Baby, Is It Cold Outside?

Weather Forecasting

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GOALS FOR THIS LESSON:
Describe how weather forecasting has evolved from the observation of patterns to modern forecasting
equipment

Explain how engineering advancements in weather forecasting improve the quality of people's lives
around the world

List several examples of technology behind modern forecasting equipment (weather balloons, satellites
and weather radars)

Describe how disturbed GPS signals are analyzed in order to understand the type of weather they
passed through

Compare actual results to expected results to find out reasons for any differences

Describe how GPS satellites are used for more than just navigation, specifically for natural disasters and
other atmospheric phenomena.
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What should I wear
to school today?

Weather
prediction

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA Version 1.0

We have a lot of information to help
us forecast various types of weather
activity

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

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History of
Weather
Forecasting

Humans have always

attempted to predict the
weather

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

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Modern Forecasting
Equipment

Pilots depend on computer-simulated models of weather

objects and terrain features to fly planes safely. [pictured
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Weather Balloons

Weather balloons are launched every day around

the world to collect data from the atmosphere. Version 1.0
Satellite Technology

A satellite image of Earth

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Weather Radar

All weather radars work by the process of scattering

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The Doppler Radar

What’s next?
Watch this video on
STEM at NOAA

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Careers in Weather Forecasting

• TV Weather Personality
• Meteorologist
• Hydrologist
• Information Technology
• Engineer
• Electronic Technicians This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

• Physicists
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“
Activity -
Backyard
Weather Station:
DIY ”

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA Version 1.0

“ Mind Bending GPS
Occultations

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How do we use satellites to study our atmosphere?

A typical example of the great amount of GPS occultation system data received in one day. Compare the amount of data from
COSMIC GPS occultation locations (green diamonds) to that from weather balloons (red dots).
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 Occultation helps predict storms such as
Superstorm Sandy

UCAR animation of Super Storm activity during Temperature and water vapor pressure for various atmospheric
hurricane Sandy in 2012 (see online animation) depths at a given point during a given time. Version 1.0
GPS Signals may bend due to gravity and refraction from
turbulent particles in the atmosphere

Progression of a GPS occultation. GPS signals pass through the atmosphere, are
delayed and distorted due to gravity and atmospheric conditions, and are received by
low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. Analysis of the received signal conveys the
atmospheric state and location. [copyright]
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Activity: Distorted Disturbances

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