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>>> PRESENTATION OF SCIENCE TREK ON IDAHO PUBLIC TELEVISION IS
MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THE LAURA
MOORE CUNNINGHAM FOUNDATION.
COMMITTED TO FULFILLING THE MOORE FAMILY LEGACY OF BUILDING
THE GREAT STATE OF IDAHO.
>> THE WEATHER IMPACTS EVERYTHING WE DO.
BUT HOW DO WE KNOW IF IT WILL RAIN ARE BE SUNNY?
THAT'S WHAT METEOROLOGISTS DO, AND TWO ARE HERE TO ANSWER YOUR
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WEATHER.
STAY TUNED.
SCIENCE TREK IS NEXT.
>>> HI, I'M JOAN CARTAN-HANSEN, AND WELCOME TO SCIENCE TREK.
AND WELCOME TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE'S OFFICE HERE AT
THE NATIONAL INTERAGENCY FIRE CENTER.
WE'RE HERE TODAY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WEATHER.
BUT BEFORE WE DO, LET'S LEARN A BIT MORE.
YOU CAN BLAME TODAY'S WEATHER ON THE SUN.
THE SUN HEATS THE SPHERE, OR THE BLANKET OF AIR SURROUNDING THE
EARTH.
BUT THE SUMMER DOESN'T WARM THE EARTH EVENLY.
THE TEMPERATURE ON EARTH AVERAGES ABOUT 59 DEGREES
FAHRENHEIT, BUT IT CAN GET AS HOT AS 136 DEGREES, OR AS COLD
AS 129 BELOW ZERO.
AND THE DIFFERENCES IN TEMPERATURE, RESULTS IN CHANGES
IN THE WEATHER.
SO WEATHER IS DEFINED AS THE STATE OF THE ATMOSPHERE AT A
PARTICULAR TIME AND PLACE.
THE STUDY OF WHETHER IS CALLED METEOROLOGIST, AND THE
SCIENTISTS WHO TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHETHER PATTERNS AND PREDICT THE
WEATHER ARE CALLED METEOROLOGISTS.
METEOROLOGISTS GATHER LOTS OF DATA TO PREDICT THE WEATHER.
THEY RECORD THE TEMPERATURE, HOW WARM OR COLD IT IS.
WHETHER IT'S RAINING OR SNOWING.
THAT'S CALLED PRECIPITATION.
THEY MEASURE WIND SPEED AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THE BAROMETRIC
PRESSURE IS.
BAROMETRIC PRESSURE IS THE MEASURE OF THE FORCE OF THE AIR,
HIGH PRESSURE, GENERALLY MEANS GOOD WEATHER, LOW PRESSURE
USUALLY MEANS A STORM.
THEY WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH MOISTURE OR HUMIDITY IS IN THE
AIR.
THE MORE WATERED OR HUMIDITY IN THE AIR, THE MORE LIKELY YOU ARE
TO HAVE CLOUDS.
SO, THEY LOOK AT WHAT KIND OF CLOUDS ARE IN THE SKY.
THERE ARE 10 DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF CLOUDS, VARIATIONS
ON THREE FORUMS, PUFFY CUMULUS CLOUDS, LAYERS OF STRATUS
CLOUDS, AND FEATHERY CIRRUS CLOUDS, FOG IS A CLOUD THAT
TOUCHES THE GROUND.
AND WHEN THERE IS ENOUGH MOISTURE AND THE RIGHT
TEMPERATURE, AND THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF PRESSURE, YOU CAN GET
RAIN OR SNOW OR OTHER KINDS OF PRECIPITATION.
THE CONDITIONS ARE JUST RIGHT, YOU CAN HAVE SOME PRETTY VIOLENT
WEATHER.
HURRICANES START OVER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN.
THEY CAN HAVE WIND SPEEDS ALMOST AS HIGH AS 200 MILES PER HOUR,
AND THEY CAN DROP OVER 10 INCHES OF RAIN.
WHOLE COMMUNITIES CAN BE WIPED OUT.
YOU CAN ALSO GET HIGH WINDS DURING A TORNADO, A TORNADO IS A
SWIRLING FUNNEL OF AIR THAT DESCENDS FROM A CLOUD.
TORNADO WINDS CAN GET AS HIGH AS 250 MILES PER HOUR.
LOTS OF SCIENTISTS LIKE TO CHASE TORNADOES SO THEY CAN STUDY
THEM.
IDAHO CAN GET A TORNADO EVERY NOW AND THEN BUT THEY DON'T
HAPPEN TOO OFTEN.
IDAHO DOES GET LOTS OF SNOW.
SCIENTISTS ESTIMATE A SNOW STORM CAN DROP AS MUCH AS
40 MILLION TONS OF THE WHITE STUFF.
SO, WHY DO METEOROLOGISTS STUDY THE WEATHER?
METEOROLOGISTS LIKE TO TRY AND PREDICT THE WEATHER FOR LOTS OF
GOOD REASONS.
TO HELP FARMERS KNOW WHEN TO PLANT OR TO HARVEST, TO HELP YOU
KNOW WHAT TO WEAR TO SCHOOL.
SCIENTISTS CAN WARN RESIDENTS ABOUT THE PATH OF A HURRICANE OR
WHEN FLASH FLOODING MIGHT HAPPEN.
