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Tips
on Reading Weather Maps
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As
students compare migration and plant maps with maps showing temperatures,
fronts, air pressure, and other weather-related phenomena, they should
be able to pose questions and make generalizations, predictions, and
hypotheses about weather, migrations, and other seasonal changes. These
descriptions should help smooth the way.
Isotherms
When students look at different types of weather maps, they'll
likely notice wavy bands or contour lines, often in color. On a temperature
map, these are called isotherms (meaning "same temperature"):
imaginary lines that connect places having the same average temperature.
These are usually based on 10's of degrees Fahrenheit. The isotherm
migrates across the continent as temperatures warm in the springtime.
(Other maps use similar contours to plot pressure systems, wind speeds,
and so on.)
Fronts
These are the zones where air masses of varying temperatures and moisture
content collide. Storms typically occur along front lines where the
air masses meet. You'll find a visual description of fronts and map
symbols for fronts on this ThinkQuest site.
Air
pressure
Weather maps feature H's and L's to represent areas of high
and low air pressure. High pressure is generally associated with good
weather and low pressure with changing or stormy weather.
Science
Standards
- Weather
changes from day to day and over the seasons. Weather can be described
by measurable quantities, such as temperature, wind direction and speed,
and precipitation. (K-4)
Geography
Standards
- How to
use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies
to acquire, process, and report information.
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