Crepuscular Rays

Crepuscular Rays falling to the ground

Crepuscular Rays are beams of sunlight, that create a heavenly appearance. These rays occur when mountain peaks or clouds cast a shadow over the sun's rays. Many Crepuscular Rays come from the sun, but they can also be seen on the opposite horizon of the sun as well. This is called Anti crepuscular Rays.

Crepuscular Rays going through a hole of a canyon

http://www.whiteplanes.com/images/weather/weather16.jpg

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-crepuscular-rays.htm

http://www2010.atmos.uiuc.edc/(GH)/guides/mtr/opt/crp.rxml

http://intinethumb38.webshots.com/41125/268150850010234975S600x600QS5.jpg

F5 Tornadoes

F5 Tornadoes

F5 Tornado

F5 tornadoes are classified by 261-318mph winds. They are known to cause substantial damage; cars become flying objects, trees can uproot and debark, homes can be demolished and/or disintegrated, and they can can have a continuous damage path more than 90 miles long (150 kilometers) and perhaps a kilometer wide. Such powerful tornadoes can exist for up to three hours, compared to a small tornado lasting three minutes or less!

F5 Tornado

Large tornadoes, classified as F4 and F5 , are only 2% of all tornadoes categorized as "violent" and not "weak."These strong tornadoes account for nearly 70% of the deaths caused by tornadoes. Tornadoes produce the strongest winds in

nature! The Fujita Intensity Scale, or F/scale, is a generally used guide to rate tornado force.

1.) http://science.howstuffworks.com/tornado3.htm

2.)http://www.crh.noaa.gov/pah/storm/tornado.php

3.)http://www.hprcc.unl.edu/nebraska/wichita-ks-j2004tornado.JPG

4.)http://www.ec.gc.ca/Envirozine/70BF6FA1-A995-4AE2-9C23-528694E329D6/tornado_l.jpg

5.)Earth Science text book

Ice Storms

A sign in Versoix, Switzerland after a major ice storm

The Cause of Ice Storms

Ice storms occur when a layer of warm air forms in between two layers of cold air. Once snow begins to fall it melts into rain while traveling through the warm layer of air. However, the rain doesn't freeze again when it goes through the bottom layer of cold air since that cold layer is quite thin, so the rain ends up freezing only when it hits the ground.

A bench in Versoix, Switzerland that has been encased in ice

Sources

http://www.naturalhazards.org/hazards/ice/index.html (Ice Storm information)

http://www.dullmen.com/park_benches.html (Bench photo)

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiII3YLxBW5t6SlWAgf5nHmcHEnVKe279PUFhJn4XM-RJdGaQhAbm1i-lF7rxYbKKQdrUFSFJbSs-W2V6iou2qVKEYEpKuVRZ8clM42g-5Ve-YOI_HNc-cVUVdKdtDuaopFoOpj-Ak8n3c/s1600-h/Ice+Storm+damage+in+Versoix.jpg (Versoix sign picture)

Mammatus Clouds

Mammatus are very "saggy", bag like clouds. These clouds usually form after a bad thunderstorm has passed by. The difference between Mammatus and most other clouds is that this specific type of cloud forms in air that is sinking, as opposed to most other clouds, which form in air that is rising. When the cloud forms, the sinking air must be cooler than the air surrounding it.

Mammatus Clouds are sometimes described to look like the udders of a cow...

These clouds also look like Marshmallows, making the name Mammatus easier to remember.


http://eo.ucar.edu/webweather/cloudpic9.html
http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gl)/guides/mtr/cld/oth/mm.rxml
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rjmcconnell/3674141460/ First pic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26269806@N00/3663894589/Second pic

Cirrus Clouds

Cirrus clouds forming in tufts

Cirrus clouds are clouds that are very thin and that form at high altitudes. When water vapor freezes at altitudes higher than 20,000ft, Cirrus clouds are formed.

