Chapter 17  You should have read and noted this chapter by now so you are responsible for the content. We also created our layers of the atmosphere illustration by graphing the temperature at different altitudes. Additional resources are on the study page.

Chapter 19  You have been working on this content using different websites listed on the study resource page and using the notes outline I provided. Reading through this chapter will provide you with a better undertanding.

Chapter 20 Reading through this chapter will provide you with th basics of how we can predict the weather. You’ll learn about air masses and fronts. Then look at severe weather like Florida’s thunderstorms and hurricanes.

Chapter 18 To understand weather we need to understand the process of moisture cycling in our atmosphere. Some of this will be a review from the beginning of the year when we did the water cycle but there is some new information also. 

Click the image to read the article.

Speaking of El Nino projects, I’m still working on grading all of them; please be patient. I should have all the grades done by Monday. I look through them all first to get an idea of how well you did. Then I grade each one, after which I go back and take a final look before putting grades in Progress Book. Below is an outline of what I’m looking for.

Ocean circulation and how it changes during El Nino. 

• Factors that influence currents: winds, land masses, Coriolis effect
• Normal non-El Nino Pacific currents: strong easterly trade winds, easterly equatorial currents, mounding of warm surface waters in the western Pacific, cold deep water upwelling along South America
• El Nino changes: weak or reversed trade winds, equatorial currents reverse (flow down hill) towards east, central and eastern Pacific warm, western Pacific cools, upwelling ceases.

Relationship between ocean and atmospheric circulation during El Nino:

• Changes in pacific equatorial currents and warming of central and western Pacific affects atmosphereic (Walker Cell) circulation. Normal Walker Cell circulation collapses or reverses, trade winds become weak or blow from the west and warm moist air raises over the central and eastern Pacific causing rains in normally dry areas, low pressure moves east, high pressure takes over west.
• Jet streams move south across US increasing precipitation in the south and making northern US warmer
• Changes in these circulations affect the weather around the globe

Weather impacts in Central Florida:

• Changes to jet stream results in fewer hurricanes due to increase wind shear aloft, hurricanes that do form tend to be pushed more towards the north Atlantic.
• Temperatures do not vary significantly, some slight cooling in winter months of about 2-3°
• Increased cloud cover and rainfall, an additional 10 inches (30%). This may have some negative impacts on crops and tourism, however it helps to recharge the aquifers and reduce the number of brush fires
• Increased likelihood of tornadoes

Relationship between ocean circulation, the aquatic food chain and El Nino:

• During non El nino years upwelling occurs along the west coast of south America. This upwelling brings nutrient rich cold bottom waters to the surface where it helps feed small organisms called phytoplankton. Phytoplankton are producers and form the bottom rung of the ocean food chain.
• During El Nino years the upwelling stops which results in significantly less phytoplankton. The reduced levels of phytoplankton means each level higher up on the food chain will have insufficient food.

How El Nino changes might affect the food chain/production in Florida:

• While El Nino has a significant negative affect on the fishing industry along the west coast of South America, it does not have a significant impact on fishing in Florida. El Nino is an event in the Pacific ocean not the Atlantic. However it may affect imports of certain fish and fish products raising prices due to decreased catch
• El Nino does affect our winter crops in Florida with increased rainfall and reduced sun. Increased rain might delay planting or increase diseases. Different varieties may need to be planted or different planting techniques used. Increased rain may be beneficial to some crops. El Nino even affects cattle raised in Florida, as pasture area is less productive and excessive rain can lead to hoof problems.

About an hour later we were standing on the beach in New Smyrna. Waves were running 5-8 feet and breaking far from the waters edge. A few people played near shore where one minute you were in ankle deep water and the next almost to your waist. The pull of the water as it ran back out to sea was amazing!

Unfortunately later that day the power of the waves took the life of a body surfer in New Smyrna and today waves from the same storm may have claimed more lives in Maine.

I decided to do a quick recap of our discussions about El Nino (actually this includes today and tomorrow). This might help with your notes.

Ocean circulation and how it changes during El Nino. 

• Factors that influence currents: winds, land masses, Coriolis effect
• Normal non-El Nino Pacific currents: strong easterly trade winds, easterly equatorial currents, mounding of warm surface waters in the western Pacific, cold deep water upwelling along South America
• El Nino changes: weak or reversed trade winds, equatorial currents reverse (flow down hill) towards east, central and eastern Pacific warm, western Pacific cools, upwelling ceases.

Relationship between ocean and atmospheric circulation during El Nino:

• Changes in pacific equatorial currents and warming of central and western Pacific affects Walker Cell circulation. Normal Walker Cell circulation collapses and warm moist air raises over the central and eastern Pacific, low pressure moves east.
• Jet streams move south across US
• Changes in these circulations affect the weather around the globe

Weather impacts in Central Florida:

• Changes to jet stream results in fewer hurricanes due to increase wind shear aloft, hurricanes that do form tend to be pushed more towards the north Atlantic.
• Temperatures do not vary significantly, some slight cooling in winter months of about 2-3°
• Increased cloud cover and rainfall, an additional 10 inches (30%). This may have some negative impacts on crops and tourism, however it helps to recharge the aquifers and reduce the number of brush fires
• Increased likelihood of tornadoes

Relationship between ocean circulation, the aquatic food chain and El Nino:

• During non El nino years upwelling occurs along the west coast of south America. This upwelling bring nutrient rich cold bottom waters to the surface where it helps feed small organisms called phytoplankton. Phytoplankton are producers and form the bottom rung of the ocean food chain.
• During El Nino years the upwelling stops which results in significantly less phytoplankton. The reduced levels of phytoplankton means each level higher up on the food chain will have insufficient food.

