One of the big stories in our current news is the cold weather that millions who live on parts of the East Coast of the United States are feeling. If I were living in Alaska, I may feel a bit left out because it is cold there too and not many are talking about that! The weather is usually a nice topic to start a conversation with someone not living in your area. This is because it's not the same everywhere. You may notice too that the weather is almost moody, because it usually, changes from day to day. Two days ago it was snowing while today there is no snow. I am sure you have experienced heavy rain one morning and later in the day you see brilliant, warm sunshine! Well, that's Earth Science for you.


What is weather and why does it change so often and so drastically? When we speak of the weather, we speak about what we see, feel and hear about what is going on in the air around us. We see and feel the rain. We feel the wind but can’t see it! And, we feel differences in temperature since we feel cold or warm or just right! Have you ever felt your ears “pop” as you go to lower altitudes while flying in a plane or go down a hill in a fast moving vehicle? What you are feeling are differences in what we know as air pressure. That too is part of the air that is around us. 


Weather, like Earth Science, describes what is happening in the air or more accurately, the atmosphere that is around us. So the atmosphere where you live may be windy, chilly, cloudy, moist and so on. What you are experiencing is the weather or the state of the atmosphere. You also may know that in many places the weather hardly remains the same from hour to hour, day to day, week to week, month to month. 


So if someone told you that you are like the weather, they mean that you are moody, because your feelings and behavior changes often! 


a woman looking at a smartphone for a weather report and earth science connections


When we continue our story, we will talk about this thing called the atmosphere so that we can understand our weather and understand why it changes so much.


Review questions:


  1. The weather in our part of the world is the same in all other parts of the world. TRUE or FALSE?
  2. Earth science means always have weather around us. TRUE or FALSE?
  3. The weather is all throughout the atmosphere surrounding our planet. TRUE or FALSE?
  4. We can see all features of our weather. TRUE or FALSE?
  5. If someone told you that the weather today in your area will be the same as the weather five weeks from now, why would you NOT believe them?
  6. Do you think we can measure different aspects of the weather? YES or NO
  7. In very short sentences, describe FOUR different things about the weather in your area.


Dr. Keith Yearwood


These Weather Channel Apps are for mobile devises and teaching Earth Science: iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Windows, iPan, and Kindle Fire.