METEOROLOGISTS ALSO STUDY HOW HUMANS CHANGE THE WEATHER, WITH
THINGS LIKE GLOWING WARMING, BUT MOSTLY, METEOROLOGISTS TRY TO
FORECAST THE WEATHER TO SAVE PEOPLE'S LIVES AND PROPERTY.
AND JOINING ME NOW TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WEATHER
IS ROBYN HEFFERNAN, A METEOROLOGIST WITH THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE AND VIN CROSBY, A METEOROLOGIST AT KBOI-TV IN
BOISE.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
I APPRECIATE YOU JOINING US.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, I LOVE WHAT YOU ARE DOING, AND IT'S ALL
ABOUT SAFETY AND I LOVE WHAT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOES.
>> OK, LET'S GO TO YOUR QUESTIONS.
>> HI, I AM KAITLYN.
AND I AM IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
MY QUESTION IS, HOW HARD IS IT TO PREDICT THE WEATHER.
>> WELL, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, KAITLYN.
MY DAUGHTER'S NAME IS KAITLYN.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THE PUBLIC DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THE
INTRICACIES OF HOW TO MAKE A WEATHER FORECAST AND HOW COMPLEX
IT IS.
I GET THIS QUESTION A LOT.
FOLKS HERE AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, ROBYN AND ALL
THOSE, ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY, ALL AROUND THE WORLD, THEY WILL
LAUNCH WEATHER BALLOONS TWICE A DAY TO GET INFORMATION THAT GETS
PUT INTO COMPUTERS DOWN IN MARYLAND AND, AND I MEAN, THE
MASS IS OUT OF THIS WORLD TO GET A WEATHER FORECAST BY THE
COMPUTERS.
AND SO, WE ALL KNOW THOSE WEATHER FORECASTS BY THE
COMPUTERS ARE WRONG, AND SO, IT'S UP TO THE METEOROLOGIST,
BASED ON EXPERIENCE, BASED ON, YOU KNOW, THEIR INDICATION TO
MAKE THE APPROPRIATE, YOU KNOW, GUESSES OR DECISIONS ON WHAT THE
WEATHER IS GOING TO BE LIKE.
>> MY NAME IS MELANIE, AND I GO TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
MY QUESTION IS, HOW DOES THE WIND START?
>> SO, WIND IS CREATED BY TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCES ACROSS
THE EARTH.
SO, WHEN THE EARTH TILTS, CREATES OUR SEASONS, AND THE
DIFFERENT SUN AMOUNT OF RADIATION THAT COMES IN DURING
THE DAY.
AND THAT WILL WARM DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE EARTH'S SURFACE,
AND OTHER PARTS WILL BE COOLER.
THE WARMTH AND THE COOLING IS GOING TO CAUSE PRESSURE
DIFFERENCES.
AND THE PRESSURE DIFFERENCES IS WHAT'S, WHAT CAUSES THE WIND.
SO, ESSENTIALLY, IF WE DID NOT HAVE WIND WE WOULD NOT HAVE ANY
DIFFERENCE IN TEMPERATURE, AND EVERYTHING WOULD BE THE SAME.
IT'S THE WIND THAT CREATES OUR WEATHER.
>> DEVON WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY DOES THE WEATHER NOT JUST STAY
THE SAME.
>> GREAT QUESTION.
BOY, IT HAS TO DO WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
ONE OF THE MAIN FACETS IS, WELL, WHEN WARM AIR RISES AND COLD AIR
SINKS, THAT GETS THE AIR KIND OF MOVING INITIALLY, AND THEN WE
HAVE THE EARTH SPINNING, SO THAT THROWS SOME TWISTS INTO THE
DIFFERENT AIR RISING AND SINKING AROUND THE GLOBE, SO WHAT THAT
DOES, IN TURN IS, CAUSE THE CIRCULATIONS THAT ARE SET IN
PLACE, BUT THEY CHANGE WITHIN THEMSELVES DURING THE YEAR, SO
THAT HELPS MOVE ONE AIR MASS TO, FROM ONE AREA TO THE OTHER.
THERE IS PRESSURES INVOLVED, AS WELL AND, AND SO, THIS WILL,
WILL GET US CHANGING ON A DAILY BASIS, BUT IF YOU GO TO A BASIC,
IT HAS TO DO WITH THE SUN WARMING THE EARTH, AND THE AIR
RISING, AND SINKING AT NIGHT, AND THAT WHOLE PROCESS KIND OF
GETS ALL INTERTWINED BECAUSE THE EARTH IS SPINNING, AND WE'RE
DOING THE OLD, THE OLD PASSING AROUND THE SUN, FOR OUR SEASONS.
>> HI, I AM MAYA, AND I AM IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN IDAHO.
MY QUESTION IS, WHAT DOES THE TEMPERATURE DROP WHEN THE SUN
RISES IN THE MORNING.
>> SO, THE TEMPERATURE, THE EARTH'S SURFACE RADIATES HEAT
OUT ALL NIGHT LONG.
AND IT'S MOVING THE HEAT OUT FROM THE EARTH'S SURFACE, AND
THE SURFACE IS COOLING.
AND IT CONTINUES TO COOL ALL NIGHT LONG.