Cirrus clouds over a field

Cirrus clouds are normally characterized by their thin wispy strands and tufts. Cirrus clouds are associated with fair to pleasant weather.

http://eo.ucar.edu/webweather/cirrus.html

http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/cirrus_cloud

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CirrusField-color.jpg

http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/climate

Category 5 Hurricanes

Hurricanes ahhh run for your lives! That's what comes to the minds of many people down at the southern tips of Flordia and Loiusiana every year during hurricane season. However category five hurricanes are excedingly rare. Even though these storms don't strike often they pack a huge punch when they do hit.

(damage from a category 5 hurricane)

Category 5 hurricanes casue massive flooding, have winds higher than 155mph, storm surges over 18 ft high and catestrophic destruction.
Bibiliography

http://gohsep.la.gov/hurricanerelated/hurricanecategories.htm info

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pastprofile.shtml info

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/whcat5.htm

www.utexas.edu/2006/hurricanes/index.html Picture#1

https://wiki.friscoisd.org/user/duncana/ Picture#2

Average Precipitation and Snowfall

The average precipitation for Albany NY is 38.6" per year.

The average snowfall for Albany NY is 52.6" per year.

The average precipitation for Oswego NY is 42.93" per year.

The average snowfall for Oswego NY is 140.3" per year.

The average precipitation for New York City NY is 46.33" per year.

The average snowfall for New York City NY is 28.4" per year.

The wettest location in the US is Mount Washington, it gets an average of 101.9" of precipitation per year.

The driest location in the US is Death Valley, it only gets an average of 1.84" of precipitation per year.






http://www.cbs6albany.com/sections/weather/historical/snowfall/
http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/online/ccd/snowfall.html
http://www.idcide.com/weather/ny/new-york.htm
http://www.nps.gov/deva/naturescience/index.htm
http://www.desertusa.com/dv/du_dvpmap.html
http://www.currentresults.com/Weather-Extremes/US/wettest.php
http://neighborhoods.homeseekers.com/County/Oswego-New_York.aspx

Fog

Golden Gate Bridge advection fog

Fog is mostly the condensation of water droplets close to the ground. There are six types of fog, consisting of radiation fog, advection fog, hill fog, and coastal fog. Radiation fog is the earths heat from radiation cooling. Advection fog is the saturation of moist air over cool ground. Hill fog is formed when moist air is forced up a mountain, which causes it to cool. Steam fog is the rainwater evaporating off the ground into the saturated air. Finally, freezing fog is consisted of supercooled water droplets in the air. Supercooled is the water staying liquid below the freezing point.

Fog limiting a pathway view

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/understanding/fog.shtml Information

http://arcticstudies.pbworks.com/f/1190664917/Golden%20Gate%20Advection-Fog.jpg First Picture

http://anordinarymom.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/fog.jpg Second Picture

Lake Effect Snow

Lake effect snow is produced by long stretches of wind that blows into warmer lake water and gathers water vapor. The water vapor turns into clouds but the clouds can't hold all the water so at that point lake effect snow occurs. In most cases the storm doesn't last long but has very strong, and heavy snowfall during its existence. Lake effect snow has some effects on New York State(mostly Buffalo, N.Y.)

(Average lake effect snowfall in New York State from 1971-2000)

www.123syracuse.com/Syracuseweather.html

http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/l/lake_effect_snow.htm

http://www.weatherquestions.com/What_causes_lake_effect_snow.htm

http://wnylakesnow.weebly.com/

Noreaster

Noreaster
A noreaster is formed when cool air from the north mixes with warm air coming from the ocean. This forms an area with extreme low pressure. When this happens the storm brings strong, continuous, winds, heavy rain or snow, and major structural damage to any thing in its path on the Eastern coast of the United States. A noreaster also brings high and powerful waves, sleet, or flash flooding.These storms are mainly formed during the Winter, but can occur at any time of the year.

