Wind and Air Pressure Webquest
What is wind? http://www.weatherwhizkids.com/weather-wind.htm
1. How is wind produced?
2. What causes the wind to blow?
3. What is the jet stream?
4. Draw and label the diagram of the Earth’s global wind patterns
5. What are the doldrums?
What is an air mass? http://www.weatherquestions.com/What_is_an_air_mass.htm
6. What is an air mass?
7. What is the difference between a tropical and polar air mass?
What Causes High Pressure? http://www.weatherquestions.com/What_causes_high_pressure.htm
10. What causes an air mass to have high pressure?
What Causes Low Pressure?http://www.weatherquestions.com/What_causes_low_pressure.htm
11. What causes an air mass to have low pressure?
Atmosphere: Temperature, Pressure, and Ozone
http://sunshine.chpc.utah.edu/Labs/OurAtmosphere/atm_measure2.html
Follow the simulation, using your arrow keys to move the weather balloon up. Record the pressure, temperature, and Ozone at the following elevations on your paper.
Altitude of Balloon
Air Pressure (mb)
Temperature (C)
Ozone (ppm)
0 km
5 km
10 km
12 km
15 km
20 km
30 km
40 km
50 km
60 km
75 km
Air Pressure:
You will need to answer the review questions in the simulation to move on past Air Pressure to Temperature. You will find the answers to these questions in the review questions in the simulation:
Temperature: the following answers will be shown after completing the temperature simulation with the weather balloon.
https://www.ventusky.com/
Temperature
Wind Speed
Pick 3 locations of your choice on the Earth. Write each location in the chart below. Then fill out the information for each location using the Ventusky map.
1. How is wind produced?
2. What causes the wind to blow?
3. What is the jet stream?
4. Draw and label the diagram of the Earth’s global wind patterns
5. What are the doldrums?
What is an air mass? http://www.weatherquestions.com/What_is_an_air_mass.htm
6. What is an air mass?
7. What is the difference between a tropical and polar air mass?
What Causes High Pressure? http://www.weatherquestions.com/What_causes_high_pressure.htm
10. What causes an air mass to have high pressure?
What Causes Low Pressure?http://www.weatherquestions.com/What_causes_low_pressure.htm
11. What causes an air mass to have low pressure?
Atmosphere: Temperature, Pressure, and Ozone
http://sunshine.chpc.utah.edu/Labs/OurAtmosphere/atm_measure2.html
Follow the simulation, using your arrow keys to move the weather balloon up. Record the pressure, temperature, and Ozone at the following elevations on your paper.
Altitude of Balloon
Air Pressure (mb)
Temperature (C)
Ozone (ppm)
0 km
5 km
10 km
12 km
15 km
20 km
30 km
40 km
50 km
60 km
75 km
Air Pressure:
You will need to answer the review questions in the simulation to move on past Air Pressure to Temperature. You will find the answers to these questions in the review questions in the simulation:
- At what altitude did the balloon pop? Why?
- If you were scuba diving below sea level, would the pressure increase or decrease? Why?
- If you weren’t wearing a pressurized suit, what do you think would happen to you if you reached the altitude that the balloon popped at?
- What keeps the gas in the atmosphere from floating off into outer space?
- What is a good comparison for the average thickness of the atmosphere compared to the size of Earth?
Temperature: the following answers will be shown after completing the temperature simulation with the weather balloon.
- Temperature appears to _____________ for the 10-12 km closest to Earth because there is more air holding heat closer to sea level.
- Why do you think you couldn’t have rain and snow come out of the same cloud over a mountain? (Hint: think about the temperature of the air)
- What is the altitude range where ozone has the highest concentrations according to your data?
- How does ozone affect the temperature in the atmosphere?
https://www.ventusky.com/
Temperature
- Click on temperature at the side of the map. Looking at our area of Oklahoma, what direction are the winds coming from that we are experiencing in Oklahoma today 2 m above the ground? What is the temperature in Northeast Oklahoma? (hold your mouse over the map to see the temperature)
- Change the altitude to 12,000 m. What do you notice about the temperature of the entire US?
- Zoom the map out to and explore the whole world. Where do you find the highest temperatures? Where do you find the coldest temperatures? Why do you think this is happening?
- Change the date to Saturday of this week. What direction are the warmer air temperatures coming from? What is the temperature expected?
Wind Speed
- Click on wind speed at the side of the map. Type in Tulsa in the search at the top of the map. What is the wind speed that we are experiencing right now? What direction is the wind coming from?
- Change the altitude to 1,500 m. What is the wind speed now in Tulsa? Has it increased or decreased?
- Change the altitude to 12,000 m. What is the wind speed now in Tulsa? What are the strong winds called moving high in the atmosphere?
- Click on Air pressure at the side of the map. What is the pressure in Tulsa right now?
- Adjust the slider at the bottom. What happens to the air pressure in Tulsa after sunset tonight around 11pm?
- Zoom out on the map. Name 3 areas of low pressure on the Earth. You can find the name of the place by clicking on the map in that location. List out the location and the pressure.
Pick 3 locations of your choice on the Earth. Write each location in the chart below. Then fill out the information for each location using the Ventusky map.