THE SUN RISES, AND SOME OF THAT RADIATION COMES FROM THE SUN,
AND IT TRIES TO WARM THE EARTH'S SURFACE BUT UNTIL THE SUN HAS
BEEN UP LONG ENOUGH THAT THE INCOMING WARMTH IS ENOUGH TO
BATTLE THE OUTGOING RADIATION FROM THE EARTH'S SURFACE, THAT'S
ONLY WHEN WE START SEEING THE TEMPERATURE RISE AGAIN, SO THAT
HAPPENS A LITTLE WHILE AFTER THE SUN HAS COME UP.
THE SUN NEEDS TO BE UP FOR A WHILE TO PRODUCE ENOUGH WARMTH
TO CREATE THAT BATTLE AND THAT'S WHERE WE CAN SEE THE WARMTH
OVERCOMING THE RADIATION FROM THE EARTH'S SURFACE, SO WE DO
SEE THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES, THE NIGHT-TIME LOWS TYPICALLY
OCCUR IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS, AFTER THE SUN HAS ALREADY
COME UP.
>> I AM OLIVIA, AND I GO TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
MY QUESTION IS, HOW DO HURRICANES HAPPEN.
>> WELL, HURRICANES, ONE OF MY FAVORITE STORMS.
I WORKED IN NORTH CAROLINA, COVERED HURRICANES FOR A COUPLE
OF THE NETWORKS, AND I WAS THE CRAZY GUY IN THE WIND AND THE
RAIN AT THE COAST, WITH 105 MILES PER HOUR WINDS AND,
AND RAINDROPS DON'T FEEL NICE WHEN THEY ARE COMING AT YOUR
SKIN AT 105 MILES PER HOUR.
THE KEY FACTOR FOR HURRICANE FORMATION, BOTTOM LINE IS,
REALLY THE WATER TEMPERATURE.
THE WATER TEMPERATURES HAVE TO BE 80 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT OR
HIGHER IN ORDER TO HAVE A TROPICAL STORM IN THE FIRST
PLACE.
THERE ARE MANY, MANY, MANY FACETS FOR HURRICANE
DEVELOPMENT.
ONE, ON TOP OF THE WATER TEMPERATURES, IS BASICALLY, THE
WINDS HAVE TO BE LIGHT THROUGHOUT A LARGE CALM OF AIR.
AND, OF COURSE, IT'S IN THE TROPICS, WITH THE WATER
TEMPERATURES THAT WARM, IT'S PUTTING A LOT OF MOISTURE AND,
AND INSTABILITY, IF YOU WILL, INTO THE ATMOSPHERE, SO, THOSE
THUNDERSTORMS START TO FORM, AND AS THEY START FOR FORM, THEY
GROW AND GET BIGGER AND BIGGER, LOWERING THE PRESSURE, AND THEN,
A LOT OF OTHER DIFFERENT FACTORS GET MOVED INTO THE PROCESS, AND
THAT HELPS THE HURRICANE TO START SPINNING.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHEN AN ICE SKATER BRINGS THE
ARMS IN AND THEY ARE SPINNING FAST, THEY GET FASTER AND FASTER
AND FASTER.
THE SAME THING WITH THE HURRICANE.
IT KEEPS MOVING AND GETTING STRONGER AT THE SURFACE, AND IT
KEEPS SPINNING AND GETTING BIGGER AND BIGGER.
ACTUALLY, IT BECOMES ITS OWN LITTLE WEATHER SYSTEM.
AND THEN, ITS MOVING ALONG WITH WIND SPEEDS OVER 74 MILES PER
HOUR.
AS I MENTIONED, THEY GET OVER 100 MILES PER HOUR.
SO, THAT'S KIND OF THE BASICS OF HOW OUR HURRICANE FORMS.
KEY FACTORS, WATER TEMPERATURES OVER 80 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, AND,
OF COURSE, LIGHT WINDS THROUGH A LARGE COLUMN OF THE ATMOSPHERE.
>> DID YOU KNOW THAT A FALLING RAINDROP IS NOT ACTUALLY SHAPED
LIKE A RAINDROP?
IT'S SHAPED LIKE A HAMBURGER BUN, AND IT'S TRUE.
NO TWO SNOWFLAKES LOOK EXACTLY ALIKE.
ALTHOUGH WHEN THEY FALL IN LARGE NUMBERS IT'S HARD TO TELL.
>> JAMES WANTS TO KNOW, HOW MUCH TROUBLE CAN A CATEGORY 5
HURRICANE CAUSE?
>> WELL, UNFORTUNATELY, A CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE CAN CAUSE
LOTS OF TROUBLE.
AND THERE IS ALSO DIFFERENT TYPES OF TROUBLE THAT IT CAN
CAUSE, AS WELL.
FIRST OFF, A HURRICANE CAN CAUSE WIND DAMAGE.
THERE IS VERY STRONG WINDS IN EXCESS OF 100 MILES PER HOUR
WITH HURRICANES, ESPECIALLY A CATEGORY 5 COME ON LAND, AND
WHEN IT HITS BUILDINGS AND TREES AND THOSE THINGS, THAT WIND CAN
DESTROY THINGS, SO THAT'S A BIG PROBLEM.
BUT, SOMETIMES, THE BIGGER PROBLEM IS, IS THE WATER THAT
COMES FROM HURRICANES.
NOT ONLY THE WATER THAT COMES DOWN FROM THE HURRICANE, ITSELF,
AS RAIN, BUT WHAT WE CALL A STORM SURGE, WHERE THE OCEAN IS
PUSHED IN TOWARDS THE LAND, AND THAT TYPE OF FLOODING OCCURS AT
THE SAME TIME.