This is a diagram of how a noreaster is formed. The cool air from the north merges with the the warm air from the ocean to create this destructive storm.

This is some of the damage that can be caused by a noreaster. These storms bring fast winds, high waves, and major structural damage to the homes along the east coast.

Bibliography:

http://www.weatherquestions.com/What_is_a_noreaster.htm

www.thedailygreen.com/.../3V/noreaster-md.jpg

http://www.weather.com/encyclopedia/winter/noreast.html

Tornado and Hurricane Safety

To survive a hurricane or tornado follow these precautions.

A tornado in Kansas that killed 11 people flattened the city of Greensburg


Some safety tips for tornadoes are

1. Stockpile emergency supplies in case of a storm

2. If inside move to the basement or an interior room

3. If caught out side move to low ground and lie face down



Hurricane Katrina left 1,836 people dead and 705 missing.


Some tips for hurricanes

1. Coastal residents should form evacuation plans

2. If forced to weather a storm, get inside the most secure building possible

3. Listen to the authorities for safety information

Sources

1. http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/hurricane-safety-tips.html

2. http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/tornado-safety-tips.html

3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:KatrinaNewOrleansFlooded_edit2.jpg

4. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Greensburg_kansas_tornado.jpg

Blizzards

What is a Blizzard?

The first thing you must know is that a snowstorm is NOT a blizzard. A snowstorm is when snow falls from the sky as precipitation. A blizzard is essentially the worst kind of snowstorm there is. The National Weather Service defines blizzards as snowstorms with sustained 35 mph winds, blowing snow, visibility less than 500 ft, a wind chill less than -15 degrees Fahrenheit, and lasting at least 3 hours.

How are Blizzards Made?

1. The jet stream "dips", and cold, dry air from the north moves south.
2. Warm, moist air from the south flows north.
3. These two air masses meet, and a blizzard results!

A weather map of the famous Blizzard of 1993, a cyclonic storm that hit from Canada to Central America on the east coast.

A clipping from the Cleveland Plain Dealer about a November blizzard.

Photo Sources: Dogpile Images

Bibliography

http://www.weather.com/encyclopedia/winter/form.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blizzard

http://library.thinkquest.org/C003603/english/snowstorms/whatsablizzard.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_Storm_of_the_Century

10. photo exemption

Albany, New York:

January:
High: 31.1 degrees Fahrenheit
Low: 13.3 degrees Fahrenheit
February:
High: 34.4 degrees Fahrenheit
Low: 15.7 degrees Fahrenheit
March:
High: 44.5 degrees Fahrenheit
Low: 25.4 degrees Fahrenheit
April:
High: 57.3 degrees Fahrenheit
Low: 35.9 degrees Fahrenheit
May:
High: 69.8 degrees Fahrenheit
Low: 46.5 degrees Fahrenheit
June:
High: 77.5 degrees Fahrenheit
Low: 55.0 degrees Fahrenheit
July:
High: 82.2 degrees Fahrenheit
Low: 60.0 degrees Fahrenheit
August:
High: 79.7 degrees Fahrenheit
Low: 58.3 degrees Fahrenheit
September:
High: 71.3 degrees Fahrenheit
Low: 49.9 degrees Fahrenheit
October:
High: 59.7 degrees Fahrenheit
Low: 38.8 degrees Fahrenheit
November:
High: 47.5 degrees Fahrenheit
Low: 30.8 degrees Fahrenheit
December:
High: 36.0
Low: 20.1

Minneapolis: (in degrees Fahrenheit)
January:
High: 22
Low: 4
February:
High: 29
Low: 12
March:
High: 41
Low: 23
April:
High: 57
Low: 36
May:
High: 70
Low: 48
June:
High: 79
Low: 58
July:
High: 83
Low: 63
August:
High: 80
Low: 61
September:
High: 71
Low: 51
October:
High: 58
Low: 39
November:
High: 40
Low: 25
December:
High: 29
Low: 11

