Pressure Maps

Last week in class we discussed Pressure Maps. First we divided a map into sections as a class. Here is what it looked like.

As a homework assignment we were asked to color code another map based on the pressures that were provided. In the following picture you can see how my map turned out.

The Perfect Storm

The Perfect Storm occurred in Gloucester, Massachusetts in October of 1991. It is the true story of the tragic death of six sword-fishermen and the sinking of their boat the Andrea Gail. They got stuck in the middle of the collision of Hurricane Grace and a cold front coming from the northwest. Their attempt to escape the storm was unsuccessful and they ultimately drowned. According to the National Climatic Data Center, The Perfect Storm resulted in damages costing hundreds of millions of dollars. Here are some satellite pictures of the storm.

For more information about the Perfect Storm refer to the following links.

The Perfect Storm

The Perfect Storm Damage Summary

Unnamed Hurricane 1991

The Great Miami Hurricane of 1926

In light of Hurricane Sandy I have decided to chronicle another notable hurricane in history-The Great Miami Hurricane of 1926.

In 1926 there were not as many advances in technology that allowed the public to be notified of an approaching storm as quickly as we can be notified today and for that reason "hurricane warnings were not issued until midnight on September 18th, which gave the booming population of South Florida little notice of the impending disaster." When the hurricane reached South Florida it was a Category 4 hurricane and it traveled directly over Miami Beach and downtown Miami. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration "this cyclone produced the highest sustained winds ever recorded in the United States at the time, and the barometric pressure fell to 27.61 inches as the eye passed over Miami." All of the buildings located in the downtown district of Miami sustained damages or were completely destroyed.

Before this hurricane, South Florida had a booming economy; but because of all of the destruction it caused, this storm marked the end of their prospering economy. In today's dollars, this hurricane would have been a $90 billion disaster. "With a highly transient population across southeastern Florida during the 1920s, the death toll is uncertain since more than 800 people were missing in the aftermath of the cyclone. A Red Cross report lists 373 deaths and 6,381 injuries as a result of the hurricane."

Here are a couple of maps of the path that The Great Miami Hurricane of 1926 followed.

For more information on The Great Miami Hurricane of 1926 click here.

Sunrise and Sunset in Macon, Georgia

Today I recorded the location of the Sun in the sky at different times of the day in Macon, Georgia. Below you will find a table that shows the Time, Temperature, Humidity, Dew Point, and the Weather Condition at a specific time as well as a depiction of where the Sun was positioned in the sky at various times throughout the day. The color of the squares correspond to the time on the table that is the same color.

How to Make a Barometer

Recently I had to make a barometer. To do so I needed a glass jar, a balloon, tape, scissors, and a straw. I cut the balloon in half and placed it on top of the glass jar. I taped the straw to the middle of the balloon and then cut the end of the straw off at an angle.

When the pressure on the outside of the jar is more than the pressure on the inside it will push down on the balloon and cause the straw to go up. 

If the pressure on the inside of the jar is more than the pressure on the outside then the pressure on the inside will cause the balloon to bulge and the straw will point downwards. 

Here are a few videos on how to make different versions of barometers.

How to Make a Weather Barometer

How to make a Barometer

Weather Barometers: How to Make a Barometer 

Comparison of Cities Along the Same Longitude

The five cities I chose to compare were Charlotte, North Carolina, Miami, Florida, Manta, Ecuador, Chitre, Panama, and Colon, Cuba. 

Charlotte is located at 35 degrees, 13 minutes, and 37.51 seconds North and 80 degrees, 50 minutes, and 35.26 seconds West. The sun rose at 7:35 am and will set at 6:40 pm. The high temperature for today was 68 degrees Fahrenheit and the low was 44 degrees Fahrenheit. Here is a picture of Charlotte.

Charlotte, North Carolina

Miami is located at 5 degrees, 47 minutes, and 20.30 seconds North and 80 degrees, 13 minutes, and 35.18 seconds West. The sun rose at 7:23 am it will set at 6:47 pm. The high today was 86 degrees Fahrenheit and the low was 73 degrees Fahrenheit. A picture of Miami can be found below.