SO, A LOT OF TIMES, THE WIND DAMAGE IS NOT NECESSARILY AS BAD
AS THE WATER DAMAGE CAN BE.
ALL OF THIS IS DETERMINED BY ONE, THE STRENGTH OF THE
HURRICANE, HOW STRONG THE WINDS ARE.
BUT TWO, HOW FAST THAT HURRICANE IS MOVING.
THAT'S MAINLY FOR THE WATER DAMAGE.
AND IF IT'S MOVING QUICKLY, EVEN THOUGH IT HAS A LOT OF RAIN WITH
IT, THAT RAIN IS GOING TO BE SPREAD OVER, OVER A LANDSCAPE,
IF IT'S MOVING VERY SLOWLY, THAT HEAVY RAIN WILL BE CONCENTRATED
IN THE SAME PLACE AND CAUSE SOME MAJOR FLOODING ISSUES.
>> DANIEL ASKS, HOW FAR CAN A HURRICANE SPREAD?
>> THESE STORMS ARE SO, SO MASSIVE, TORNADOES CAN GO DOWN
ONE SIDE OF THE STREET, AND WRECK IT, BUT THE OTHER SIDE OF
THE STREET WILL BE FINE.
HURRICANES CAN BE THE SIZE OF STATES.
THEY CAN BE THE SIZE OF IDAHO, AND CAUSE MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF
DAMAGE.
DIFFERENT FACETS OF HURRICANES CAUSE DIFFERENT AMOUNTS OF
DAMAGE.
>> HI.
MY NAME IS KENDRICK, AND I AM IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, THE ACADEMY
OF IDAHO.
MY QUESTION IS -- WHAT CAUSES HAIL?
>> WELL, HAIL, AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, IS MADE UP OF ICE.
BUT HOW DOES THAT ICE FORM AND HOW DOES IT GET SO BIG?
WELL, THE WATER DROPLETS WITHIN A CLOUD, IF IT'S REALLY HIGH UP
IN THE ATMOSPHERE, WILL FREEZE.
AND THEY WILL ROTATE THROUGH THE CLOUDS, AND WHAT MAKES THEM
ROTATE ARE CALLED UPDRAFTS AND DOWNDRAFTS.
DOWNDRAFTS ARE FORMULATION THAT IS COME DOWN THROUGH THE CLOUD,
AND UPDRAFTS ARE ONES THAT BRING IT BACK UP IN THE CLOUD.
NOW, THE STRONGER THE THUNDERSTORM IS, THE STRONGER
THE UPDRAFT.
SO, IF THOSE UPDRAFTS ARE STRONG, IT DOES NOT LET THAT
DROPLET FALL.
IT KEEPS BRINGING IT BACK UP INTO THE CLOUD, AND THEN WHEN IT
TRIES TO FALL DOWN AGAIN, IT SUCKS IT BACK UP, AND EVERY TIME
IT GOES AROUND, IT COLLECTS MORE AND MORE AND MORE AND MORE ICE.
AND IT BUILDS AND BUILDS AND BUILDS, AND FINALLY, IT'S TOO
HEAVY, AND IT DOES FALL OUT OF THE CLOUD, AND THAT'S HOW WE GET
HAIL.
SO, THE BIGGER THE HAIL, THE STRONGER THE UPDRAFT, AND THE
STRONGER THE THUNDERSTORM.
>> HI, I AM BRYCE, I AM IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
MY QUESTION IS -- WHAT, WHAT DOES A, A WIND CHILL MEAN.
>> OH, WIND CHILL, GREAT QUESTION.
WIND CHILL, ACTUALLY, IS THE RATE OF HEAT LOST FROM THE SKIN.
IT'S A FACTOR THAT REALLY HAS TO DO WITH THE AMOUNT OF HEAT
THAT'S LOST FROM THE BODY RATHER THAN A WIND CHILL TEMPERATURE,
BUT THERE IS A FORMULA THAT WE PLUG IN THE WIND SPEEDS AND THE
TEMPERATURE, TO GET WHAT'S CALLED A WIND CHILL READING.
ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS TO KNOW IS THAT, THAT THERE REALLY ISN'T
A WIND CHILL, IF YOU ARE, IF YOUR EXPOSED SKIN IS COVERED,
SO, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE YOUR EXPOSED
SKIN COVERED AND DANGEROUS, COLD CONDITIONS.
>> JACKSON WOULD LIKE TO KNOW -- CAN WE HAVE 100% HUMIDITY?
>> YES, WE CAN.
AND WE DO.
WE SEE 100% HUMIDITY QUITE OFTEN HERE IN IDAHO, ESPECIALLY IN THE
WINTERTIME WHEN WE SEE OUR FOG.
100% HUMIDITY MEANS THAT'S AS MUCH MOISTURE AS THE ATMOSPHERE
CAN HOLD AND WHEN IT CAN'T HOLD ANY MORE IT HAS TO START
CONDENSING OUT AS WATER DROPLETS.
WHEN WE SEE THE WATER DROPLETS AS FOG OR MIST, SO IN THE WINTER
TIME HERE, WHEN WE GET COLD AND THE COLD AIR IS TRAPPED IN THE
TREASURE VALLEY HERE IN SOUTHERN IDAHO, AND WE SEE THAT
TEMPERATURE DROP, AND WE SEE THAT WATER CONDENSE OUT AS WATER
DROPLETS, THAT'S 100% RELATIVE HUMIDITY, AND THAT IS A CLOUD.