Las Vegas: (in degrees Fahrenheit)

January:
High: 58
Low: 34
February:
High: 63
Low: 39
March:
High: 69
Low: 44
April:
High: 78
Low: 51
May:
High: 88
Low: 60
June:
High: 100
Low: 69
July:
High: 106
Low: 74
August:
High: 103
Low: 74
September:
High: 95
Low: 66
October:
High: 82
Low: 54
November:
High: 82
Low: 54
December:
High: 58
Low: 34


Bibliography:
http://www.rssweather.com/climate/new%20york/albany/

www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/usmn0503

http://www.vegas.com/weather/averages.html

Lenticular Clouds

A lenticular cloud over a mountain



Lenticular clouds are very rare and usually form around hills or mountains. These clouds often look like giant flying sausers or upside down pancakes. They form when the air goes back and forth between higher and lower elevations. As the air gets higher in altitude it cools forming these clouds.

Lenticular clouds in Hawaii



Sources:
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-lenticular-clouds.htm

http://www.warren-wilson.edu/~physics/PhysPhotOfWeek/20050415LentCloud/index.shtml

Picture Sources:

www.starrynightphotos.com

www.vinaminh.com

Thunder

Everyone knows thunder as the sound that comes after lightning, but there's many things about thunder that people don't know. Something that many people don't know is that thunder and lightning occur at the same time, it seems like lightning comes first because light travels faster than sound. Thunder is caused by the heating of air by lightning. The lightning heats the air up to as much as 60,000 degrees Fahrenheit when air is heated quickly it expands and contracts violently causing an explosion which causes sound know as thunder.



http://weathereye.kgan.com/cadet/lightning/thunder.html
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/Atmosphere/tstorm/tstorm_lightning.html
http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/thunder.html

Wind Chill

Windchill decreases the feel of the temperature based on the wind speed. The faster the wind the colder the temperature is outside. The wind does not actually make it colder, it draws heat from the body which makes it seem colder to any living thing. The wind chill can be -30 and water would not freeze. (This chart shows the relation between
the actual temp. and the windchill factor.)

http://www.weatherimages.org/data/windchill.html

http://www.maineharbors.com/weather/windchill.htnl

El Nino

Ocean temperatures during a normal year (top), compared to an El Nino year(bottom).
El Nino in its simplest terms, is the unusual warming of ocean waters, primarily in the Pacific Ocean near South America. Its cause is mostly unknown by scientists. An El Nino event usually happens once every 3-7 years in December.

The effects of El Nino and La Nina on ocean temperature (Red and White indicate high temps, blue and purple are lower temps.)The warmer waters can be beneficial to fish populations and are often welcomed by fisherman. However El Nino and its opposite La Nina (cooling of ocean waters) can be destructive causing heavy rains, droughts, destruction of marine life, and typhoons all over the world.

Bibliography
Sources
1.http://www.ucar.edu/communications/factsheets/elnino/
2.http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/enso/enso.description.html
Images
1. ciesnce.nasa.gov/.../el-nino-la-nina_med.jpg
2.apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/9801/elnino4_jpl_big.jpg

Lightning

While most expressions are true, lightning not striking the same place twice is wrong. In fact, the Empire State building is struck about 100 times per year.

Lightning striking the Empire State building(1)

Lightning is caused when there is an imbalance of ions between the clouds and the ground or whatever the lightning strikes. Nature, naturally, wants to fix the imbalance, and does this by passing a high powered current between the clouds and the object. The current is called lightning.

Lightning strike (2)

Bibliography:

Info:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/wonder/structure/empire_state.html

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/lightning-profile.html

Images:

1: http://www.wunderground.com/blog/RevMac/comment.html?entrynum=10

2: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1003/773233665_859aba00fe.jpg

Great Smokey National Park

Come one, come all, to the Great Smoky Mountains Park 75th Anniversary!

There will be a number of special activities throughout the year, here is some general information to get you started!

