LAVC Geography Gilroy City Weather Forecast Presentation

Hurricane Katrina: Air Pressure and Wind Speed.The Questions
How does a hurricane get its power?
How do air pressure gradients influence wind speed?
Your Name / CWID
Background / Task
Hurricane Katrina is an example of a typical hurricane, increasing in
intensity as it travels across warm ocean water. The intensity of a
hurricane can be measured in terms of its central air pressure and its
sustained wind speeds.
In this lab we will analyze the changes in air pressure and sustained
wind speed as Hurricane Katrina travelled across the Gulf of Mexico,
made landfall, and fizzled-out over land.
Purpose
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Investigate the intensity of a hurricane in terms of changes in
air pressure and wind speed.
● Create professional charts from table data using MS Excel.
Prepare a professional lab report using MS Word.
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Deliverables
The printed lab report.
Save and print your MS Word document to the laptop.
Save your MS Excel file to the laptop.
Email both files to yourself as an Email attachment.
Due Date / Time
As arranged.
Questions?
Please email me if you have any questions, need additional help, or
need clarification of this lab project or my expectations.
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Angela Armen
Hurricane Katrina: Air Pressure and Wind Speed.
1) Introduction.
Hurricanes are intense cyclonic storms that develop over the warm oceans of the tropics. These
tropical storms go by other names in the various parts of the world:
India/Australia
Western North Pacific
Philippines
cyclones
typhoons
baguio
By international agreement, the term tropical cyclone is used by most nations to describe
hurricane-like storms that originate over tropical oceans. Surface atmospheric pressure in the
center of a hurricane tends to be extremely low. The lowest pressure reading ever recorded for
a hurricane (typhoon Tip, 1979) is 870 millibars (mbar). However, most storms have an average
pressure of 950 millibars.
To be classified as a hurricane, sustained wind speeds must be greater than 118 kilometers per
hour at the storm’s center. Wind speed in a hurricane is directly related to the surface pressure
of the storm. The following graph (Figure A) shows the relationship between surface pressure
and sustained wind speed for a number of tropical low pressure systems.
Figure 1. Relationship between surface pressure and wind speed for a number of tropical low
pressure systems. Tropical low pressure systems are classified as hurricanes when their
pressure is 980 millibars or lower, and sustained wind speeds are greater than 118 kilometers
per hour.
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Angela Armen
Hurricane Katrina: Air Pressure and Wind Speed.
2) Hurricane Development and Fuel.
Hurricanes are powered by the latent heat energy released from condensation. To form and
develop, they must be supplied with a constant supply of warm humid air for this process.
Surface air with enough energy (warmth and moisture) to generate a hurricane only exists over
oceans with a temperature greater than 26.5°C (80°F). Further, this warm surface water must
exist in a layer that is at least 200 meters (600 feet) deep. Ocean temperatures this high only
occur in selected regions of our planet and during particular seasons.
At the center of a hurricane is an intense low pressure cell with a steep pressure gradient that
literally ‘sucks’ warm and moist air into the hurricane = the fuel for the hurricane. The warm
ocean water therefore provides the energy for the hurricane and hurricanes quickly lose
strength when they move over land or over cooler water.
Figure 2. Idealized cross-section of a hurricane. The air spirals into the storm – being ‘suckedin’ by the low pressure center of the hurricane. Now the air rises and cools, creating massive
clouds and torrential rain. Condensation releases latent heat which powers the hurricane.
(Figure 20-1 from Laboratory Manual, Physical Geography – A Landscape Appreciation, 9th
Edition)
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Angela Armen
Hurricane Katrina: Air Pressure and Wind Speed.
3) Data Visualization and Report Preparation.
We will be using MS Excel and MS Word (or Google Sheets / Google Docs) for this lab project.
1) Enter Table 1 into MS Excel. Include the column headings as given and define the
Date/Time as a Date/Time column in MS Excel. Save your MS Excel file.
2) Create a professional time series chart of the central air pressure and sustained wind speed
associated with Hurricane Katrina using the data in Table 1. Include axis titles with units, chart
title, and legend, and adjust the colors and symbol sizes to print properly on a black-and-white
printer. Be sure to define a secondary y-axis to properly scale both series.
