Altitude and Weather

Areas of Science	Weather & Atmosphere
Difficulty
Time Required	Average (6-10 days)

*Note: For this science project you will need to develop your own experimental procedure. Use the information in the summary tab as a starting place. If you would like to discuss your ideas or need help troubleshooting, use the Ask An Expert forum. Our Experts won't do the work for you, but they will make suggestions and offer guidance if you come to them with specific questions.

If you want a Project Idea with full instructions, please pick one without an asterisk (*) at the end of the title.

Abstract

As you move up or down in altitude or elevation, the temperature and pressure will change. This is particularly striking if you live near a mountain range. During the summer, at low altitudes you may have temperatures in the 80's or 90's and still be able to see snow on mountain peaks at high altitude. You can test the effect of altitude by comparing temperature data from weather stations at high and low altitudes. You can test the effect of elevation by making your own weather balloon and sending it up to measure temperature and pressure at different heights as measured by a string. You could also have your parents drive you through the mountains and measure the temperature and pressure as you increase in elevation. (FI, 2006; GLOBE, 2006; NCAR, 2006; NOAA, 2006; Unisys, 2006; Weather Underground, 2006; WMO, 2006)

Bibliography

FI, 2006. Franklin's Forecast, The Franklin Institute. Retrieved March 1, 2006.
GLOBE, 2006. The GLOBE Program: Measurements: Protocols, GLOBE, managed jointly by UCAR and CSU. Retrieved March 1, 2006.
NCAR, 2006. NCAR Science and Education Outreach Page, National Center for Atmospheric Research. Retrieved March 1, 2006.
NOAA, 2006. NOAA Homepage, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. Retrieved March 1, 2006.
Unisys Corp, 2006. Unisys Weather, Blue Bell, PA. Retrieved March 9, 2006.
The Weather Underground, Inc, 2005. The Weather Underground, Ann Arbor, MI. Retrieved December 13, 2005.
WMO, 2006. World Meteorological Organization, WMO, United Nations. Retrieved March 1, 2006.

Cite This Page

General citation information is provided here. Be sure to check the formatting, including capitalization, for the method you are using and update your citation, as needed.

MLA Style

Science Buddies Staff. "Altitude and Weather." Science Buddies, 23 June 2020, https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Weather_p020/weather-atmosphere/altitude-and-elevation. Accessed 25 Nov. 2020.

APA Style

Science Buddies Staff. (2020, June 23). Altitude and Weather. Retrieved from https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Weather_p020/weather-atmosphere/altitude-and-elevation

Last edit date: 2020-06-23

Experimental Procedure

For this science project you will need to develop your own experimental procedure. Use the information in the summary tab as a starting place. If you would like to discuss your ideas or need help troubleshooting, use the Ask An Expert forum. Our Experts won't do the work for you, but they will make suggestions and offer guidance if you come to them with specific questions.

If you want a Project Idea with full instructions, please pick one without an asterisk (*) at the end of the title.

Ask an Expert

The Ask an Expert Forum is intended to be a place where students can go to find answers to science questions that they have been unable to find using other resources. If you have specific questions about your science fair project or science fair, our team of volunteer scientists can help. Our Experts won't do the work for you, but they will make suggestions, offer guidance, and help you troubleshoot.

Ask an Expert

If you like this project, you might enjoy exploring these related careers:

Meteorologist

The atmosphere is a blanket of gases, surrounding Earth, that creates our weather. Meteorologists study the measurements and motion of the atmosphere, and changing events within it, so that they can predict the weather. This weather forecasting helps the general public and people who work in industries such as shipping, air transportation, agriculture, fishing, forestry, and water and power better plan for the weather, and reduce human and economic losses. Read more

Aerospace Engineer

Humans have always longed to fly and to make other things fly, both through the air and into outer space—aerospace engineers are the people that make those dreams come true. They design, build, and test vehicles like airplanes, helicopters, balloons, rockets, missiles, satellites, and spacecraft. Read more

remote sensing scientist analyzing data on computer

Remote Sensing Scientist or Technologist

Have you ever climbed up high in a tree and then looked at your surroundings? You can learn a lot about your neighborhood by looking down on it. You can see who has a garden, who has a pool, who needs to water their plants, and how your neighbors live. Remote sensing scientists or technologists do a similar thing, except on a larger scale. These professionals apply the principles and methods of remote sensing (using sensors) to analyze data and solve regional, national, and global problems in areas such as natural resource management, urban planning, and climate and weather prediction. Because remote sensing scientists or technologists use a variety of tools, including radio detection and ranging (radar) and light detection and ranging (lidar), to collect data and then store the data in databases, they must be familiar with several different kinds of technologies. Read more

News Feed on This Topic

, ,

Note: A computerized matching algorithm suggests the above articles. It's not as smart as you are, and it may occasionally give humorous, ridiculous, or even annoying results! Learn more about the News Feed

Looking for more science fun?

Try one of our science activities for quick, anytime science explorations. The perfect thing to liven up a rainy day, school vacation, or moment of boredom.

Find an Activity

Abstract

Bibliography