WELL, FOG, WHICH IS A CLOUD ON THE GROUND.
>> FORECASTING THE WEATHER IS HARD TO DO.
LET'S LEARN HOW METEOROLOGISTS HERE AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE OFFICE GATHER INFORMATION SO THEY CAN PREDICT
IF IT WILL RAIN TOMORROW.
>> WE USE A FUNNEL.
AND WE FUNNEL THE RAIN FROM A BIGGER CIRCLE DOWN INTO A
SMALLER CIRCLE, AND THEN WE CAN MEASURE IT THAT WAY, SO THIS IS
A FUNNEL THAT WE USE, THIS IS AN EIGHT-INCH GAUGE.
AND THE AREA OF THIS CIRCLE IS TEN TIMES BIGGER THAN THE AREA
OF THIS CIRCLE.
SO, IF WE COLLECT RAINFALL, IN THIS CIRCLE, AND WE HAVE IT
FUNNEL INTO THIS CIRCLE HERE, WELL, THEN IF I GET WHAT WOULD
NORMALLY BE A NORMAL RULER IN A JAR MEASURING RAINFALL TO ONE
INCH, WE WOULD GET IT HERE, SO ONE INCH WOULD GET MAGNIFIED IN
THIS TUBE, UP TO THIS HEIGHT HERE.
SO, WE COULD STICK THIS RULER IN HERE, AND IT WOULD COME OUT, AND
WE WOULD SEE IT WOULD BE WETTED ALL THE WAY UP TO THIS POINT
HERE FOR ONE INCH OF RAINFALL, AND .01, OF AN INCH, IT WOULD BE
IMPOSSIBLE TO READ ON A NORMAL RURAL, ENDS UP BEING BIGGER
HERE, CERTAINLY BIGGER THAT YOU COULD SEE IN ONE OF THOSE MARKS
THERE.
EACH ONE OF THOSE IS .01 OF AN INCH.
>> WHY DO YOU NEED TO KNOW HOW MUCH IT RAINS?
>> WELL, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN KNOWING HOW MUCH
THE RAIN IS AND WHY.
A FARMER NEEDS TO KNOW HOW MUCH RAIN HE'S GOING TO GET TO KNOW
HOW MUCH WATER HE MIGHT NEED TO ADD FOR HIS CROPS.
BECAUSE HE'S GOT TO IRRIGATE FOR WHATEVER AMOUNT THAT MOTHER
NATURE DOESN'T GIVE HIM IN THE WAY OF RAINFALL.
THE RIVERS ARE GOING TO RISE, DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH RAINFALL
WE GET.
AND THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE WHO LIVE ALONG RIVERS.
AND THOSE WHO OPERATE THE DAMS, ESPECIALLY IN THE SPRINGTIME,
WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH WATER TO HOLD BACK FOR SUMMER IRRIGATION,
SO MEASURING THE RAINFALL, KNOWING EXACTLY HOW MUCH WE GOT
MAKES A LOT OF DIFFERENCE FOR AGRICULTURE, OTHER BUSINESSES,
AND PERSONS WHO, WHO DO A LOT OF THE, THE OPERATIONS OF DAMS AND
OTHER THINGS IN THE AREA.
>> THIS IS A WEIGHING RAIN GAUGE, AND THIS WORKS LIKE YOUR
BATHROOM SCALE.
INSTEAD OF WEIGHING PEOPLE, IT'S WEIGHING WATER.
IT HAS A CERTAIN VOLUME OF WATER, ALWAYS WEIGHS THE SAME.
WE CAN WEIGH THE WATER INSTEAD OF MEASURING THE DEPTH OF IT,
AND FROM THAT WE CAN CONVERT AND FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH THE RAIN
ACTUALLY WAS.
>> WHAT DO YOU DO WITH ALL OF THIS INFORMATION?
>> THE METEOROLOGIST USES IN INFORMATION FOR A LOT OF THINGS.
FIRST OF ALL, WE FORECAST HOW MUCH RAINFALL WE EXPECT TO HAVE
OCCUR BECAUSE PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW THAT.
AND SO, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO A GOOD JOB IN OUR WEATHER
FORECASTING.
SO, WE, WE WANT TO KNOW THAT INFORMATION OURSELVES, SO THE
NEXT TIME THAT THERE IS A STORM EVENT COMING, WE CAN DO A BETTER
JOB.
>> HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING ABOVE THE GROUND?
>> THE WAY WE FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE,
IS TO USE AN INSTRUMENT ATTACHED TO A WEATHER BALLOON.
THIS IS WHAT WE CALL A RADIO-SON, A MINI WEATHER
STATION IN A BOX.
AND INSIDE THIS BOX, IS A THERMOMETER, A HUMIDITY SENSOR,
AND A PRESSURE SENSOR, AND A RADIO TRANSMITTER.
AND THE RADIO TRANSMITTER IS, IS SENDING BACK SIGNALS OF WHAT
THIS TRUE IS MEASURING AS IT IS BEING PULLED UP BY A WEATHER
BALLOON.
>> SCIENTISTS INSIDE THE WEATHER STATION, CAN TRACK THE
INFORMATION BEING SENT BACK BY THE WEATHER BALLOON.
>> THIS IS A PLOT.
