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While the Clausius-Clapeyron equation is very important as it determines the saturation vapour pressure, in practice it is replaced by empirical, typically Magnus-type, equations which are more accurate. It is shown that the reduced accuracy reflects an inconsistent assumption that the latent heat of vaporization is constant. Not only is this assumption unnecessary and excessive, but it is also contradictory to entropy maximization. There is an additional erroneous assumption for the derivation of the Clausius-Clapeyron equation, related to the equality of chemical potentials of the two phases, which does not affect the final result but puts into question the logical coherence of the equation's derivation. Removing these assumptions and using a pure entropy maximization framework we obtain a simple closed solution which is both theoretically consistent and accurate. Our discussion and derivation are relevant to students and specialists in statistical thermophysics and in geophysical sciences, and our results are ready for practical application in physics as well as in such disciplines as hydrology, meteorology and climatology. (Contains 1 table and 3 figures.)

The U.S. weather radar network is currently being upgraded with dual-polarization capability. Weather radar polarimetry is an interdisciplinary area of engineering and meteorology. This paper presents efficient ways to learn weather radar polarimetry through several basic and practical topics. These topics include: 1) hydrometeor scattering model and calculation of radar variables; 2) characteristics of polarimetric radar measurements and radar echo classification; and 3) rain microphysics retrieval. The supporting files, data, codes, and results are provided on the Web site http://arrc.ou.edu/[approximately]guzhang/Polarimetry/main.html. The study modules provide hands-on experience in the area of weather radar polarimetry and related fields. (Contains 3 tables and 6 figures.)

This article describes a multi-class project that employs statistical computing and writing in a statistics class. Three courses, General Ecology, Meteorology, and Introductory Statistics, cooperated on a project for the EPA's Student Design Competition. The continuing investigation has also spawned several undergraduate research projects in science. (Contains 2 figures.)

The simple hand-held infrared thermometer can be used to measure the temperature of surfaces of different reflectivity exposed to sunlight and wind. From four temperature measurements of black and white panels in windy and wind-sheltered conditions, together with the two wind speed measurements, both the flux of incident solar radiation and the heat transfer coefficient for the panel surface can be deduced. (Contains 2 figures, 2 tables, and 2 footnotes.)

A simple wind speed measurement device, a paper anemometer, is fabricated based on the theory of standing waves. In providing the working profile of the paper anemometer, an experimental device is established, which consists of an anemometer sensor, a sound sensor, a microphone, paper strips, a paper cup, and sonic acquisition software. It shows that the sound wave detected in the paper cup has a larger amplitude and the noise is depressed, though the frequency of the sound is twice that detected directly from the strip. From the experiments, we find that the frequency of the sonic wave does not change with wind speed; however, its amplitude increases with wind speed. To predict the wind speed, a correlation is established from the sound wave amplitude. (Contains 8 figures and 1 table.)

The Moon can only be seen at night, electricity only comes from batteries, and dinosaurs and cavemen lived at the same time--these are just a few of the misconceptions students have about science (Phillips 1991). Though instructional labs, demonstrations, and textbooks can alter misunderstandings for a quiz or test, students often revert back to their prior misconceptions of science (Atwood and Atwood 1996; NRC 1996; Dove 1998). This article describes an inquiry-oriented activity the author created to challenge students' alternate conceptions of the seasons and facilitate their adoption of a more accepted scientific theory. (Contains 3 figures and 4 online resources.)

This paper explores the rhetorical basis of a major paradigm change in meteorology, from a focus on inductive observation to deductive, mathematical reasoning. Analysis of Cleveland Abbe's "The Physical Basis of Long-Range Weather Forecasts" demonstrates how in his advocacy for a new paradigm, Abbe navigates the tension between piety to tradition and dissent necessary for innovation through the rhetorical imagination of and appeal to a disciplinary telos. This strategy allows him to dismiss the traditions of meteorology while simultaneously creating common ground between a new paradigm and an audience of contemporary scientists whose traditions he rejects. (Contains 82 notes.)