3) Create a professional scatter chart, plotting sustained wind speed as a function of central air
pressure, using the data in Table 1. Add a linear trend line to the scatter chart to illustrate the
approximate relationship between the two variables. Include axis titles with units, a chart title,
legend, and adjust the colors and symbol sizes to print properly on a black-and-white printer.
Save your MS Excel file.
4) Create a new MS Word document for the lab report and add five page breaks to give you a
6-page document. Insert page numbers into the page footer.
Page 1 will be the cover page
Page 2, 3 is space for the analysis (see Part 4)
Page 4, 5 are the two pages for the MS Excel charts
Page 6 is for your MS Excel table.
5) Copy and paste the time series chart from MS Excel into Page 4 of your MS Word
document. Add a figure number and figure caption.
6) Copy and paste the scatter plot chart from MS Excel into Page 5 of your MS Word document.
Add a figure number and figure caption.
7) Copy and paste the table from MS Excel into Page 6 of your MS Word document. Add a
table number and a table caption.
8) Complete the cover page and save your MS Word file.
This ends Part 1. We have visualized the data as two professional charts, created our lab
report, and already completed 4 of the 6 pages of the lab report.
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Angela Armen
Hurricane Katrina: Air Pressure and Wind Speed.
4) Data Description and Analysis.
Question 1. Describe the general time sequence between 24 and 30 August 2005 in terms of
central air pressure and sustained wind speed changes.
Question 2. What explains the increase in the intensity of Hurricane Katrina between 26 and 28
August 2005?.
Question 3. Describe the changes in central pressure and sustained wind speed between 29
and 30 August 2005.
Question 4. What explains the decrease in the intensity of Hurricane Katrina between 29 and 30
August 2005?
Question 5. Describe the relationship between central air pressure and sustained wind speed.
Why do you think this relationship exists?
Type your answers in Page 2 and 3 of your lab report.
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Angela Armen
Hurricane Katrina: Air Pressure and Wind Speed.
Table 1. Central air pressure and sustained wind speed of Hurricane Katrina between 24 and
30 August 2005 (Data compiled from National Weather Service/National Hurricane Center
Forecast Advisories, Figure 20-4 from Laboratory Manual, Physical Geography – A Landscape
Appreciation, 9th Edition).
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Angela Armen
Hurricane Katrina: Air Pressure and Wind Speed.
5) Air Pressure and Wind.
Figure 3 shows two idealized air pressure maps for the United States (air pressure is shown in
millibars).
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On each map, draw about eight arrows showing the wind direction. Align the
arrows in their proper relationship to the isobars.
Explain the wind direction in both maps on the right side.
Figure 3. Generalized weather maps. Top: Upper atmosphere; Bottom: Lower Atmosphere.
(Exercise 12-I from Lab Manual, Physical Geography – A Landscape Appreciation, 9th Edition)
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Angela Armen
Hurricane Katrina: Air Pressure and Wind Speed.
6) Bonus Part: Hurricane Katrina Landfall.
Figure 4 shows an actual weather map of Hurricane Katrina from 29 August 2005.
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On the map, draw about eight arrows showing the wind direction. Align the
arrows in their proper relationship to the isobars.
Explain the wind direction in the space below..
Figure 4. Weather map showing Hurricane Katrina at 07:00 EST on 29 August 2005. (From
Daily Weather Maps, National Weather Service, Figure 20-3 from Laboratory Manual, Physical
Geography – A Landscape Appreciation, 9th Edition)
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Angela Armen
Hometown Geography Lab
The Question.
Your Hometown Geography Lab
Your Name
Background / Task.
One of the best ways to think geographically about a place is to
think about a place you know well: your hometown.
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Purpose.
Research your hometown’s geographic history,
climate, geomorphology, landscape, and notable
landforms using online sources, our online
textbooks, and our course website.
Explore ways that people in your local area have
impacted their surrounding geography and/or ways
that the geography of your local area has impacted
the people.
Summarize and visualize your work as a
professional MS PowerPoint or Google Slides
presentation.
After completing this project you will be able to:
1. Apply your physical geography knowledge to your
hometown’s climate and landscape history.