HAVE YOU EVER DONE A IMRAF IN SCHOOL?
GRAPH ANY DATA IN MATH OR SCIENCE?
YEAH.
>> WELL, THAT'S WHAT THIS IS.
THIS IS HEIGHT ALONG THIS AXIS.
THIS IS TEMPERATURE ALONG THIS AXIS.
SO, THIS IS A MEASURE OF THE TEMPERATURE AS THE BALLOON WENT
UP THIS MORNING, AND THIS IS THE MEASURE OF THE DEWPOINT
TEMPERATURE OR HOW IT MEASURES THE HUMIDITY, HOW MUCH MOISTURE
THERE IS IN THE AIR.
AT FIRST THE INSTRUMENT WAS MEASURING WARMER AND WARMER
TEMPERATURES AS IT FIRST WENT UP, UNTIL IT GOT TO THIS POINT,
AND THEN AS THE BALLOON KEPT GOING UP, IT GOT COLDER AND
COLDER.
>> SO METEOROLOGISTS TAKE ALL THIS INFORMATION, GATHERED WITH
RAIN GAUGES, WEATHER BALLOONS, AND EVEN INFRARED SATELLITE
IMAGES, AND THEN THEY TRY TO PREDICT WHAT WILL HAPPEN THE
NEXT DAY OR WEEK OR EVEN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
THEY COMPARE WHAT THEY PREDICTED WITH WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED, AND
USE THAT INFORMATION TO DO A BETTER JOB OF FORECASTING THE
WEATHER THE NEXT TIME.
>> I AM MISSY AND I GO TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
MY QUESTION IS -- WHAT IS A COLD FRONT?
>> A FRONT OF ANY TIME IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TWO DIFFERENT
AIR MASSES.
AND THE AIR MASSES WILL HAVE DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES,
DIFFERENT DENSITIES, AND DIFFERENT PRESSURES.
AND SO, A COLD FRONT WOULD BE AN AIR MASS WHERE COLD AIR IS
INVADING, SO THE NAME OF THE FRONT IS THE AIR MASS THAT'S
INVADING.
SO, IF YOU HAVE A WARM FRONT, WARM AIR IS INVADING, IF YOU
HAVE A COLD FRONT, COLD AIR IS INVADING.
AND IF YOU HAVE A STATIONARY FRONT, THAT MEANS BOTH OF THE
AIR MASSES ARE FIGHTING EACH OTHER, AND NEITHER ONE OF THEM
IS WINNING, AND THEREFORE, THE FRONT IS STATIONERY.
SO, WHEN A COLD FRONT COMES THROUGH, WHAT USUALLY HAPPENS?
OUR TEMPERATURES TURN COLDER, AND IT'S BROUGHT ON BY WINDS AND
SOMETIMES, SOME RAIN OR SNOW, AS WELL.
>> RACHAEL ASKS -- HOW MUCH RAIN CAN IDAHO GET?
>> DEPENDS ON THE STORM.
IT DEPENDS ON THE WEATHER SYSTEM.
AVERAGE PRECIPITATION BOISE, JUST AROUND 11.73 INCHES DURING
THE YEAR.
SOME YEARS, IT'S A LOT MORE, SOME YEARS IT'S A LOT LESS.
THAT'S WHY WE GET THE AVERAGES.
25.80 INCHES WAS THE WETTEST THAT BOISE RECEIVED IN 1800s,
LATE 1800s, SO AS YOU COULD SEE, THOSE, THOSE AT TIMES, ARE
WHERE WE GET A LOT OF RAIN COMING THROUGH, AND IT ALL
DEPENDS ON WHERE THE JET STREAM GOES, FOR EACH, EACH STORM TO
REALLY DUMP A LOT OF RAIN IN THE AREA.
SO, SOMETIMES, NORTHERN IDAHO WILL GET A LOT OF PRECIPITATION,
AND SOUTHERN IDAHO, NOT SO MUCH.
AND CENTRAL IDAHO, KIND OF IN BETWEEN, AND SOMETIMES, IT'S,
IT'S THE REVERSE, WHERE SOUTHERN IDAHO WILL GET A LOT OF HEAVY
RAIN, AND CENTRAL AND NORTHERN IDAHO WON'T GET ANY AT ALL.
SO, IT COMES DOWN TO THE OVERALL KIND OF GOVERNING WEATHER
PATTERN IN PLACE AT THE TIME.
>> ANDREW WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, HOW MANY LIGHTNING STRIKES CAUSE
FIRES IN A MONTH?
>> WELL, IT'S HARD TO SAY IN A GIVEN MONTH BECAUSE IT ALL
DEPENDS ON WHAT THE WEATHER PATTERN IS AT THE TIME.
BUT LET'S TAKE IT DOWN A BIT SMALLER AND MAYBE TALK ABOUT A
DAY.
A DAY WHERE WE HAVE A LOT OF THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY COMING
THROUGH AN AREA, AND THERE IS A LOT OF THUNDERSTORMS THAT
DEVELOP, AND YOU CAN GET THOUSANDS OF LIGHTNING STRIKES
THAT COME OUT OF THOSE THUNDERSTORMS.
