Weather & Climate

Weather is the condition of the atmosphere at a specific place and time, including temperature, humidity, wind, and precipitation.

Climate is the average weather conditions in a region over a long period of time.

Weather = short-term

Climate = long-term

A high pressure system is an area where the air pressure is higher than surrounding areas. This usually brings clear skies and calm weather.

A low pressure system is an area where the air pressure is lower than surrounding areas. This usually causes clouds, wind, and precipitation.

A front is a boundary between two different air masses that can cause changes in weather such as storms or temperature shifts.

A cold front is when a cold air mass pushes a warm air mass out. This type of front brings thunderstorms as it passes through. After it's passed through, the weather tends to be dry and cooler.

A warm front is when a warm air mass moves on top of a cold air mass. This type of front brings gentle precipitation as it passes through. After it's passed through, the weather tends to be humid and warmer.

The Sun heats up Earth's surface, but Earth's curvature causes varied solar absorption. The equator receives direct sunlight while the poles receive indirect sunlight. This uneven heating drives atmospheric and hydrospheric circulation.

The air masses at the equator are warmer than the ones at the poles. Since the air masses at the equator have more energy, they less density, so they will rise. Since the air masses at the poles have less energy, they have more density, so will sink. You know what that's called? A convection current! This convection current causes a natural flow of air masses in the atmosphere that leads to global wind patterns.

Warm ocean waters and air masses work together to form tropical cyclones by supplying the cyclone with thermal energy that gets converted and used as kinetic energy.