|
|
|
TopClicks
->
Weather & Meteorology
Choose a SubCategory or Select a TopClick below:
AccuWeather - Your picnic basket's packed, and you've got your frisbee, but your mom's trying to make you wear your raincoat. Will it rain or not? Fast and reliable weather forecast service for many U.S. cities and summary data from many locations around the world are at this site. There are also cartoons featuring Today's Worst Weather, a free weather by e-mail service, travel weather for all over the world (and your local interstate), and many additional resources.
American Storm Chasing - Official US Storm Chasing homepage and web directory. You'll find storm chase media references, severe weather photographs, storm film footage and tornado chasing links.
Australian Weather Photography - A vast collection of weather images, featuring: severe and non-severe thunderstorms; lightning; sunrise and sunset; rainbows; and all cloud types.
Automated Weather Source - Thousands of schools worldwide participate in this weather monitoring network. Is yours one of them? The Airwatch system hardware senses temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, light intensity, barometric pressure, and other measurements. The weather station can run without a computer, it just needs to connect to the Internet occasionally to post its instrument readings. At this site you can see live data for current weather, and take a look at famous weather events in recent history.
Bay Kids' Weather Page - It's summer, and the sky decides it's time for us to cook up some fun. Here is an interesting recipe: how about whipping up a nice afternoon thunderstorm? Let's see, check the ingredients: water vapor, dust particles, rising air, electricity potential. Yes, we seem to have all of those, now all we need to do is follow the instructions (and remember, really good lightning is shaken, not stirred). This ThinkQuest Junior entry, built by kids, will teach you all about weather events, jokes, myths, and much more.
Dan's Wild Weather Page - Do you want to know how clouds are formed or what to do if you are caught in a lightning storm? Just see Dan! He has info on almost any weather occurrence. From hurricanes to air pressure, Dan has it covered with colorful diagrams and graphics. Teachers and parents might learn a thing or two, as well. (Hint: This site with a LOUD thunderclap! Make sure your speakers are not turned up too high.)
El Niro - A Child of the Tropics - Learn all about the warm current phenomenon known as El Nin'o.As this site warns, "We are in hot water now!" Separate fact from fiction as you explore the hype and the science behind both this weather event and its cold-water sister, La Nin'a. There's also an interactive timeline and a solid section on prediction methods. This multimedia-rich resource was created by students for the ThinkQuest competition.
El Niro Theme Page - What kind of winter will you have this year, and how does the unusual combination of winds and currents known as El Nin'o affect the weather in your area? No one knows, but chances are that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's clearinghouse provides the best information. This site explains where the name comes from: "El Nin'o was originally recognized by fishermen off the coast of South America as the appearance of unusually warm water in the Pacific ocean, occurring near the beginning of the year. El Nin'o means `The Little One' in Spanish. This name was used for the tendency of the phenomenon to arrive around Christmas (the birthday of the Christ Child)." Have you heard there is also La Nin'a ("girl child"), which refers to an unusually cold condition found in the same region? At this site are impressive climate visualization data graphics as well as real-time marine buoy readings.
El Niro: Online Meteorology Guide - From the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, this site provides an overview of what El Nin'o is, where it comes from, and what it does. Unfortunately it is not up-to-date with "current" conditions. However, the information presented is useful for reports and background research.
EPA - Acid Rain Program - Acid rain is a scientific puzzle that was not easy to solve. It takes years for acid rain to cause problems, so its existence remained unknown for a long time. It can cause acid levels in lakes to increase so that fish and plant life cannot survive. Acid rain can also slowly eat away at buildings and structures, causing long-term damage. Where does it come from? What can be done about it? Two major chemicals combine to cause acid rain: sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxide. Although there are many sources of these two chemicals, coal-burning plants, cars, and trucks are the major contributors. This page, from the Acid Rain Program of the Environmental Protection Agency, describes some of the things that are being done to stop acid rain and the destruction it causes. For handy student resources, click on Students and Teachers.
FEMA - Preparedness for Severe Weather Safety - Would you know what to do if you heard a tornado was approaching? (Hint: Go to the basement or an interior room away from glass. Get out of cars and mobile homes. Lie flat in a ditch if necessary.) What if there were flash flood warnings, or a winter blizzard, hurricane, or other severe weather forecast? This site from the Federal Emergency Management Agency offers lots of information on how to prepare for, and survive, these disasters and more, including nuclear power plant emergencies.
FEMA for Kids - This site teaches you how to be prepared for disasters and how you can prevent disasters by taking action now! You can also learn what causes disasters, play games, read stories and become a Disaster Action Kid.
GOES Project Science - GOES is an acronym. It stands for Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, and it's one of the high tech tools used by weather forecasters. Geostationary means it stays in the same place above Earth, moving along with Earth but always looking at the same view of the ground. The GOES system oversees the U.S. (among other scenic spots), but that is not all it does. It can also measure atmospheric temperature, moisture, and winds. It even receives and retransmits signals from marine buoys and "roving bears." If you want to see a drawing of a GOES satellite, try the sites listed in the FAQ. If you want to see the view of Earth GOES sees, try this site.