AND IF THE SURFACE AND THE VEGETATION, SUCH AS GRASS OR
BRUSH OR TREES, IS REALLY DRY, IT HASN'T HAD ANY RAIN IN QUITE
A WHILE, BUT WHEN THE LIGHTNING STRIKES COME DOWN THEY CAN START
FIRES, AND WE HAVE SEEN HUNDREDS, 300 TO 500 FIRES GET
STARTED IN A SINGLE DAY BY A BIG THUNDERSTORM EPISODE COMING OVER
A DRY AREA.
AND THIS HAPPENS IN THE SUMMERTIME, BECAUSE THAT'S
TYPICALLY WHEN OUR VEGETATION IS THE DRIEST AND ALSO WITH THE
HEAT AND WARMING AND DRYING, AND WE DON'T TYPICALLY SEE IT AS
MUCH IN THE WINTERTIME IN THIS AREA OF THE COUNTRY UP HERE IN
IDAHO BUT PLACES SUCH AS CALIFORNIA, TEXAS, AND THE
SOUTHERN PARTS OF THE U.S., THEY CAN SEE FIRE ACTIVITY ANY TIME
OF YEAR.
>> DYLON WANTS TO KNOW, WHY IS HUMIDITY IMPORTANT?
>> HUMIDITY PLAYS A BIG PART IN OUR LIFESTYLE FOR A NUMBER OF
DIFFERENT FACETS.
NUMBER ONE, IN THE WINTER, OF COURSE, WE NEED THE RAIN, THE
SNOW, FOR THE MOUNTAINS.
THAT GIVES US GOOD WATER FOR THE YEAR, AND IN THE SUMMER, THAT
HUMIDITY DROPS CONSIDERABLY.
AND THEN, WE NEED SOME, SOME RAIN TO COME EVERY NOW AND THEN
PERIODICALLY IN THE SUMMER, AND WE GET THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT.
AND THOSE THUNDERSTORMS WELL, WE NEED TO FACTOR IN THE HUMIDITY,
TO SEE WHERE THEY ARE GOING TO FORM.
THAT CAUSES LIGHTNING, WHICH COULD CAUSE FIRE STARTS, SO FROM
THE WEATHER PERSPECTIVE, OR THE STANDPOINT OF SAFETY, HUMIDITY
IS A LOT MORE IMPORTANT THAN IT GETS MENTIONED.
>> I GO TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN BOISE.
MY QUESTION IS -- HOW DO TORNADOES SPIN.
>> TORNADOES SPIN DUE TO DIFFERENCES IN WIND SPEED.
SO, AS YOU GET UP HIGHER IN THE ATMOSPHERE, WHEN THERE IS STORMY
CONDITIONS, A LOT OF TIMES THE WINDS WILL BE HIGHER, AND AT THE
HIGHER LEVELS, AND AS YOU GET DOWN TO THE SURFACE WE HAVE
WHAT'S CALLED FRICTION.
AND THE WINDS WILL RUN INTO THINGS LIKE BUILDINGS AND
SURFACE CONDITIONS AND TREES AND ALL THOSE THINGS, AND IT SLOWS
DOWN THE WIND.
IF YOU HAVE SLOW WINDS HERE, AND FAST WINDS HERE, YOU ARE GOING
TO START TO GET THIS ROTATION EFFECT THAT'S GOING TO GO THIS
WAY.
AND THEN WE HAVE WHAT'S CALLED UPDRAFTS AND THUNDERSTORMS.
AND THAT'S THE AIR THAT GETS SUCKED UP INTO THE THUNDERSTORM.
THE STRONGER THE THUNDERSTORM, THE STRONGER THE UPDRAFT.
SO, YOU GET THIS SPINNING OF THE AIR, AND YOU GET AN UPDRAFT, AND
THE SPINNING TURNS.
AND IT GETS STRONGER, AND STRONGER AND STRONGER, AND YOU
GET A TORNADO TO FORM AND COME DOWN TO THE SURFACE.
>> HI.
I GO TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND MY QUESTION IS -- HOW IS LIGHTNING MA I HAD.
>> THE WAY THAT WE SEE LIGHTNING KIND OF FORM IN THE ATMOSPHERE,
YOU THINK OF POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE PROTONS AND ELECTRONS.
THE WHOLE SURFACE OF THE EARTH, BASICALLY, IS A POSITIVELY
CHARGED KIND OF ENTITY.
SO WHEN YOU ARE STANDING ON THE GROUND, YOU ARE A POSITIVE
CHARGE, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT.
AND A NEGATIVE CHARGE, REALLY LOVE TO GET TOGETHER WITH
POSITIVE CHARGES.
SO, THEY KIND OF INVISIBLY COME DOWN FROM A THUNDERSTORM OR A
CLOUD, AND THEY ARE LOOKING FOR A POSITIVE CHARGE.
SO, THIS INVISIBLE PATH GOES ALL OVER THE PLACE IN THE
ATMOSPHERE.
BUT, WHEN IT COMES IN CONTACT TO A POSITIVE CHARGE, AT THE
GROUND, THAT LITTLE CHANNEL, THAT WAS MADE, ALLOWS ALL THAT,
THAT POSITIVE ENERGY TO RUSH OUT FROM THE GROUND TO THE CLOUD,
AND THAT, WHAT YOU SEE IS THAT BRIGHT WHITE LIGHT, AND THAT IS
WHAT MAKES LIGHTNING.
>> HI, I AM TYLER.
I GO TO LIBERTY ELEMENTARY, AND MY QUESTION IS -- HOW DOES A
RAINBOW FORM?