Miami, Florida

Manta, Ecuador is located at 0 degrees, 57 minutes, and 00.08 seconds South and 80 degrees, 42 minutes, and 58.32 seconds West. The sun came up at 6:03 am and it will go down at 6:11 pm. 79 degrees Fahrenheit was the high and today's low was 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Here is a picture of Manta.

Manta, Ecuador

Chitre, Panama is located at 7 degrees, 57 minutes, and 53.30 seconds North and 80 degrees, 25 minutes, and 20.39 seconds West. Sunrise was at 7:09 am and sunset will be at 7:03 pm. The high for today was 89 degrees Fahrenheit and the low was 71 degrees Fahrenheit. You can find a picture of Chitre below.

Chitre, Panama

Colon, Cuba is located at 22 degrees, 43 minutes, and 21.00 seconds North and 80 degrees, 54 minutes, and 24.00 seconds West. The sun came up at 7:23 am and it will set at 6:53 pm. Today's high was 86 degrees Fahrenheit and the low was 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Here is a picture of Colon.

Colon, Cuba

Wind Rose Plots

Wind Rose Plots show the percentage of time the wind blows in a certain direction. Below you will find several Wind Rose Plots I created by using archived data from the year of 1992. The Wind Rose Plots depict the direction the wind was blowing in Macon, Georgia on various days throughout 1992. Here is a picture of the location the wind speeds were collected.

Lewis B. Wilson Airport in Macon, Georgia (Weather Monitoring Station)

January 1, 1992 (blowing from)

January 1, 1992 (blowing to)

The average wind speed on January 1, 1992 was 4.22 m/s.

February 14, 1992 (blowing from)

February 14, 1992 (blowing to)

The average wind speed on February 14, 1992 was 1.91 m/s.

July 4, 1992 (blowing from)

July 4, 1992 (blowing to)

The average wind speed on July 4, 1992 was 3.32 m/s.

October 31, 1992 (blowing from)

October 31, 1992 (blowing to)

The average wind speed on October 31, 1992 was 1.99 m/s.

December 25, 1992 (blowing from)

December 25, 1992 (blowing to)

The average wind speed on December 25, 1992 was 2.68 m/s.

Here is the link to the site that I got the data for these plots. EPA.

This is the link to the software that I used to create the plots. Lakes Environmental.

Temperature Time

On Wednesday, September 26, 2012 I recorded the hourly temperature in Macon, Georgia from 7 o'clock am to 11 o'clock pm. In that time frame the lowest temperature was 52 degrees Fahrenheit and the highest was 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Below you will find a graph I constructed of the data I collected.

Map Mania

Below you will find multiple maps along with descriptions that explain what is being displayed and why the map is so useful. I have also posted the link to a satellite animation video of Hurricane Isaac.

By definition, a Choropleth Map is a map in which certain areas are shaded or patterned in proportion to the measurement of the statistical variable that is shown on the map. The one pictured below shows the estimated median household income in 2008. Choropleth Maps are useful because they are able to easily display how the shaded or patterned areas compare to each other.

The dots shown on Dot Density Maps each represent the frequency of what is being measured. The map below provides us with information about the housing and real estate value for Maryland in 2000. Dot Density Maps allow us to see the rate of recurrence of the information that is being quantified.

The size of the symbol on a Proportional Symbol Map corresponds to the magnitude of what is being measured on the map. The following map shows traffic fatalities in the U.S. by state in 2009. These types of maps are nice because they make it easy to see the extent of what is being measured is happening.

An Isopleth Map is a map that uses lines to connect points of equal value. The one shown below depicts the total snowfall of a part of Texas and the Lower Rio Grande Valley. The lines clearly show us which parts received an inch of snow, three inches of snow, and four to six inches of snow.

An Environmental Sensitivity Index Map summarizes the coastal resources that would be at risk in the event of an oil spill. Biological resources, sensitive shorelines, and human-use resources are taken into consideration when these types of maps are developed. I have posted a picture of an Environmental Sensitivity Index Map below.

Here is the satellite animation video link of Hurricane Isaac that I promised you. Enjoy!! 

Tropical Storm Isaac: Satellite Animation video by NASA