Greenhouse Effect - Someone in a colder climate might think the greenhouse effect is a good thing, especially for those who don't like feeling chilly. However, there are consequences connected with having more planetwide heat than usual, and this doesn't just mean less snow to play in. Find out all about the greenhouse effect from the fact sheet at the Australian Greenhouse Office.
Jupiter, the Weather Computer You Can Call - Want to experiment with talking to a computer over the phone? Call Jupiter at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and ask about the weather in more than 500 cities (mostly in the U.S.). You don't just have to ask about today's weather, you can ask about tomorrow. Or ask Jupiter to "find a sunny place in the Caribbean." Read the FAQ page first, and then call the toll-free number 1-888-573-TALK ). If you wish to call Jupiter from outside North America, the number is . This is not a toll-free number, and you will be responsible for the (international) long-distance charges. This site is working on fielding questions and answers in many different languages. Note that this system is very active and you may have to keep trying to get through. We did! You have to give your first name, and the call is recorded for research purposes.
Kitecast: Specialized Weather for Kite Flying - Select from more than 30 U.S. cities to see if "Dr. Dewpoint's" kite will get off the ground today. Then visit the extensive kite information section, where you can study flying tips, learn about National Kite Month (it starts March 25th!), and discover the fast-growing sport of indoor kiting!
Make a Tide Prediction - You're going to St. Petersburg, Florida, and you want to know when low tide is because you really want to find some shells and go beachcombing. When you get to St. Petersburg, tide tables will be easy to locate; in fact, they are often printed in the local newspapers. However, your family lives in New York. Which morning should you beachcomb and which morning should you go to a theme park? You need to be able to plan your trip! This site predicts high/low tides months in advance for places as diverse as the Florida coast, Alaska, Honolulu, and all up and down the east and west coasts of the U.S. Tide info for many Pacific islands is also available.
Make Your Own Weather Station - You don't need fancy weather instruments to collect data. You can make your own barometer, hygrometer, rain gauge, and weather vane out of simple household materials. For example, to assemble the barometer you need a glass, a ruler, some water, a foot of clear plastic tubing, and a well-chewed stick of chewing gum! Find your instructions here.
Meteorology Guide: the Online Guides - This resource includes lots of interesting weather material, including classifying clouds and predicting precipitation. But the Light and Optics section is where we want you to focus your attention. Find out how particles of dust, water, and ice crystals combine to make spectacular sunsets, resplendent rainbows, and silver linings. Photos and drawings will help you understand each effect.
Natural Disaster Program for Families - Tornado! Flood! Hurricane! Forest Fire! Earthquake! Natural disasters are those times when Mother Nature seems to go a little crazy. You, and everyone in your family, can learn how to be prepared for natural disasters by looking at the Natural Disaster Preparedness pages from the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. Take the time and learn how to set up a Family Disaster Kit (remember to pack games for kids!), how to cook without electricity, how to save your saltwater-soaked plants, and much more helpful information.
NOAA Photo Collection - Need some great tornado photos for your report? This is the spot to find pictures of all kinds of weather and other natural images. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration offers "thousands of weather and space images, hundreds of images of our shores and coastal seas, and thousands of marine species images ranging from the great whales to the most minute plankton." Search for big hailstones, photos of the great blizzard of 1966, and some of the most spectacular lightning photos you'll ever see (search on Eiffel tower and check your spelling).
One Sky Many Voices - The Weather Underground has been on the Net for a long time, and they have lots of experience helping kids make their own weather observations. To participate in a K-12 collaborative project with kids from all over, visit One Sky, Many Voices. Do you think you could predict the weather better than the guys on TV? Using the rules and scoring methods outlined your class could have a forecasting contest. All the resources you'll need are linked from this one page. For your observations, we recommend you use the University of Michigan's outstanding weather visualization program, called Blue Skies. There's a download area for Macintosh or Windows versions, or use the Java implementation online. There's also an incoming front of live weather cams from around the world. How many countries can you visit today?
The Beaufort Scale - Your kite instructions say that you need a 10-knot wind before you can launch. How do you know how fast that is? The Beaufort scale is a way to estimate wind speed without the use of instruments. For example, the description of Beaufort force 3 is this: "Leaves and small twigs in constant motion; wind extends light flag." That translates to a wind speed of 7 to 10 knots (8 to 12 mph, or 12 to 19 kph, or 3.4 to 5.4 mps). Find out the other indicators here.
The Weather Rock - Build your very own weather station using--a Rock. This site explains how your observations of the Rock can reveal current weather conditions. For example: if the Rock is wet, it's raining out. There are many more observations you can make, guided by this funny site. Remember: If the Rock is bouncing up and down, it's an earthquake!
