Exercise/Labs

Exercise 1

The above map was used to test our knowledge of surface map symbols. The white arrows and text identifies various types of fronts across the U.S. The highest wind speeds identified via the isobars is labeled with a black arrow and text. The high and low pressure areas are labeled with the direction of winds at the surface.

Map of the North America air masses and their general direction of wind and origin.

Symbol chart for surface conditions map from Unisys Weather website. The chart was used to interpret the following surface maps.

Surface conditions for the SW on 2/22/2018. You can see an area of low pressure over Utah with the counter clockwise circling pattern of the winds. Cloud cover increase the further north and east you go on the map.

Surface conditions for the MW on 2/22/218. Overcast conditions are dominate over the southern half of the region. Looking at the wind direction you can see half of a high pressure system and the wind circle in a clockwise pattern.

Pattern map from Accuweather showing the jet stream. In this case the jet stream had shifted South bringing cold air to much of the country.

Jet stream map from Intellicast. There is a deep trough over the western states which is causing descending cold air towards the southeast and developing a series of low pressure systems along the front boundary. 

NOAA West Satellite image of water vapor. There is dry air trapped in the trough of the Jet Stream due to the cold, dry descending continental polar air. There is moist air rising on the other side of the front due to warm, moist maritime tropical air from the Subtropical Jet Stream.

Lab #1

Cincinnati Fire Kite (Buoyancy)

We took an excursion outside to get a real life example of positive buoyancy. We constructed a Cincinnati Fire Kite from a single sheet of newspaper and also had a few Chinese Lanterns for our demonstration. Both trap warm air inside a pocket allowing the air inside the pocket to heat up further. The air inside of the pocket expands more than the cool air around it thus allowing the kite or lantern to float and rise into the air. Most of our Cincinnati Fire Kites did not achieve positive buoyancy due to poor execution but the lanterns preformed well (as expected).

Student letting the fuel burn which is heating up the air inside the Chinese Lantern.

Success!! The lantern has achieved positive buoyancy which allowed it to rise in the air like a hot air balloon.