COLLECTING AND MEASURING WEATHER DATA

WEATHER
Understand ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE

Earth’s atmosphere has weight - therefore it exerts

pressure on the surface

Pressure can vary depending upon altitude

Pressure is measured in MILLIBARS ( think BARS, as in

tyre pressure or water pressure except much smaller)

Average sea level is 1.01325 bars (101,325 pascals)

(1 ATM or “1 atmosphere”) : expressed as MILLIBARS

= 1013
MEASURED
WITH A
More than that = HIGH pressure BAROMETER
(FROM GREEK
Less than that = LOW pressure BAROS MEANING
WEIGHT)
 THIS IS WHY
AIRCRAFT HAVE
TO HAVE
PRESSURISED
CABINS

= 1013 MB
 DUE TO ATMOSPHERIC
PRESSURE AND THE FORCE OF
GRAVITY LOW AND HIGH
PRESSURE SYSTEMS DEVELOP
GLOBALLY

HEAT ALSO PLAYS ITS PART

AIR MOVES FROM HIGH TO

LOW

THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR

WEATHER ANALYSIS AND
FORECASTING
 LET’S LOOK AT HOW WE
MEASURE THESE
ATMOSPHERIC FORCES SO
THAT WE CAN USE THE DATA
FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES -
UNDERSTANDING PRESENT
CONDITIONS AND
FORECASTING
STEVENSON SCREEN

A common and practical method of

collecting basic, useful weather
information
 WHAT’S
INSIDE A
BASIC
STEVENSON
SCREEN?