How El Nino changes might affect the food chain/production in Florida:

• While El Nino has a significant negative affect on the fishing industry along the west coast of South America, it does not have a significant impact on fishing in Florida. El Nino is an event in the Pacific ocean not the Atlantic. However it may affect imports of certain fish and fish products raising prices due to decreased catch
• El Nino does affect our winter crops in Florida with increased rainfall and reduced sun. Increased rain might delay planting or increase diseases. Different varieties may need to be planted or different planting techniques used. El Nino even affects cattle raised in Florida, as pasture area is less productive.

That’s the theme for science this year. Somehow I hope to rekindle the child-like wonder and amazement at the world which surrounds us. Throughout the year I’ll encourage you to wonder — “I wonder why this happens” “I wonder how this works” “I wonder what would happen if”. Then we’ll build the skills to answer those questions.

As I’m writing this and finishing up a re-design of the class website, I wonder what our first week will be like. Currently tropical storm Fay is off the coast of Cuba and computer models predict its path to include Central Florida. Right now classes on Tuesday and Wednesday are questionable. So if there is no school does the learning stop?

• I wonder if tropical storm Fay will turn into a hurricane.
• I wonder what affects the paths of storms.
• I wonder how computers predict the path.
• I wonder what causes storms to strengthen.
• I wonder what you wonder.

Leave me a comment, just click “response” below.

There was no sleigh and reindeer, instead he had a ladder, drill and some clamps, but he was jolly and on the roof top. And now Lakeview finally has their weather station installed.

When you get back to school we’ll have a monitor display in our room that will give us readings from the station — temperature, wind speed/direction, rainfall, humidity and barometric pressure.

First you needed to discuss ocean circulation and how it changes during El Nino. Here’s what I was looking for:

• Factors that influence currents: winds, land masses, Coriolis effect
• Normal non-El Nino Pacific currents: strong easterly trade winds, easterly equatorial currents, mounding of warm surface waters in the western Pacific, cold deep water upwelling along South America
• El Nino changes: weak or reversed trade winds, equatorial currents reverse (flow down hill) towards east, central and eastern Pacific warm, western Pacific cools, upwelling ceases.

Second discuss the relationship between ocean and atmospheric circulation during El Nino:

• Changes in pacific equatorial currents and warming of central and western Pacific affects Walker Cell circulation. Normal Walker Cell circulation collapses and warm moist air raises over the central and eastern Pacific, low pressure moves east.
• Jet streams move south across US
• Changes in these circulations affect the weather around the globe

Next discuss the weather impacts in Central Florida:

• Changes to jet stream results in fewer hurricanes due to increase wind shear aloft, hurricanes that do form tend to be pushed more towards the north Atlantic.
• Temperatures do not vary significantly, some slight cooling in winter months of about 2-3°
• Increased cloud cover and rainfall, an additional 10 inches (30%). This may have some negative impacts on crops and tourism, however it helps to recharge the aquifers and reduce the number of brush fires
• Increased likelihood of tornadoes

Discuss the relationship between ocean circulation, the aquatic food chain and El Nino:

• During non El nino years upwelling occurs along the west coast of south America. This upwelling bring nutrient rich cold bottom waters to the surface where it helps feed small organisms called phytoplankton. Phytoplankton are producers and form the bottom rung of the ocean food chain.
• During El Nino years the upwelling stops which results in significantly less phytoplankton. The reduced levels of phytoplankton means each level higher up on the food chain will have insufficient food.

How El Nino changes might affect the food chain/production in Florida:

• While El Nino has a significant negative affect on the fishing industry along the west coast of South America, it does not have a significant impact on fishing in Florida. El Nino is an event in the Pacific ocean not the Atlantic. However it may affect imports of certain fish and fish products raising prices due to decreased catch
• El Nino does affect our winter crops in Florida with increased rainfall and reduced sun. Increased rain might delay planting or increase diseases. Different varieties may need to be planted or different planting techniques used. El Nino even affects cattle raised in Florida, as pasture area is less productive.

A summary recommendation on whether Florida should or shouldn’t hold a conference on the impacts of El Nino:

• Based on our research I would not recommend a conference on EL Nino since the major impacts to Florida are fairly mild except for increased number of tornadoes and some agricultural impacts. However it would seem reasonable to have some type of meeting to discuss tornado preparedness and public safety. Agricultural issues can be resolved through better forecasting of El Nino events allowing farmers to better plan.

Good accurate presentation of this information would have earned a B. To earn an A requires going beyond what we did in class and adding information from additional resources.

Once installed on the roof a receiver in our classroom will display accurate readings of temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, rainfall and air pressure. We’ll even be able to create a weather page on the web.

1. An Introduction
2. Normal Conditions
3. El Nino Event
   

For a more in depth look go to the Home Study page.