Why Storms are Important in Weather and Climate
Why Storms are Important in Weather and Climate
Weather is the condition of the air that surrounds the earth. Weather affects our lives in many ways; for example, the type of clothing that we wear any given day depends largely on the weather. If it is cold we put on slacks, if it is hot we slip on shorts. The United States has to deal with the wildest weather in the world. Other countries deal with weather, but the USA brings blizzards, +100°F heat and -35F cold, desert dryness, hurricanes and the world’s deadliest tornados. The weather also has a big impact on agriculture. Farmers need clear weather to plant and harvest their crops. Farmers’ plants require the right about of sunlight and rain to grow and ripen. A severe storm or frost can damage and kill many crops.
All weather develops in the atmosphere (the air that surrounds the earth). The atmosphere consists chiefly of the gases nitrogen and oxygen. It also has small amounts of other gases. Water vapor and dust are mixed together in the atmosphere. Nearly all weather occurs in the lowest layer of the atmosphere. This layer is called the troposphere. It begins at the surface of the earth and extends from six to ten miles away. Weather conditions in the troposphere and earth depend on four elements: temperature, air pressure, wind, and moisture. Temperature is the degree of heat in the atmosphere. The heat that the earth receives comes from the sun; however, only about one billionth of the heat given off by the sun enters the atmosphere. The rest is lost in space. About thirty-four percent is reflected back into space; the atmosphere absorbs another nineteen percent. Forty-seven percent of the sunlight that enters the atmosphere reaches the earth’s surface. Air pressure is the force of the atmosphere pushing on the earth. This is greatly affected by the temperature. Warm air weighs less than cool air, and as a result warm air puts less pressure on the earth than does cool air. These are called low and...