Weather tracking report

A weather tracking report brings together everything you know about the atmosphere: the difference between weather and climate, how water moves through the environment, the major climate zones of Earth, and the tools scientists use to measure weather conditions.

Weather vs Climate

• Weather is the short-term state of the atmosphere at a specific place and time — it can change hour by hour.
• Climate is the average weather pattern of a region over a long period of time (30+ years).
• Example: a rainy day in a desert is weather; the desert receiving very little rain overall is its climate.

The Water Cycle

1. Evaporation — heat from the sun turns liquid water (oceans, lakes, rivers) into water vapor that rises into the air.
2. Condensation — as water vapor rises and cools, it changes back into tiny water droplets forming clouds.
3. Precipitation — when water droplets in clouds combine and become heavy enough, they fall as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
4. Collection — precipitation collects in oceans, lakes, rivers, and groundwater, and the cycle begins again.

Climate Zones

• Tropical zone — near the equator; hot and wet all year round.
• Temperate zone — between the tropics and the poles; four seasons with mild summers and cool winters.
• Polar zone — near the North and South Poles; very cold with little precipitation, mostly ice and snow.

Weather Measurement Instruments

• Thermometer — measures air temperature in degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit.
• Barometer — measures atmospheric pressure; falling pressure often means rain is coming.
• Anemometer — measures wind speed.
• Rain gauge — measures the amount of precipitation that falls.
• Weather vane — shows the direction from which the wind is blowing.