EarthStorm

The following reference materials are available online and in print as part of the OCS Weather Series. They are intended to be used by teachers as refresher information prior to teaching a given subject. OCS reference materials are not meant to be comprehensive, but should provide adequate depth in the subject for use by most K-12 teachers

The currently available materials are listed below, with a brief overview of their subject.

Lab Manual:		Explorations In Meteorology Developed by the Oklahoma Climatological Survey (OCS) research and service facility, in concert with the University of Oklahoma, EXPLORATIONS IN METEOROLOGY places a strong emphasis on helping students understand weather and climate by using real meteorological data. The activities in this lab manual require that students tap into the OCS archives of meteorological data (i.e., Oklahoma Mesonet, Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM), and National Weather Service data sets) in order to complete meteorological exercises. Full-color pictures and data graphs, help students visually understand weather and severe weather topics. The lab manual also challenges university students by providing optional questions intended for honors students, making this lab manual appropriate for both introductory and honors meteorology courses.

Unit 1: Environmental Monitoring		What is the Oklahoma Mesonet? This eight-page reference describes the Oklahoma Mesonet, a network of 114 environmental monitoring stations. The three transparency masters show (1) the locations of Oklahoma Mesonet sites, (2) a side view of a typical Mesonet site, and (3) a top-down view of a typical Mesonet site.
		What are ARM and ARM/CART? This seven-page reference describes the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program, its Cloud and Radiation Testbed (CART), and, in particular, the Southern Great Plains ARM site in Oklahoma and Kansas. The two transparency masters show (1) the locations of the measurement stations in the Southern Great Plains ARM/CART and (2) a map of the ARM Central Facility.

Unit 2: Meteorological Variables		Atmospheric Water Vapor and its Importance Water vapor is an essential part of Earth's hydrological cycle. This reference discusses the role of water vapor in the atmosphere and some variable used to describe atmospheric water vapor content.
		Common Meteorological Variables (Outline) Air is a compressible mixture of gases. It has properties such as temperature, pressure and density. It obeys the laws of thermodynamics and fluid mechanics, including the ideal gas law. This reference outline explains these concepts.

Unit 3: The Earth-Atmosphere System		The Seasons (Outline) All of the earth's weather results from the fact that the atmosphere is unequally heated by the sun. This reference outline describes the reasons for the unequal heating.
		Vertical Structure of the Atmosphere, Part 1 (Outline) & Part 2 (Outline) This two-part reference outline describes how the atmosphere generally changes with height. These changes are results of specific physical conditions which exist on the earth and in its atmosphere. The vertical changes in temperature are important in constraining weather events to the lowest 10-12 km of the atmosphere.

Unit 4: Radiation and Energy Transfer		Heat Transfer (Outline) The driving force for atmospheric motion is the sun. It is the primary job of the atmosphere to redistribute energy in order to achieve an energy balance from pole to equator. This reference outline describes mechanisms for heat transfer in the atmosphere.
		Overview of Radiation (Outline) Radiation is an essential element of the sun-Earth-atmosphere system. This reference outline describes the primary laws of physics related to radiation.
		Earth's Energy Budget , Part 1 (Outline) & Part 2 (Outline) Absorption and re-emission of radiation at the earth's surface is only one part of an intricate web of heat transfer in the earth's planetary domain. Equally important are selective absorption and emission of radiation from molecules in the atmosphere. This two-part reference outline details how Earth and its atmosphere partition energy.

Unit 5: Clouds		Cloud Development (Outline) This reference outline explains the importance of clouds. Clouds help regulate theearth's energy balance by reflecting and scattering solar radiation and by absorbing the earth's infrared radiation. In addition, clouds help redistribute surplus heat from the equator toward the poles and return water to the oceans and land masses across the globe.
		Precipitation (Outline) The hydrologic cycle is a continuous process by which water is transported from the oceans to the atmosphere to the land and back to the sea. One of the most important processes in the hydrologic cycle is precipitation. This reference outline defines various types of precipitation.

Unit 6: Mid-Latitude Weather Systems		Air Masses and Air Mass Classification Air masses are defined and described in this short reference.
		Atmospheric Forces (Outline) Wind speed and direction respond to pressure gradient forces that exist between high and low pressure areas. This reference outline describes the main forces that create or act upon the wind.
		High and Low Pressure Systems (Outline) Low pressure systems that travel across the Northern Hemisphere typically develop, intensify and dissipate over periods of 3 to 4 days. In the process, they travel thousands of miles, disrupt "normal" life as they go, are responsible for much of the precipitation that falls, and can encompass areas as large as the central United States. High pressure systems, on the other hand, are associated with clear skies. This reference outline details the forces involved in high and low pressure systems.

Unit 7: Warm, Cold, and Stationary Fronts

Weather Fronts (Outline)
Fronts are zones of transition between two different air masses. This reference outline describes the four types of fronts: cold front, warm front, stationary front, and occluded front.