Grand Smoky Mountains National Park

History: The Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established on June 15, 1934. It was named because of the soft haze that falls and hangs over the mountains.


Location: In between Eastern Tennessee, and Western North Carolina.
The great Smoky Mountains are a part of the Appalachian Mountains.


Size: 521,000 acres of federal land
Elevations range from 875 to 6,642 ft.
One of the most popular lookout spots in the park is Clingmans Dome, it has the highest elevation in the park(6,642 ft).

Climate: The climate is mild in the winter and very hot and humid in the summertime.

Wildlife: The park is very well known for its black bear population. There is estimated to be around 1,500 black bears in the park. For many these gentile but strong creatures are a symbol of the wilderness and freedom of the park.
Many other animals dwell at the park as well, there are app. 66 different types of mammals found at the park. Some including foxes, wolves, elks, coyotes, hogs, bobcats, white-tailed deers, and other beautiful creatures.
There is one animal in particular that has been causing quite some damage to the park, the wild European hog. Only following their nature, the hogs root, and wallow tearing up the land, and soil the water for the other animals. It is not possible for scientists to completely kill off the species, so to keep the number of them in check they trap and/or shoot some.
In addition, there are over 240 species of birds in the park.

Vegetation: The park is also noted for is rich and varying vegetation. Inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park there are 5 different types of forests. Also, nearly 40% of the land is covered with forest, and there is a total of 130 different types of trees have been found. Other types of vegetation such as wildflowers, bushes, etc. can be found within the park.

Precipitation: The mountains receive anywhere between 55-85 inches of precipitation per year.

Activities to do: The park offers many choices for people to do, weather you are one of those calm nature goers, or a free spirited hiker. The great Smoky National Park has it all. You can hike, bike, fish, horse riding, picnicking, workshops, and other activities. The park has app. 800 miles of hiking trails all together! These activities are what helps roll in the parks 8-10 million visitors per year!

Joshua Tree National Park.

Welcome to Joshua Tree National Park!!!

Located in California, Joshua Tree National Park is a desert park. Consisting of 800,000 acres, two deserts come together to form this park, the Colorado Desert and the Mojave Desert. Elevation is what sets these two deserts apart.



The Colorado Desert is on the eastern part, which has an elevation of below 3,000 feet, consumed by mostly the creosote bush.

The Mojave Desert, located on the western half of the park, is the home of the Joshua Tree.



There are many things to do at Joshua Tree National Park, whether you are planning just to spend a couple hours, or a whole day there.
There are Natural Trails that you can guide yourselves on.

There are:
Hiking trails
Backpacking
Horseback Riding
Stargazing
Ranger Program
Mountain Biking
Rock-Climbing
Birding
Camping (9 camp grounds)
Backcountry camping
Go to Keys View, Black Rock Canyon, Skull Rock, Indian Cove, Cottonwood Spring, and Covington Flats.



The desert may look like there is no life to it, but that’s not the case.
Living here at Joshua Tree are:
Birds
Lizards
Snakes
Big Horn Sheep
Kangaroo Rats
Coyotes
Black-tailed Jack Rabbits
Bats
Kit Fox
And more.

Cacti, Fan Palm Oases, and crypto biotic crusts, are some of the plants that grow in this area.


I hope you enjoyed learning about Joshua Tree National Park!!
Come Visit Soon!!!

Welcome to Mammoth Cave National Park!!!

Located in Kentucky, 37 degrees North latitude and 86 degrees West longitude is a national park that has a lot of activities that are enjoyable for all. The main attraction of this national park is the Mammoth Cave. It is the longest known cave on the planet. If the second and third longest caves were combined, there would still be nearly 100 miles left over. Of the Mammoth cave there are 350 miles of passageway mapped and surveyed and an elevation change of 300 feet.