>> RAINBOWS ARE GORGEOUS, AREN'T THEY?
ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL.
AND IT'S ONE OF NATURE'S WAYS OF TELLING US, HOW BEAUTIFUL THE,
THE WORLD REALLY IS AND HOW NATURE IS.
RAINBOWS ARE FORMED, THOUGH, WITH WATER DROPLETS.
AND IT'S FORMED WITH LIGHT PASSING THROUGH WATER DROPLETS,
SO, THAT'S WHY YOU SEE RAINBOWS ON DAYS WHERE IT'S SUNNY, AND
BUT IT'S ALSO RAINING.
AND SO, YOU GET THE RAIN THAT PASSES WITH THE CLOUDS, AND THE
SUN COMES OUT, AND SHINES THROUGH THE WATER DROPLETS IN
THE AIR AND PRODUCES THE BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL RAINBOWS,
AND EVEN SOME DAYS, WE GET DOUBLE RAINBOWS AND YOU WILL
NOTICE THAT THE SECOND ONE IS, ACTUALLY, REVERSED.
OF THE FIRST ONE.
IN COLORS.
>> BEFORE WE RUN OUT OF TIME, WHY DID YOU DECIDE YOU WANTED TO
PICK A JOB THAT DEALS WITH WEATHER?
>> GREAT QUESTION.
I WAS NINE YEARS OLD, IN 1978.
AND AS YOU GOOGLE THE BLIZZARD OF 1978, I GREW UP IN RHODE
ISLAND.
BORN AND RAISED THERE.
SMALL TOWN JUST OUTSIDE OF PROVIDENCE.
THE BLIZZARD OF 1978, FOR RHODE ISLAND DUMPED CLOSE TO 60 INCHES
OF SNOW IN 24 HOURS.
LITERALLY, CARS WERE GONE.
SWINGSETS WERE GONE, THE TOPS OF THEM.
IT WAS THE MOST AMAZING THING THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN.
WE COULD NOT GET OUT OF THE DOOR OF THE HOUSES BECAUSE THE SNOW
DRIFTS WERE SO HIGH, FROM THAT TIME MY GRANDFATHER, MY WHOLE
FAMILY, THEY ARE WEATHER NUTS.
THEY CALL UP WHENEVER THERE IS A SNOW STORM, GET YOU ALL EXCITED,
AND NO SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A RADIO ON.
SO, I ALWAYS LIKED WEATHER.
AND AS I STARTED GETTING OLDER I LEARNED THAT I WAS PRETTY GOOD
AT MATH AND SCIENCE.
AND, AND IT JUST HAPPENED, AND I STARTED TAKING THE MATH I NEEDED
TO GET INTO IT, AND THEN ONE THING LED TO ANOTHER, AND I WAS
INTERNING AT A TV STATION, AND I LIKED THE TV SIDE OF IT.
I GOT TO WORK AT THE WEATHER CHANNEL, I GOT TO WORK AFTER THE
SOME OF THE GREAT PLACES, AND I JUST LOVE IT NOW.
SO, IT'S BEEN INBRED IN ME SINCE I WAS NINE.
>> AND ROBYN, IF SOMEONE IS INTERESTED IN STUDYING THE
WEATHER FOR A JOB, WHAT SHOULD HE OR SHE STUDY IN SCHOOL?
>> WELL, IT TAKES A LOT OF MATH AND A LOT OF SCIENCE.
PHYSICS AND THOSE TYPES OF SCIENCES TO, TO UNDERSTAND THE
WEATHER AND TO UNDERSTAND THE MECHANISMS IN THE ATMOSPHERE
THAT CREATE THE WEATHER THAT WE HAVE.
SO, IF YOU LIKE SCIENCE, AND YOU LIKE MATH, AND YOU LIKE WEATHER,
PERHAPS THIS IS THE FIELD FOR YOU.
>> ROBYN, VIN, I AM SORRY, WE HAVE RUN OUT OF TIME, BUT I
APPRECIATE YOU ANSWER THE STUDENTS' QUESTIONS.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT WHAT
WE LOVE.
>> AND THANK YOU, ALSO, TO THE FOLKS AT NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE FOR HOSTING US.
YOU CAN LEARN LOTS MORE ABOUT WEATHER ON THE SCIENCE TREK
WEBSITE.
WE'LL ANSWER MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WEATHER ON SCIENCE
TREK, THE WEB SHOW, AND IF YOU WANT TO SUBMIT A QUESTION FOR
SCIENCE TREK, IT'S EASY.
YOU AND YOUR CLASS CAN WIN PRIZES.
YOU CAN SEND US AN EMAIL OR A VIDEO QUESTION.
RECORD IT ON THE WEB CAM OR CELL PHONE.
AND IF YOU ARE AN EDUCATEOR, WE'LL LEND YOU A CAMERA, THE
LAST WINNER WAS RACHAEL IN MRS. LINDQUIST'S CLASS IN IDAHO
CITY.
SO TO FIND OUT ARCHBISHOP WEATHER, HOW TO SEND YOUR
QUESTIONS AND WIN, GO TO THE SCIENCE TREK WEBSITE.
AND EACH WEEK, CHECK OUT MY BLOG FOR THE LATEST SCIENCE NEWS FOR
KIDS.
YOU WILL FIND IT ALL AT:
THANKS FOR JOINING US.
WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME ON SCIENCE TREK.
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