Altitude and Weather
| Areas of Science |
Weather & Atmosphere |
| Difficulty | |
| Time Required | Average (6-10 days) |
*Note:
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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.
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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.
"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 3 Mar. 2021.
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.
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