People on the Wild Tour. (during an easier part)

Activities you are able to do while you are visiting:
Canoeing
Camping
Hiking
Bike Riding
Sight Seeing
Fishing
Hunting
Horseback Riding
Birding
and Cave Tours.

The cave tours are varied depending of your level of comfort. There are tours for those who enjoy just looking and moderate walks; to those who enjoy spending a whole day crawling through the cave and seeing what is in its depths.


One of the sites seen during the cave tours.

Another site seen on the tours.


One of the most challenging cave tours is The Wild Tour. The Wild Tour has a huge emphasis on:
Safe Caving Techniques
Environmental Concerns
Cave Exploration (through the past and the present)
And Team Building.

Some land marks you are guided to see are:
The Carmichael Entrance
Cleveland Avenue
Split Rock
The Snow Ball Room (where there is food available)
Boone Avenue
And The Travertine Tour Route

There are so many physical challenges to cope with when you take The Wild Tour:
Free Climbing on Cave Walls
Lengthy Crawls through Areas as Tight as 9 inches High
Walking in a Crouched Position
Hand and Knee Crawls Over Jagged Rocks and Dirt
Crawling Through Wet Areas
Twisting Into and Out of Tight Crawlway Openings


Part of a cave tour.

There are also some rare and unusual animals that you can find a Mammoth Cave National Park. These animals adapted to the absolute blackness and isolation of the cave, such as:
Blind Fish
Cave Crayfish
Colorless Spiders

These are slimy salamander types.
Mudpuppy
Hellbender
Zigzag salamander

These are just some birds that fly around this area.
Bald Eagle
Whip-poor-wills
Chickadees

These are just some interesting mammals of the many that are found at Mammoth Cave.
Flying squirrels
Weasels
Mink
Wood rats
River otter

Flying Squirel

Even if you don’t like cave tours and are not into camping, hunting, and boating; there is always the option of exploring the beautiful woodlands of Kentucky. You can explore the remains of the great old growth forest, which once covered most of Kentucky.

I hope you enjoyed Mammoth Cave National Park and are dying to go!!!

Zion National Park

Zion National Park is located in Southwest Utah (approximately 150 miles from Vegas). The elevation ranges from 4,000ft.-9200ft and is 229 square miles or (147,551 acres) large. The park consists of many animals and different species such as 75 mammals, 271 birds, 32 reptiles and amphibians, and 8 fish. What separates Zion National from any other National Park is the amazing views and scenes and how the park was created. This National Park was created by millions of years of the forces of nature.

The Narrows of Zion National Park is one of the many amazing things this park has to offer. The water seen in the photo above is the water of the Virgin River, which flows through the Narrows of Zion National Park. The Narrows was easily named due to the narrow walls of which the river flows through. There is only one way to explore this part of the park, and that is to walk through the river which in some areas the water depth is up to four feet so you must be very careful in doing so.

Zion Canyon(seen in the photo below) is another one of the major attractions in this park. It is 15 miles (24km) long, and reaches extreme elevations. With its breath taking views and hiking trails weaving all a round, this is one thing in this park that you have got to see!!!


Kolob Canyon (seen below) is another amazing canyon in this park. Kolob canyon has the highest peak of the park (9,200) feet. Originally it wasn't part of the park but in 1956 Kolob Canyon became an addition to Zion National Park.

Other Facts on Zion National Park:

• Of the 271 different birds in the park some of them are the roadrunner, golden eagles, and red tail hawks.
  
• The Park consists of 32 reptiles, the most commonly seen are lizards and several different types of snakes.
  
• There are 75 mammals in the park, two of the larger mammals are the mule deer and the mountain lion (which is rarely seen) and some of the smaller mammals are ring tails, skunks, and chipmunks.
  
• The park was originally named Mukuntuweap National Park in 1909 but changed to Zion National Park in 1918.
  
• The word Zion is an ancient Hebrew word meaning a place of refuge or sanctuary.

• Some activities the park offers is hiking, sight seeing, and walking through the Virgin River