Weather around the world

Weather is changed daily, because of many different elements. These elements are; solar radiation, pressure systems, ocean currents, and topography. These all can have a very big impact on the weather of an area and can change a day from sunny and dry, to a stormy and humid day. Knowing how all of these work is very important when planing on what you are going to do that day. 

Solar radiation causes the earth's surface to heat up or cool down, thus deciding how cool or how warm it will be that day. Solar radiation heats the air, this determines its stability, which affects cloud development and precipitation. Unequal heating of the earth's surface creates pressure gradients that result in wind. Almost all of the characteristics of climate are related to solar radiation.

Pressure systems have a direct impact on the precipitation characteristics of different climate regions. In general, places dominated by low pressure tend to be moist, while those dominated by high pressure are dry. Climates located at a low latitude get a very large period of wet weather from the Intertropical convergence zone and a dry period when the subtropical high moves into this region.

Ocean Currents are caused by air masses moving across an ocean. Climates boarding cold currents tend to be drier because the cool ocean water helps keep the air stable.  Air traveling over cold ocean currents lose energy to water and, therefore, the temperature along the coast is controlled.    

Topography causes an air mass to become more controlled, using the land shape. Windward slopes, those facing into the wind, get more precipitation due to orographic uplift of the air. Leeward sides of mountains are in the rain shadow, therefore, they receive less precipitation. Air temperatures are affected by slope and orientation as slopes facing into the sun will be warmer than those facing away. Temperature also decreases as one moves toward higher elevations. 

These are all sizable reasons that weather can change quickly, or over a period of time. Everything ends up effecting the air mass, which is the basic climate of an area. Solar radiation, pressure systems, ocean currents, and topography change over time, thus causing the air mass itself to change. knowing how most of these work will definitely help you plan out your day. 

Halloween Story

Authors Note: This is a piece I wrote for, believe it of not, Halloween. Hope you enjoy. 

     I wake up in pitch darkness. Rolling over in my bed, I notice the time. 1:27 A.M. To early to wake up now. I think to myself. As I close my eyes and start to drift off, I hear a faint scratching noise. Confused, I lift my head and look around the room. The scratching starts to get louder. I crawl out of bed and start moving toward the light switch. It gets louder and louder. I reach the light switch and turn it on. Nothing. Everything is silent. I open my bedroom door and walk out into the hallway. Then, very faintly, I hear another sound. I close my eyes and strain my ears to hear it. It was coming from my sisters room. I move down the hallway as quiet as possible. I rest my ear on the door to hear. That's when I realize, the noise I was hearing in the hallway was my sister breathing. Frustrated, I turn around to go back to my room and see a dark figure move across the hallway. I gasp, and immediately cover my mouth, fearing that I woke my mom of sister. I peek my head in the door and see my sister is still asleep. Relived, I start to move down the hallway, Slowly and quietly. When I get to the end of the hallway, my heart is beating faster than a Cheetah running through African Plains. I look around the corner and no one is there. I must be really tired! I think to myself. I walk back to my room, turn off the light. Crawl into bed and fall asleep.

     Again, I wake up. I hear the pitter-patter of rain on the roof. I roll out of bed and walk up to the window and pull up the blinds. I see the familiar woods out in the distance, but  something seems off. That's when I see him, standing just inside the wood. Wearing all black, with what looks like a bloody butchers knife. I duck down under the window. Taking a few deep breaths I peek out the window again. He's gone. I duck back down under the window, laughing at myself for being so scared of nothing. I turn around to get out of my room and he's standing right in front of me. I freeze in place. He lifts his arm, and swings his bloody knife, and then I wake up. 

Happy Halloween!