The purpose of climate classification is to help make order of the seemingly endless spatial distribution of climates. The Koppen classification system in a modified format is the most widely applied system in use today. This system may not be the best nor most complete climate classification that can be conceived, but it has gained widespread application and acceptance during the century since it was introduced. Koppen's classification system is applicable to global climate classification. The authors' experience shows students struggle with temperature and precipitation distribution and applying these data to the several combinations of descriptive letters in the Koppen system. The authors' students have successfully utilized the dichotomous key introduced in this article for several years. It seems to overcome the aforementioned problems and simplifies the overall classification process. (Contains 2 tables and 4 figures.)

Many people use wind to help meet their needs. Over the years, people have been able to harness or capture the wind in many different ways. More recently, people have seen the rebirth of electricity-generating wind turbines. Thus, the age-old argument about technology being either good or bad can also be applied to the wind. The wind can be a hazard or an asset. One situation where the wind is viewed as an asset is when it serves as a free energy resource, but to take advantage of this, there is some basic information that must be known about the wind and how to prospect for it. This article introduces the concept of wind prospecting and presents ideas on how it could be taught in the technology and engineering classroom. (Contains 5 figures.)

As part of its National Science and Engineering Week activities in 2009 and 2010, the University of Reading organised two open days for 60 local key stage 4 pupils. The theme of both open days was "How do we predict weather and climate?" Making use of the students' familiarity with weather and climate, several concepts of relevance to secondary science were investigated. The open days also provided an opportunity for more than 30 research staff from the university to interact with the students. Feedback from students and teachers was extremely positive. This article shows how meteorological science can be used to illustrate elements of the secondary science and mathematics curricula. (Contains 4 figures.)

This study developed two testing devices, namely the animation-based test (ABT) and the graphic-based test (GBT) in the area of earth sciences covering four domains that ranged from astronomy, meteorology, oceanography to geology. Both the students' achievements of and their attitudes toward ABT compared to GBT were investigated. The purposes of this study were fourfold as follows: (1) to examine the validity and the reliability of ABT, (2) to compare the difference of ABT and GBT in student achievements, (3) to investigate the impact of ABT versus GBT on student achievements with different levels of prior knowledge and (4) to explore the ABT participants' attitudes toward ABT in comparison with GBT. A total of 314 students, divided into two groups, participated in the study. Upon completion of the test, the students who took the ABT were given the survey, Attitude toward Animated Assessment Scale (AAAS). The results of the study indicated that ABT was a valid and reliable way of testing. While no significant difference was found between the test formats in student achievements in general, practical significance existed when the study further compared the impact of ABT versus GBT in student achievements with various levels of prior knowledge. It was found that low prior knowledge students performed better in ABT while high prior knowledge students performed better in GBT. Finally, more than 60% of the participants who took ABT were satisfied and held positive attitudes toward ABT.

Students are not exposed to enough real-life data. This paper describes how a community of scholars seeks to remedy this deficiency and gives the pedagogical details of an ongoing project that commenced in the Fall 2004 semester. Fostering deep learning, this multiyear project offers a new active-learning, hands-on interdisciplinary laboratory program in which engineering, geoscience, and meteorology students are encouraged to participate actively. Storms, tornadoes, and hazardous weather cause damage and loss that could be minimized through enhanced radar technologies and longer warning lead times. To study these topics, the program has generated a unique, interdisciplinary research-oriented learning environment that will train future engineers and meteorologists in the full set of competencies needed to take raw radar data and transform them into meaningful interpretations of weather phenomena. (Contains 10 figures.)

Two experiments investigated the effects of characteristic features of concept mapping used for prior knowledge activation. Characteristic demands of concept mapping include connecting lines representing the relationships between concepts and labeling these lines, specifying the type of the semantic relationships. In the first experiment, employing a within-subjects design, 20 psychology students completed a label-provided-lines economics mapping task and then a create-and-label-lines meteorology mapping task or vice versa. The analysis of 40 think-aloud protocols indicated more elaboration processes for the label-provided-lines task than for the create-and-label-lines task. On the other hand, the protocols indicated more model-construction and organization processes in the create-and-label-lines task. The second experiment used the same variation but focused on learning outcomes and perceived self-efficacy as dependent measures. Forty-two psychology students were randomly assigned to either a label-provided-lines mapping task or a create-and-label-lines mapping task. Subsequently, both groups completed a learning phase in a hypertext environment and a posttest. Results showed substantial differences in learning outcomes and perceived self-efficacy in favor of the label-provided-lines prior knowledge activation task. The findings are congruent with coherence effects found in text-comprehension research and support the position that concept mapping should not be seen as a unitary method but be differentiated according to the specific tasks to be completed.

