•   Frost Point: the point where vapor forms frost

     •   Wind Chill: the apparent temperature one feels on the skin

Weather Instruments Now

You have probably seen on the news, or perhaps even witnessed firsthand, severe weather in the form of hurricanes, blizzards, or tornadoes. These types of weather can be very dangerous. Weather instruments today combine many different technologies to try to predict dangerous weather in order to provide people with early warnings so they can take cover or evacuate.

Weather Satellites - Weather satellites, orbiting the earth, use specialized imaging systems to look at conditions in the earth's atmosphere. Using sensors that create images in the visible range, these satellites provide maps that show cloud cover, cloud movement, and weather fronts. Using infrared sensors, they provide maps that uncover hidden weather features like land and ocean temperatures, the "eyes" of hurricanes, and ocean current patterns.

Doppler Radar - Doppler radar systems were first developed just after the Second World War. Radar operators noticed that weather conditions, such as rain, sleet, and snow, caused "noise" to appear in the radar signal. After the war, when the radar operators returned to civilian careers, some continued their work to help with weather measurements.

Doppler radar is based on the Doppler effect, which is a "shift" in the frequency of a wave when the source is in motion. With Doppler radar, a microwave pulse is transmitted. Motion from wind and weather causes the microwave pulse to echo back at a different frequency. By using computers to analyze the echo, we can calculate the type, intensity, speed, and direction of the weather. This is used heavily in storm tracking.

Explaining the Doppler effect with words can be a little tricky. Here is a link to a video where you can hear the Doppler effect when a firetruck passes by. As the truck passes the camera, you can hear the "shift" in the frequency of the sound.

Why are weather stations inventions that changed the world? As technology advances, we get better and better at predicting what the weather will be. One of the most significant benefits is the detection and early warning of impending severe storms. We can't stop the weather, but if we know what we're in store for, we can be ready for it—come rain or shine!

Do You Want to be a Meteorologist?

If you are really interested in the study of weather, you can become a student member of the American Meteorological Society. The cost is $15 per year and includes a subscription to the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (BAMS). BAMS is a fairly technical publication better suited for college students and professionals. For an additional $45 per year, you can receive a subscription to Weatherwise, which is a magazine oriented toward elementary, middle, and high school students. The society's Web site is www.ametsoc.org.

Mississippi State University offers distance learning programs in Broadcast and Operational Meteorology. If you think meteorology is a career you would like to explore as a profession, check out their distance learning Web site at www.distance.msstate.edu/ geosciences/OMP/index.html. 

Ray and Gale Lawson have been homeschooling their three children since 1995. Ray holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from the Virginia Military Institute and works for Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC. Gale holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of South Carolina and is a full-time mom and teacher. They are members of Breezy Hill Baptist Church in Graniteville, SC. Questions, comments, and suggestions are always welcomed and can be e-mailed to them at http://vmi1981@bellsouth.net (Ray) or galenkids@bellsouth.net (Gale). 

Originally published in Home School Enrichment Magazine. Now, get a FREE subscription to HSE Digital by visiting www.HSEmagazine.com/digital Every issue is packed with homeschool encouragement, help, and information. Get immediate access to the current issue when you start your FREE subscription today!