus
6 High, thickening Cirrus and Cirrostratus
7 Cirrostratus covering the whole sky
8 Cirrostratus partially covering the sky
9 Cirrocumulus
* Sky obscured, often by lower cloud layers
Barometric
Pressure Characteristic
Pressure
the same or higher than 3 hours ago
0 - Increasing, then decreasing
Pressure
now higher than 3 hours ago
1 - Increasing, then steady; or increasing,
then increasing more slowly.
2 - Increasing.
3 - Steady or decreasing, then increasing; or increasing,
then increasing more rapidly.
Pressure
the same as 3 hours ago
4 - Steady
Pressure
the same or lower than 3 hours ago
5 - Decreasing, the increasing
Pressure
now lower than 3 hours ago
6 - Decreasing, then steady; or decreasing,
then decreasing more slowly
7 - Decreasing
Steady
or increasing, then decreasing; or decreasing, then
decreasing more rapidly
At
8 am EST, your information site received two transmissions.
One 30 miles and one 60 miles west of your station.
Decode the following information, remember, the weather
at your station is not comparable to the information
just received. Make a prediction on weather that will
be arriving in your area soon.
Students
will obtain synoptic codes from other schools for the
purpose of predicting the weather at the home base.
Ideal distances of other stations are approximately
25 to 30 miles in radius west of the home base. The
notion is to receive synoptic codes from the following
stations, and for the students to predict the weather,
similar to meteorologists, without the computer technology.
This is the data table they will use.
Angular
Surface Temperature: Is it all in the tilt?
Developers:
M.
Christopher Marchese
Science Department Chairman
Northeast Catholic High School
Philadelphia, PA
Andrew
Batzell
Rohm and Haas Scientist
Lisa
McNamara
Rohm and Haas Scientist
John
Halligan
Rohm and Haas Scientist
Grade
Level:
9
through 12, College
Discipline:
Earth
and Space Science, Chemistry and Physics
Goals:
Upon
completion of this lesson, the students will be able
to:
1.
construct a light board.
2.
understand the concepts of basic electricity.
3.
measure and observe temperature changes of different
surfaces over time.
4.
understand the concept of radiant pathway.
Background:
This
experiment demonstrates relative temperature change
as it pertains to different surfaces. Temperature is
defined as the heat in the air. In order to determine
the relative temperature, the students will isolate
four different types of surfaces common on the earth's
surface. Four equal watt bulbs are to be suspended over
each container. At any given time, the students can
switch the degree to which the light is hitting the
surface, by rotating the light board on its axis. The
ideal temperature angles are 180 degrees and 45 degree.
This creates a model to which the sunlight hits the
Earth at the equator and the poles. Students will measure
and plot and graph the change in temperature over the
change in time.
Laboratory
Preparation:
Materials:
3
2'x6' Wood Boards
2 Plastic Protractors
Wire
4 Porcelain Light Sockets
4 100-watt light bulbs
4 plastic buckets
4 thermometers
sand
water
blacktop
grass/dirt
Assembly:
The
midpoint of your light board must be found; mark this
area with a straight line. Spread out the four light
sockets, so that when the buckets are placed below the
lights, the light is directly in the center of the bucket.
Run the wire throughout each socket, then mount into
the light board by screwing the socket into the wood.
Repeat this step three more times. The other two boards
are used as support legs. Drill a hole through the top
center of each leg. Place washers in between the lightboard
and its supporting legs. Fasten metal supports to the
bottom for further reinforcement. The two protractors
are positioned on either side of the lightboard, with
the lightboard at a 180 degree angle. Mark the boards
for both 180 and 45 degrees.
Procedure:
This
experiment will study the range in temperature of different
surfaces over time. This will give the relative temperature
change of all four surfaces. Grass, asphalt, water and
sand at 24 hour time periods, over a two-day period.
These four substances were chosen as representatives
of common surfaces in our world today. There are many
questions which need to be asked before performing this
experiment. What effect does color and density have
on the change in temperature? Does changing the angle
of the light source create just as much temperature
change as a direct hit? Brainstorm with your class before
performing the experiment. Your students may have a
number of good ideas.
Students
will construct a hypothesis for both the 180 and 45
degree angle. Observe and calculate data over a two-day
time span. Compare and analyze results by group discussion.
At
180 Degrees
At
45 Degrees
Why?
Was your hypothesis true?
Other
related surfaces which can be tested.
-
concrete, gravel, clay, and Astroturf
This experiment is courtesy of 
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