In the atmosphere or on the ground, snow provides students with unique opportunities to discover winter weather patterns. Traditionally, when students study weather, it is limited to the collection of data one would see on a weather report. However, the interdisciplinary Students Synthesizing Snow data in Natural Objective Ways (SSSNOW) project implemented with sixth-grade students involved the collection and synthesis of authentic winter weather data in their school courtyard. Through this, students discovered that the physical properties of snow can be altered due to temperature changes and physical pressure. (Contains 5 figures.)

What happens when children and scientists learn together? A partnership is formed, that's what! This article describes how a university scientist and a teacher teamed up with a local fourth-grade teacher to provide a unique opportunity for students to observe real scientists at work and enhance their knowledge of weather at the same time. The project was designed to raise profile of meteorology in the school curriculum and to demonstrate to students and teachers that physics and mathematics (via meteorology) have great practical importance. Their ultimate goal was to engage and inspire children and young adults in science. The experiences described here were part of that initiative. (Contains 2 online resources.)

The authors introduced polar science in a fourth-grade classroom by means of 3 hands-on activities that addressed (1) the melting of glaciers and ice, (2) the differences between the North and the South Pole, and (3) the geography and landforms of Antarctica. An assessment 4 months after the original activity showed that students remembered the concepts well. The material also applies to places other than the poles and has applications in physics, meteorology, and geography. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)

An important component of student-centered learning is students' ability to connect to their own experiences and to build on their initial perspectives. In this collaborative project, two courses, one in foreign language and one in meteorology, use online postings and threaded discussions to guide the student in a self-study of progress, learning, and confidence. (Contains 2 tables and 1 note.)

This article investigates the impacts of proper modeling of the wake effects and wind speed delays, between different wind turbines' rows, on the dynamic performance accuracy of the wind farms models. Three different modeling scenarios were compared to highlight the impacts of wake effects and wind speed time-delay models. In the first scenario, wind wake effect and time delay are ignored. Consequently, all wind turbines are assumed subjected to the same wind speed profile. The second scenario considers the wind wake effect, and it was modeled by reducing the incident wind speed values by 0.5 m/s from one row to the next row facing the wind. The last scenario, the proposed model, used the wind wake effect model developed for wind turbines micrositting applications and considered the effect of the delay time between the wind speed profiles incident on the different wind turbines' rows. (Contains 17 figures.)

"The Dirty Water Challenge" is a fun activity that teaches children about their environment in an engaging and practical way. Inquiry is embedded within the practical--students have to design, plan, and then build their own design of water filter. Students are exposed to important concepts from a variety of scientific disciplines, including how the water cycle works (geology, meteorology) and the principles behind water filtering (physics, chemistry). This method has been successfully used during units on the water cycle and pollution to teach elementary and lower middle-school classes in an inquiry-based way. (Contains 1 figure, 1 resource and 2 online resources.)

At the start of each school year at Oil City Elementary Magnet School in Oil City, Louisiana, eager students ask, "What's our theme this year?" This curiosity comes from their expectations that they will study a different environmental concept each year. Kindergarten classes learn to "Be a Friend to the Earth," followed by life cycles in the first grade, and continuing through forestry, aquaculture, horticulture, meteorology, and finally habitats in sixth grade. This environmental science focus has not only increased enrollment and produced dramatic increases in test scores but also brought national recognition to the school and staff. (Contains 1 figure, 4 resources and 3 online resources.)

