Understanding Weather: The Basics

Most people understand the basics of the weather – hot and cold days, rain and snowfall, thunderstorms and sunshine. But what causes these everyday weather patterns? To understand the weather, you need to have a basic understanding of the components that make up our atmosphere, how they interact with each other, and how they influence global weather patterns.

The Earth’s Atmosphere

The atmosphere of the Earth is a layer of gases (called air) that envelops our planet and allows life to exist. It is divided into specific layers according to their chemical composition, pressure and temperature. The different layers have distinct characteristics. In the lowest layer, the troposphere, temperatures generally decrease with altitude, and it is where most of the weather systems occur.

Weather is caused by Activity in the Atmosphere

Weather is the result of changes in air pressure, temperature and moisture. Winds are created when air molecules move from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure. To further explain how wind is created, it may be helpful to use a balloon as an analogy. Imagine a balloon that has air molecules on the inside and the outside. If you add more molecules on the inside of the balloon, the added pressure will cause those molecules to move outward and push the other molecules away from the balloon. In the same way, areas of low pressure attract air molecules from areas of high pressure to fill the area, creating a wind.

The temperature of air is determined by the energy of air molecules. One of the elements that influence temperature greatly is the amount of radiation energy that is absorbed by the atmosphere (this energy comes from the Sun). When air molecules absorb energy, they become excited and begin to move faster, giving off more energy and further raising the temperature.

Lastly, moisture in the atmosphere is an important factor that affects the weather. It can range from the most common form of water, the liquid that precipitates from the atmosphere, to the form of frozen water, also known as snow : rain, sleet and hail. When the moisture in the atmosphere increases, clouds form as the air molecules cool and turn into water droplets or ice crystals. This, in conjunction with air pressure, temperature and other factors, can lead to precipitation.

Conclusion

So when you look outside your window and can tell it’s going to rain, or if you can feel a storm coming, it helps to know that it’s not magic or luck – it’s science. Knowing the basics about how the atmosphere and its components interact can help you gain a better understanding of the weather and how it affects us.