Tsunami! - Tsunamis cause severe damage to coastal areas. Learn about the Tsunami Warning System and what you can do to protect yourself if one is issued for your area. But if you are ever near the ocean and feel a deep rumble in the earth, don't wait for an official warning--get moving. It could be the first sign of a tsunami, and once the wave gets to shore, you will not be able to outrun it. Another early sign of trouble is that sometimes, just before a tsunami, the water is sucked out to sea, exposing the ocean floor. This is a warning that you should move inland quickly or to a higher area, such as the top floors of a high-rise building. You'll also find detailed information about recent tsunami events as well as links to other tsunami sites.
Tsunamis - Tsunamis--walls of water, sometimes more than 100 feet high--are usually caused by earthquakes or big storms at sea. When you check out this collection of tsunami pictures, you'll see huge boats that have been thrown onto the shore like toys and amazing before-and-after pictures. See what happened to a five-story lighthouse that sat 40 feet above the sea until a tsunami came crashing ashore. Read about this water phenomenon by clicking on the Main Menu icon, then select the question mark next to Tsunami.
USA Today Weather - This site is the best-kept secret on the Net for weather information! You'll find a ton of special articles, fun facts, and lots of other goodies at this site, from information on tornadoes and hurricanes to tips on weather forecasting. Check the Topics list at the top of the page. If you have a weather-related report due or if you're just interested in things meteorological, do not miss this excellent site.
Weather and Climate - Net-mom is a real fan of teacher Mr. Bowerman and his extensive pages on all sorts of topics. But right now let's look at his collection of sites on climate and weather. You will discover fascinating links on how the seasons work, the water cycle, monsoons, aurora borealis, El Nin'o, and many other topics.
Weather Calculator - We admit it. The reason we picked this weather calculator page over the others is that this one offers something unique. Did you know you can make a pretty good guess at the outdoor air temperature by counting cricket chirps? On a hot night, just go out and count the number of times a cricket chirps in 15 seconds. Then plug that number in here and the calculation will be performed for you. For example: 45 cricket chirps in 15 seconds equals: 85.0 degrees Fahrenheit, or 29.4 degrees Celsius, or 302.6 Kelvin! Besides converting the weather observations of insects, this site offers many other weather calculators involving temperature, moisture, and pressure. If you have forgotten what "wet bulb" or "dewpoint" mean, there's also a convenient glossary called Weather Calculator Definitions.
Weather Channel - How's the weather where you are, or anywhere else, for that matter? Actually, anyone can find out just by visiting this page. Sure, you'll find up-to-date weather information from around the world, but that's only the beginning. This site has more weather stuff than anyone could imagine. It includes shareware you can download, colorful maps, video clips, tips on getting started as a meteorologist, and special forecasts for sports fans. This site is really cool (in the north) and hot (down south)!
Weather Channel - Education Index - Serious weather watchers and meteorologist wannabes should head over to the Weather Channel's education home page. Grab your own heat index or windchill charts from the Storm Encyclopedia area (look in the Teacher Lounge). Find out how to become a meteorologist, a storm chaser for the National Weather Service, or even just a backyard observer. If you've still got questions about the weather, you can ask the Weather Channel meteorologists. They pick the best questions to answer online.
Weather Dude - "Weather Dude" Nick Walker, a weathercaster for The Weather Channel, specializes in making weather fun. Our favorite part of this site is Weather Resources for Kids, where you can download audio clips and sing along with songs from Nick's "Weather Dude: A Musical Guide to the Atmosphere." Don't miss his tips on how to get free stuff, like the Winter Survival Coloring Book and hurricane tracking charts. It's in the Stuff for Teachers/Parents section.
Weather Gone Wild - Sometimes the weather gets a little out of hand. Tornadoes, hurricanes, tidal waves, and floods are just a few of the extreme weather situations detailed at this site. Each entry is easy to read, but if you don't understand some of the words, don't worry because there is a glossary. There's a nice tutorial on how to read a weather chart, with an explanation of all those weird symbols used by weather guys and gals. This site was created by students for the ThinkQuest Junior competition.
Weather Resources for Kids - Here are some great resource materials for kids to learn more about weather and other sciences from "the Weather Dude." From weather basics to "Musical Meterology" kids (and adults) will find lots of fun information here.
Wiarton Willie Home Page - Lest you think Canadians don't have a weather rodent (en Francais, m t o marmotte) of their own, meet Wee Willie, an albino marmot. Son of the lately departed Wiarton Willie, Wee Willie stands poised to pick up the weather forecasting duties where his dad left off: "Born on the 45th parallel, exactly midway between the Equator and the North Pole, this white groundhog has the uncanny ability to signal the end of winter. Weather watchers around the world look to Willie's shadow and its 90 percent accuracy rate to see just how long winter is going to continue!" You can even send him e-mail (he must have a modem in his burrow). Come join the fun in southwestern Ontario on Lake Huron.
You Can & Acid Rain - How can rain be an acid? It starts out as regular rain, but then it falls through air pollution. It becomes a weak acid that can dissolve marble, kill trees, and ruin a lake's entire ecosystem. You can help. Here's how to make an acid finder and how to test rainwater. Let Beakman and Jax explain this phenomenon, first identified in England in 1872. Smoke from burning coal was the cause then, as it remains now.
|
|
