Clouds, Clouds, and More Clouds

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Clouds, Clouds, and More Clouds

• Paul Adams
• Professor of Physics and Anschutz Professor of
  Education
• Fort Hays State University
• Hays, KS 67601
• padams_at_fhsu.edu

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What do we KNOW about clouds?

• Brainstorm in a group of 3 to 5.

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WHAT questions do we have about clouds?
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Look again at the Atmosphere Layers
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What does it take to make a cloud?
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A Classic Demonstration with a Twist or a Squeeze!

• Cloud in a Bottle from AIM
• From SCOOL (http//scool.larc.nasa.gov
  NB-2005-05-0002-LaRC)
• Take a cold bottle outside on a warm day and
  notice that water drops form on it. This is
  called CONDENSTATION. Clouds from the same way
• Invisible water molecules ride warm air currents
  and cool as they come in contact with colder air
  high in the sky. The chilled molecules condense
  onto tiny particles in the air to form water
  drops.
• Billions of chilled water drops become visible
  CLOUDS you can seex!

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http//aim.hamptonu.edu/library/gallery/gal-sci.ht
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http//aim.hamptonu.edu/library/gallery/gal-sci.ht
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http//aim.hamptonu.edu/library/gallery/gal-sci.ht
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What does it take to do a GLOBE study?

• A question or project
• How does cloud cover vary at your school to
  nearby schools?
• What is weather associated with different cloud
  types?
• Do the cloud types change over a day?
• CLOUDSAT A cloud project http//cloudsat.atmos.
  colostate.edu/education

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We need a place to start

• Defining a study site
• The basic for the GLOBE Cloud Protocol
• Entering the GLOBE Web Site http//www.globe.gov
  
• Becoming a GLOBE School-

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What did we LEARN?
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Links to Resources

• GLOBE
• AIM
• CLOUD
• SCOOL
• MY NASA DATA
• CALIPSO

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NLC

• Differences between mesospheric and tropospheric
  clouds
• Limited to 60o to latitude for NLCs but an
  increasing sightings at lower latitudes
• So, how can you study clouds in your classroom?
• GLOBE -

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The Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM)
Mission

• Aeronomy A term denoting the physics and
  chemistry of the upper atmosphere. It is
  concerned with upper-atmospheric composition (ie,
  nature of constituents, density, temperature,
  etc.) and chemical reactions.
• Go to http//aim.hamptonu.edu/index.html

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What are NLCs/PMCs.(more later tonight!!)

• NLCs (Noctilucent) appear only during the late
  spring and summer and can only be seen just after
  sunset or just before sunrise at 50 to 60 degrees
  latitude
• First recorded in 1885.
• May be occurring more frequently, appearing at
  lower latitudes and getting brighter POSSIBLY
  due to Global Warming
• Not clear how NLCs form in the first place.

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Noctilucent, or Polar Mesospheric Clouds

• NLCs lit by sunlight when the sun is below the
  horizon geometry is the key!
• AIM will look down and sample the region where
  NLCs/PMCs are at and will be visible all of the
  time

http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noctilucent_clouds