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Computer Activity: Using A Real-Time Global Map of Wind, Currents and Particulate Patterns3926840501 Click on the lower left word earth and then about.Continue scrolling down and read the information. 1. What is the pressure near the surface in millibars?2. What interesting feature of the atmosphere is found at 250 mb?3. What is the pressure and altitude of the stratosphere?Go back to the main page. Notice how you can click and drag to spin the earth. Click on earth again. You can minimize the menu and bring it back up by clicking earth whenever you need to. Practice this. You can also zoom in and out on your map. Notice that if you don’t know what a parameter stands for (TPW?) you can mouse over it without clicking to see. (Total Precipitable Water!) (not possible on ipad)Notice the default parameters are in yellow. So, the default you are looking at is the Air, Sfc (surface), Wind. You are viewing the direction and strength of the earth’s winds. Look at Projection. Click on the different map options and choose your favorite. Look at the colored scale. You can see that in this set of data, yellow/orange/red indicates stronger winds. The scale will show different colors depending on the parameter you are using.4. Name a region that seems to having much stronger winds than usual right now.5. What do you think you are observing when there is strong orange/red and a tight circular spiral of activity? Do you see this anywhere on the earth right now?On the Overlay, click on Temp. You are now looking at current air temperatures around the world. 6. a. In Northern Africa, the land appears to be (hotter/cooler) than the surrounding waters. (Circle one)b. Why do you think this is?7. Click on several coastal areas around the world to see how the water and land temperature compares. Is there any correlation between the relative temperature of the ocean to the land? For example, does higher land temperatures correspond to higher water temperatures?Click on RH (Relative Humidity). Humidity means how much moisture (water vapor) is being held in the air. Click on a coastal city on the Southeastern US coast and record the humidity _____. Click on a coastal city on the similar line in the southwestern US and record the humidity _______. Click back on the temp overlay click on the sea temp next to those coastal cities and record the water temps. SE ____,SW_____.8. Is there a correlation between sea temp and relative humidity? If so, why do you think that is?Google a world map of vegetation 9. Is there a general correlation between relative humidity and amounts/types of vegetation?Click on MI (Misery Index). This tells us how temperatures feel to people, which can be different depending on how much wind there is. (A hot temperature will feel much hotter with no wind, and a cold temperature much colder with wind!)10. What region(s) of the world have the most extreme misery indices? What general temperature trends are in these locations? Click on Ocean and Currents. 11. a. Look for the Equatorial Current between Indonesia and South America. At the moment, it’s flowing circle one (east to west)/(west to east). This is the current that weakens during El Ni?o.b. Look at the currents on the west and east coasts of North America and the northern half of Africa. Considering which direction the currents are bringing water from, it seems clear that the (west/east) coasts of continents must have warmer waters in general than the (west/east) coasts. TRUE OR FALSE: In the Southern Hemisphere, this trend will be reversed.Click on SST (Sea Surface Temperatures). 12. a. Consider your prediction from question 11b. Is it true? Which coast of the U.S. has warmer waters? __________________ Which coast of Northern Africa has warmer waters? __________________b. Is it also false that this is reversed in the Southern Hemisphere? Which side of Australia has warmer waters? ________________ Which side of South America? ______________c. Why is it the same? Your answer should include the term gyres. ................
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