The Jurassic Coast is Britain's only natural World Heritage site, a tangible time-line that takes one through 185 million years of history in 95 miles of coast. It provides individuals with a world-famous educational resource and an unrivalled outdoor classroom that has played a key role in the study of earth sciences. The author is keen to ignite children's wish to learn through the things that interest them, which include dinosaurs, fossils, crystals, caves, landslides, and all the other fascinations that this coast can provide. Many of these fascinations fall within what the author calls the "-ologies": subjects largely ignored by school education, such as geology, archaeology, palaeontology and meteorology. None of these feature in the English National Curriculum, but that doesn't mean they are not relevant and fascinating to children, as the popularity of the film "Jurassic Park" demonstrated. In this article, the author encourages teachers to think outside the constraints of subjects in order to learn science from things that fascinate children. (Contains 5 figures.)

Each year, first graders at Kensington Parkwood Elementary School in Kensington, Maryland, look forward to Fabulous Weather Day. Students learn how meteorologists collect data about the weather, how they study wind, temperature, precipitation, basic types/characteristics of clouds, and how they forecast. The project helps the students grow in their understanding of how the weather works and how it can affect their lives. To allow students to explore and extend their thinking on weather topics, this article presents four different activity sessions: Sun and Clouds, Water Cycle, Wind, and Storms. This article offers an overview of the day, descriptions of the four sessions, and tips to make your own Fabulous Weather Day a success. (Contains 4 resources and 2 online resources.)

Field investigations are not characterized by randomized and manipulated control group experiments; however, most school science and high-stakes tests recognize only this paradigm of investigation. Scientists in astronomy, genetics, field biology, oceanography, geology, and meteorology routinely select naturally occurring events and conditions and look for descriptive, correlative, or causal trends. Field investigations contribute to scientific knowledge by describing natural systems, noting differences in habitats, and identifying environmental trends and issues; they are designed to answer an investigative question through the systematic collection of evidence and the communication of results. This paper describes the range of field investigations conducted by scientists and K-12 students and elaborates a comparative model of three different types of field investigations (descriptive studies, comparative studies, correlative studies). These forms of investigation are more representative of current scientific practice and provide rigorous and engaging inquiry experiences for young learners. (Contains 2 tables.)

The influences of domain-specific meteorological knowledge and general visual-spatial abilities on the comprehension of simple weather maps were examined in a regression-based study involving a sample of participants with relatively low meteorological knowledge and in an experiment involving a contrast between samples of higher- and lower-knowledge participants. Results from the first study indicated that the roles of domain-specific knowledge and visual-spatial abilities for lower-knowledge individuals were strongly influenced by the presence of supporting geographic information (i.e., city locations) in the weather maps being interpreted. Results from the second study underscored the importance of domain-specific meteorological knowledge and map familiarity and, surprisingly, pointed to a single visual-spatial ability (speed of closure) that mediated both of these influences.

The benefits of weather forecasting contests within geography departments are reaffirmed. The greatly increased ease of conducting such contests in the new millennium is stressed. Some of the specifics of the forecasting contest at Salisbury University are discussed. In addition, the advantages of a departmental contest over a national contest are presented, and suggestions for future research are listed.

A two-dimensional weather map is actually a physical representation of three-dimensional atmospheric conditions at a specific point in time. Abstract thinking is required to visualize this two-dimensional image in three-dimensional form. But once that visualization is accomplished, many of the meteorological concepts and processes conveyed by the weather map become easier to understand. In this exercise, students in grades 6-12 build a three-dimensional model of a weather map to visualize and help interpret meteorological concepts and processes occurring at the earth's surface.

The St. Louis Cardinals are scheduled to play their home opener the next day and Megan Riley, a young meteorologist who works for a private weather consulting firm, is responsible for developing the weather forecast. It's looking like she may need to change her prediction from rain to snow. In this interrupted case study, students work in small groups of five students or less to analyze information that they receive in a piecemeal fashion. The students follow the story of a young meteorologist named Megan Riley who works for a private weather consulting firm. Students work in groups to analyze information presented in each part of this interrupted case and decide whether they want to update their forecast: keep it as rain, or revise it to snow.

