science

• Weather


  The condition of the atmosphere in an area at a specific time
• Climate


  A long-term weather pattern, the average weather over many years in one specific place
• Weather systems


  • Air masses
  • Fronts
  • Thunderstorms
  • Tornadoes
  • Cyclones
  • Hurricanes

  
• Air pressure


  The force exerted by air molecules on the surface of Earth, differences in air pressures are due to the uneven heating of the surface
• Vertical heat transport


  Causes vertical air current which becomes clouds and thunderstorms
• Horizontal heat transport


  Causes temperature difference in tropical areas and higher latitude areas causing storms
• Air mass


  A large region of the atmosphere which share similar characteristics of its given area
• Types of air masses


  • Maritime air masses
  • Continental air masses
• Maritime air masses


  • Originate from a sea or ocean and are characterized as moist
• Continental air masses


  • Come from land and are relatively dry
• Air masses


  • Temperature
  • Moisture
• Warm air


  Rises and creates low pressure area
• Cold air


  Sinks and creates high pressure area
• Weather fronts


  The difference in pressure makes air move from high to low pressure areas which then creates wind, formed when two air masses of different densities meet
• Types of weather fronts


  • Cold front
  • Warm front
• Cold front


  • Occurs when a cold air mass replaces a warm air mass, brings thunderstorms
• Warm front


  • Occurs in reverse of the occurrence of a cold front, brings gentle rain or light snow, followed by warmer, milder weather
• Thunderstorms


  A weather system where lightning and thunder are produced, formed when warm air moves upward to an altitude of about 15 km

  
• Lightning


  The result of friction between the electrical charges created by the rise and fall of air
• Thunder


  The loud sound produced as lightning strikes, when the surrounding air heats up

  
• Tornado


  Narrow and funnel-shaped spirals of wind which rotate rapidly, with rotation speeds up to 500 kph due to the extreme difference in pressure

  
• Tornado


  • Categorized by the Fujita intensity scale based on wind speed and degree of destruction

  
• Cyclone


  A large and violent whirlwind observed in different parts of Earth, tropical areas use the term tropical cyclones
• Categories of cyclones based on wind speed

  • Tropical depression (61 kph)
  • Tropical storm (62-88 kph)
  • Severe tropical storm (89-117 kph)
  • Typhoon (118 kph)
  • Super typhoon (200 kph)
• Cyclones


  • Water vapor from oceans and seas serves as a source of energy, born over bodies of water and die over landmasses
• Weather systems in the Philippines

  • Typhoons
  • Breezes
  • Monsoons
  • Intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ)
• Breezes


  Winds which blow onto the shore from the sea during daytime and away from the shore during nighttime
• Types of breezes


  • Land breeze
  • Sea breeze
• Sea breeze


  • At daytime, warm air rises and the cooler air above sea moves towards land
• Land breeze


  • At nighttime, the wind blows from land to sea because the air over the sea is now warmer
• Monsoon


  A breeze in a larger scale, stronger than ordinary breezes as they are formed by high temperatures in coastal areas
• Monsoons in the Philippines


  • Hanging amihan (northeast monsoon)
  • Hanging habagat (southwest monsoon)
• Hanging amihan


  • Brings cold air in Oct. to Feb.
• Hanging habagat


  • Causes rains and storms in May to Sept.
• Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)


  The group of clouds which bring weak to moderate rains and few thunderstorms, forms due to the clashing winds coming from the Northern and Southern Hemisphere
• ITCZ


  Moves north in the Northern Hemisphere during summer and south during the cold season, responsible for the wet and dry seasons in countries near the equator
• El Niño


  A Spanish term for The Little Boy or Christ Child, characterized by unusual and periodic warming of the sea surface
• La Niña


  Characterized by unusually cold temperatures of the oceans and seas around the equatorial region, the cold phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle
• La Niña in the Philippines


  • Characterized by prolonged periods of rain which causes floods and landslides