2. Show how geographic processes have impacted
your hometown’s cultural and/or economic
development.
3. Summarize and display information in a visual
manner.
Deliverables.
As detailed below.
Questions?
I’m happy to clarify this lab project and my expectations as needed.
Please contact me for additional help and support!
Please review this entire document (including the grading/rubric table on Page 5) before you
start working on your presentation.
1) Presentation Organization.
Remember: here we are interested in the why = the geographic processes and explanations
shaping and impacting your hometown. In other words: pictures or videos – on their own – are
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Hometown Geography Lab
insufficient: you need to add context, words, and explanations to make them tell a compelling
story. Organize your presentation into a series of 10 specific slides (minumum). My
recommendation-Always do more than the minimum.
Note: I’m using Los Angeles as an example below – you will obviously use your own hometown
for this lab.
Slide 1: Title Slide.
Every presentation needs a title slide: make sure that you include your name, the date of your
presentation, and your affiliation.
Slide 2: About Los Angeles Slide.
Here you can introduce your town and include demographic and historical information. This
slide can include a photograph or two.
Slide 3: The Map Slide.
Maps are important and here you can include a map or two of your town and where your
town is located. If possible, annotate the map to show where the landforms you are
showing in Slides 6-8 are located.
Slide 4: The Weather Slide.
Include the current weather conditions in your town and explain the weather forecast for
the next several days. Use Weather Underground to find the weather stations located in
your town and NOAA for the official weather forecast.
Must include infographics. Visuals.
Slide 5: The Climate Slide.
Describe the climate of your town using the proper terminology and include the best-possible
climograph for your town.
Slide 6: The Landform #1.
Select a notable local landform and explain the geographic processes
(past/current/future) shaping this landform. Include a diagram or figure that explains the
formation of this landform and a photograph of the landform.
Include infographics and an image of your landform.
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Hometown Geography Lab
Slide 7: The Landform #2.
Select a notable local landform and explain the geographic processes
(past/current/future) shaping this landform. Include a diagram or figure that explains the
formation of this landform and a photograph of the landform.
Include infographics and an image of your landform.
Slide 8: The Landform #3.
Select a notable local landform and explain the geographic processes
(past/current/future) shaping this landform. Include a diagram or figure that explains the
formation of this landform and a photograph of the landform.
Include infographics and an image of your landform.
Slide 9: End Slide.
Every presentation needs an end slide as the ‘book end’ to the title slide.
Slide 10: Bibliography Slide.
Here you include the sources of all the materials used (websites, figures, photographs,
maps, etc.). This information has to be included in your presentation.
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Hometown Geography Lab
2) Tips and Reminders.
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Do ask for help if you need it (select the landforms, find information and
resources, create the presentation, etc.).
Do remember that this is a college course – present information at the
appropriate level (don’t be too general or “high school” with your information,
provide specific examples and explanations of what you’re talking about).
Do remember that this is a college course – your presentation has to be
professional and error-free. Pay attention to detail and proofread your work.
Use a consistent layout and format for your presentation slides (colors, fonts,
alignments, etc.).
Use the Speaker Notes – both for additional information and/or for citing the
figure sources.
If you do not use Speaker Notes, please add audio through Studio or
Screencastify-Both Free! Studio is available via Canvas and is very easy to use!
Do use bullets that paraphrase information for your presentation (do not simply
cut/paste text from websites or include whole paragraphs of information on your
slides). Too much text is not good.
Do use graphics to support the ideas you’re explaining – try to include visuals to
help us learn quickly and find real photographs of real things.
The Snipping Tool in Windows 10 can be very useful.
See https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201361 for how to do this on a Mac.
Need help? Ask me – I love this stuff!
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Hometown Geography Lab
The Grading / Assessment Table.
Name:
Criteria
Comment
Score (_/10)
Organization (required # of
slides, type of required slides
etc.).
Professionalism (error-free
formatting, attention to detail,
speaker notes, etc.).
Weather and climate (the
weather/climate information is
accurate and relevant).
Processes (shows and
explains geographic
processes connected to the
landforms).
Graphics (effective use of
graphics and visuals to
illustrate and explain).
Design/Voice/Speaker Notes
Total:
Comments.
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