Blue Skies

Materials

Computer with internet access and web browser
Lesson sheet
Pencil

Preparation

Explain lesson. Set up each student, alone or in groups, at a computer with a web browser.

Procedures and Activities

Introduction

Welcome to Blue Skies! This program offers you access to real-time weather and environmental images from around the world. Every hour weather stations around the United States collect data and send it via telephone lines to the National Meteorological Center in Washington D.C. There are also various satellites which collect weather images of the earth and send them to the National Meteorological Center in Washington D.C... All of this data is collected in ASCII format (i.e. text file format) in Washington D.C. and it is disseminated via the Internet to a business called Alden-Zephyr in Boston, Massachusetts. The University of Michigan's Space Research Laboratory houses a network receiver which collects the information from Alden-Zephyr. The network receiver disseminates the data to several in-house hard drives which automatically update the weather observations for the Blue Skies program. The objectives of the Blue Skies program are to introduce you to an extremely user-friendly interface so that you may explore our world's climatic changes with real-time weather data and learn more about meteorology. Good luck!

Lesson

The following is a scavenger hunt for you to explore the Blue Skies program. It is not necessary that you answer all of the questions. Blue Skies is an opportunity for you to explore your own areas of interest.

Important: Do not close the groundhog.sprl.umich.edu window.

What state was devastated by Hurricane Andrew?
What month and year did Hurricane Andrew strike the United States?
By looking at the tornado paths of Michigan, do tornadoes strike more in the northern or southern part of the State of Michigan?
Over what continent is the Ozone Hole most depleted? (Hint: Open "Ozone_Hole.moov" file and use the horizontal scroll bar to change the picture with time.)
What day and year was the last eclipse?
Using the Interactive Weather Maps, what is the high temperature forecast for tomorrow in your general area?
Using the Interactive Weather Maps, what is the low temperature forecast for tonight in your general area?
Looking at United States Precipitation or Temperature Map, what weather station is closest to your hometown? What is the reported humidity?
Looking at the International Weather Maps, what is the current temperature range (just approximate) in:
- South Africa?
- Brazil?
- Spain?
- Japan?
- Panama?

For questions 10 through 17, match the cloud names with the brief descriptions given on the right column. (Hint: The answers can be found in a folder labeled as 'Clouds' in the Famous Weather Events Folder)

Altostratus
Cirrus
Cumulus
Stratus
Nimbostratus
Cumulonimbus
Mamatocumulus
Stratocumulus

High altitude clouds that usually precede a front. They appear feathery and are sometimes referred to as 'mare's tails.' They are composed of ice crystals.
Heavy and dense clouds with considerable vertical extent, in the form of a mountain or huge towers. The upper portion of the cloud spreads out in the shape of an anvil.
Dull uniform gray colored clouds that often cause completely overcast skies. They are found at low altitudes.
Gray cloud layer and slow steady rain or snow may develop from these clouds.
Extend downward and appear as bubble-like bulges. They are formed by a cold down draft near the edge of a thunderstorm and as a result can accompany severe weather conditions and in particular tornadoes.
Detached clouds, that are generally dense with sharp outlines. They develop vertically in the form of rising mounds, domes, or towers, of which the bulging upper part often resembles a cauliflower.
Masses or rolls of cumulus clouds. They often form 'cigar shaped' rolls. They are common in late fall and winter.
Middle altitude stratus clouds. The faint image of the sun can sometimes be seen through them. These clouds sometimes appear bluish.

Using UM Weather (it may be found in the main 'groundhog.sprl.umich.edu' window), what is the current weather for Apalachicola, Florida? (Provide temperature and current sky conditions) Hint: To find a certain city in a state, you can display the city codes for that state.
Using UM Weather, what is the forecast for the Yukon Territory of Canada? Hint: Go to the MAIN MENU!
What season are the people of South Africa (or anyone else in the Southern Hemisphere) currently experiencing?

If you have extra time, take some time to look at the pictures of the Shoemaker-Levy 9 Comet Collision with Jupiter. The pictures can be found in the "Blue Skies" Main Menu in the "groundhog" window. Also, browse around the system to see anything you may be interested in.