The goal of this study was to examine the relations among various meteorological conditions, affective states and behavior in young children. Results from past research have revealed many weather effects on behavior and emotions with adult samples. However, there is a paucity of empirical evidence to support this link with children. Thirty-three mothers were asked to rate their children (age 36-70 months) for a one-month period to assess positive and negative affect. Teachers completed questionnaires for the same period to assess internalizing (e.g. anxious), externalizing (e.g. aggressive) and prosocial (e.g. helping) behavior, and data were collected for various weather conditions. Pearson correlation analyses revealed many associations between weather and children?s internalizing, externalizing and prosocial behavior. Furthermore, using a moderated model approach, the interactions between weather (temperature, humidity and amount of sunshine) and children?s affect (positive and negative) were examined in the prediction of social adjustment in preschool. The overall pattern of results revealed that favorable temperature and an increased amount of sunshine promote positive social behaviors in children who are prone to higher levels of negative affect. However, the results also suggest that higher humidity is associated with decreases in prosocial behavior and increases in externalizing behavior in children who typically exhibit positive social adjustment. Findings are related to issues surrounding family functioning, classroom management and peer relations.

Collecting weather data is a traditional part of a meteorology unit at the middle level. However, making connections between the data and weather conditions can be a challenge. One way to make these connections clearer is to enter the data into a database. This allows students to quickly compare different fields of data and recognize which readings are associated with certain types of weather. (Contains 5 figures.)

Atmospheric optical effects can teach much about physics and especially optics. Coronae--coloured rings around the sun or moon--are large-scale consequences of diffraction, which is often thought of as only a small effect confined to the laboratory. We describe coronae, how they are formed and experiments that can be conducted on ones in the sky. Recognizing that this is not always convenient, we show how students can also learn about coronae and thus diffraction from experiments with accurate full-colour computer simulations and laboratory demonstrations.

Foucault's pendulum exhibition in 1851 occurred in an era now known by development of the theorems of Coriolis and the formulation of dynamical meteorology by Ferrel. Yet today the behavior of the pendulum is often misunderstood. The existence of a horizontal component of Newtonian gravitation is essential for understanding the behavior with respect to the stars. Two simple mechanical principles describe why the path of oscillation is fixed only at the poles; the principle of centripetal acceleration and the principle of conservation of angular momentum. A sky map is used to describe the elegant path among the stars produced by these principles.

Volatile organic sulfur compounds (VOSCs) have been assigned environmental roles in global warming, acid precipitation, and cloud formation where two important members dimethyl sulfide (CH3)2 S, DMS, and methanethiol, CH3SH, MT, of VOSC group are involved.

It is said that meteorology is the only profession where a person can be wrong half the time and still keep his or her job. The truth is not quite so bleak, but one can still ask, "Just how accurate are weather forecasters, anyway?" This article presents two projects for middle level students to investigate this issue in a hands-on, active-learning environment. These three-week projects take the form of webquests--inquiry-oriented exercises focusing on analysis, synthesis, and evaluation, for which the Internet is the primary information source (Dodge 1995). The two webquests, "Weather Forecast Showdown" and "As Time Goes By in Weather Forecasting," challenge student groups to find the best weather forecaster (or forecast source, such as a particular newspaper or television network affiliate) in their city. The challenge is met by collecting next-day high temperature forecasts made by different television stations, newspapers, and government sources. Both webquests fit as curriculum supplements to general or Earth science classes, as well as for math classes in which statistical concepts are presented and could be introduced at any point in the class schedule.

Studies effective inquiry tasks through transforming content, scientific thinking, and resources featured in scientists' authentic practices. Investigates how 59 inner-city 6th grade students performed in real-time forecasting situations involving fronts and pressure systems. Results show that real-world situations that closely mapped onto students' content understandings helped students perform inquiry. (Contains 56 references.) (Author/SOE)

This study examined the relation between weather and mothers' perceptions of children's moods. Thirty-three mothers rated their children for 30 days, and these scores were examined for their relation to six weather variables (barometric pressure, humidity, temperature, sunshine hours, precipitation, wind) and daily changes in variables. Results revealed consistent relations between weather variables and children's positive and negative emotions. (TJQ)

Reviews 30 weather-related Web sites, including readability level, under the subjects of air pressure, bad meteorology, clouds, droughts, floods, hurricanes, lightning, seasons, temperature, thunderstorms, tornadoes, water cycle, weather instruments, weather on other planets, and wind. (LRW)