How do Mountain Ranges Affect Weather?

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Summary

Areas of Science

Weather & Atmosphere

Difficulty

Time Required

Long (2-4 weeks)

*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.

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Abstract

Many continents contain large mountain ranges that divide the continent into different regions. In the U.S. the Rocky Mountains mark the continental divide. The presence of a large mountain range can have a big effect on seasonal weather patterns. Also, the weather and climate on one side of a mountain range may be very different from weather and climate on the other side of the range. In the case of the Rocky Mountains, the western slope and eastern slope each have very different climates and seasonal weather patterns. There are other mountain ranges in the U.S. besides the Rocky Mountains: The Grand Tetons and the Sierra Nevadas in the west, and the Appalachians in the east. Conduct an experiment comparing seasonal weather patterns on the two sides of a mountain range. Use online databases to gather data about annual temperature, humidity and precipitation patterns for locations on either side of the mountain range. You can even gather data from famous mountain ranges in other parts of the world like the Himalayas, the Alps or the Andes. Use your world atlas to find an interesting location, and then use an online database to gather your data. How do the climates compare? (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.

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Global Connections

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) are a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.

This project explores topics key to Climate Action: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

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Meteorologist

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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

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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. "How do Mountain Ranges Affect Weather?" Science Buddies, 23 June 2020, https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Weather_p022/weather-atmosphere/mountain-ranges?class=AQU8jkakLcST4RaZf_WJHLqMVjNCq7j600EGKXPmVTE-Ir8n4K235AOTM3XGBG_8B1cZH1Cnfuyv5BgYXkoqkgg2spcNB4bKj8Z4ABXwB92FoQ. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

APA Style

Science Buddies Staff. (2020, June 23). How do Mountain Ranges Affect Weather? Retrieved from https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Weather_p022/weather-atmosphere/mountain-ranges?class=AQU8jkakLcST4RaZf_WJHLqMVjNCq7j600EGKXPmVTE-Ir8n4K235AOTM3XGBG_8B1cZH1Cnfuyv5BgYXkoqkgg2spcNB4bKj8Z4ABXwB92FoQ

Last edit date: 2020-06-23

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