Weather and

Climate
Are weather patterns the same in all parts of
the world?
What is weather? How does it differ from the
term climate?
What is weather?
How does it differ from the term climate?

• Weather- generally refers to the day to day

temperature and precipitation activity in the
atmosphere.
• It describes the interactions of air, water and solar
energy in a specific period of time.
 Meteorology VS. Climatology?
Common Weather Phenomena
• Blizzards
A blizzard is a severe snowstorm characterized
by strong sustained winds of at least 35 mph (56
km/h) and lasting for a prolonged period of
time—typically three hours or more. A ground
blizzard is a weather condition where snow is
not falling but loose snow on the ground is lifted
and blown by strong winds.
Common Weather Phenomena

• Cloud
a thick cloud of tiny water droplets suspended in the
atmosphere at or near the earth's surface that obscures or
restricts visibility (to a greater extent than mist; strictly,
reducing visibility to below 1 km).
 Common Weather Phenomena
• Rain
is liquid water in the form of droplets that have
condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then
precipitated—that is, become heavy enough to fall
under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water
cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh
water on the Earth.
Common Weather Phenomena
• Hail
Hail is a form of solid precipitation. It is distinct from ice
pellets (sleet), though the two are often confused. It
consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which
is called a hailstone.
Common Weather Phenomena
• Snow
Snow pertains to frozen crystalline water throughout
its life cycle, starting when it precipitates from clouds
and accumulates on surfaces, then metamorphoses in
place, and ultimately melts, slides or sublimates away.
Snowstorms organize and develop by feeding on
sources of atmospheric moisture and cold air.
Common Weather Phenomena
• Warm Fronts
A warm front is also defined as the transition zone
where a warmer air mass is replacing a cooler air mass.
Common Weather Phenomena
• Dust Storms
A dust storm is a meteorological phenomenon common
in arid and semi-arid regions. Dust storms arise when a
gust front or other strong wind blows loose sand and
dirt from a dry surface.
 Less Common Events
• Tornado
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that spins
while in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a
cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a
cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as twisters,
whirlwinds or cyclones.
Less Common Events
• Hurricanes
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system
characterized by a low-pressure center, ... A hurricane is
a storm that occurs in the Atlantic Ocean and
Northeastern Pacific Ocean, a typhoon occurs in the
Northwestern Pacific Ocean
 Meteorology
• The interdisciplinary study of the changes in temperature,
moisture, air pressure and wind direction in the troposphere is
called meteorology.
• Meteorology is a scientific study that focuses on the atmosphere
and weather processes including forecasting. Observable weather
events, also known as meteorological phenomena, are included
in the study of meteorology
Four Meteorological Scales
1. Microscale Meteorology
is the study of short-lived atmospheric phenomena smaller than
mesoscale, about 1 km or less. Experts on this scale study the process
that takes place between soil vegetation, and surface water near
ground level. This scale is often linked with chemistry as
meteorologists measure the transfer of heat, gas and liquid between
these surfaces.
Four Meteorological Scales

2. Mesoscale Meteorology
Studies phenomena such as thunderstorms, gap winds,
downslope windstorms, squall line, and land sea breezes that
range in size from a few kilometers to roughly 1,000 kilometers.

3. Synoptic Scale Meteorology

Phenomena such as extra tropical cyclones and their
accompanying fronts and jet streams that cover an area of
several hundred of even thousands of kilometers. Low pressure
and high pressure reported on local weather forecasts are also
classified under this scale.
Four Meteorological Scales

• Global Scale Meteorology

Studies weather patterns related to the transport of
heat, moisture and wind from the tropics to the poles.
An important pattern under study is the global
atmospheric circulation that aids in the distribution of
thermal energy across the surface of the earth.
Climate
• Is the average of all weather conditions of an area
over a long period of time. These conditions include:
average temperatures
air pressure
humidity
days of sunshine for a period of 30 years
 Branches of Climatology
• Meteorology is sometimes used interchangeably with
climatology as both describe the condition of the earth’s
atmosphere. However climatology focuses on how the
changes in climate occur and how those changes affect
future conditions.
1. Paleoclimatology- study of ancient climates. Since it is
quite impossible to go back in time and observe what
climates were like million of years ago, scientists used
imprints during past climate called proxies.
Branches of Climatology
2. Paleotempestology- is the study of past tropical cyclone
activity by means of geological proxies as well as historical
documentary records.
Examples of proxies include overwash deposits preserved in
the sediments of coastal lakes and marshes, microfossils
contained in coastal sediments, wave-generated or flood-
generated sedimentary structures or deposits in marine or
lagoonal sediments, storm wave deposited coral shingle,
shell, sand and shell and pure sand shore parallel ridges.
Branches of Climatology
3. Historical Climatology- is the study of historical changes in
climate and their effect on human history and development.
This differs from paleoclimatology which encompasses climate
change over the entire history of Earth.

The study seeks to define periods in human history where

temperature or precipitation varied from what is observed in the
present day. The primary sources include written records such as
sagas, chronicles, maps and local history literature as well as
pictorial representations such as paintings, drawings and even
rock art. The archaeological record is equally important in
establishing evidence of settlement, water and land usage.