Meteorology/Climatology

A science that deals with the atmosphere and its phenomena, especially with weather and weather forecasting.

Resources in this category:

About Rainbows
http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/staff/blynds/rnbw.html

Presents the science of rainbows. Hypertext links you to further articles, a glossary and diagrams. There are experiments for studying the nature of rainbows. Includes references.

Arctic Climatology and Meteorology PRIMER for Newcomers to the North
http://www.nsidc.org/arcticmet/

This Arctic weather site is a great place to learn more about Arctic weather basics, weather patterns, and influential weather factors. Created by the National Snow and Ice Data Center, historical pictures of living in the Arctic are also featured, as well as prominent Arctic weather occurrences.

The Aurora Page
http://www.geo.mtu.edu/weather/aurora/

"Information, links and images about the 'Northern Lights'".

Bering Sea Climate and Ecosystem
http://www.beringclimate.noaa.gov/

This web site of the Bering Sea, one of the world's major fisheries, follows an explosion of interest in Northern Hemisphere climate study. Scientists here recognize a symmetric problem: climate change impacts ecosystems, and ecosystems serve as indicators for climate change. This site describes ecological and climatic indices for the Bering Sea which will serve as measures of climate and ecosystem status: weather, oceanographic and climate data, sea ice data, and fisheries and other biological data. This transitional website contains the main set of time series which will form the basis of a small set of Bering climate/ecosystem indices.

Canada Centre for Remote Sensing
http://ccrs.nrcan.gc.ca/index_e.php

"CCRS scientific teams assess and demonstrate the potential of remote sensing data to satisfy the information requirements of agencies that have an operational mandate for the management of various types of disasters." Examples are given of how these sensing devices can be used to study and monitor disasters.

Center for Atmospheric Science
http://www.atm.ch.cam.ac.uk/

This is a joint project of the Cambridge University (U.K.) Chemistry Department and the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics. This site collects links to scholarly scientific atmospheric studies including data collected from expeditions and satellites as well as weather info. It offers a software product, Atmospheric Chemistry Modelling Support Unit (ACMSU), and access to an FTP site. Also included is information about the department and seminars available.

Climate Debate Daily: A new way to understand disputes about global warming
http://climatedebatedaily.com/

A fantastic, highly lauded resource that gathers news, essays, and research supporting and challenging the views that global warming is caused by human activity, that global warming is a threat to humanity, and that earth's climate can be controlled by peope.

Cloud Types: common cloud classifications
http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/cld/cldtyp/home...

A listing of cloud types, with links to descriptions and pictures of the clouds. Hurricanes and tornadoes are also included. The home page has information on how clouds develop.

El Nino Home Page - USGS
http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/elnino/

This site provides news and information about El Nino weather patterns. Find news articles about the causes and effects of El Nino, research projects, and a graph of El Nino effects over the past 40 years.

El Nino Theme Page
http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/tao/elnino/nino-home.html

This site provides "access to distributed information on El Nino." The website covers "The Basics", "What is Happening Now?", and "Where Can I Find Data on El Nino?"

El Nino Theme Page: Accessing Distributed Information related to El Nino
http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/tao/elnino/nino-home.html

This single, hyperlinked resource within and outside the NOAA website, El Nino Theme Page provides updated observational data, scientific analyses, historical facts about El Nino, frequently asked questions, Spanish and Portuguese language sites and latest information.

Global Warming
http://whyfiles.org/080global_warm/index.html

"The debate heats up. When the global warming debate first heated up in the late 1980s, scientists warned that the Earth our grandkids walked might be cooking like a fried egg on an El Paso sidewalk. Graphs and recent interpretations of the threat of warming."

Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center
http://daac.gsfc.nasa.gov/

NASA site for information on Earth Science data, and the archive for Precipitation, Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics. Site also provides access to Giovanni, a data analysis and visualization tool, used to create time series plots, latitude and longitude graphs, and more.

House Committee on Science
http://www.house.gov/science/

"The Committee on Science has its roots in the intense reaction to the Soviet launch of Sputnik on October 4, 1957." Today the Committee's jurisdiction includes energy, astronautical issues, civil aviation, marine, technological research and development, standardization of weights and measures, NASA, outer space, and weather.

Hurricane Hazel
http://www.hurricanehazel.ca/

This site chronicles the history of Hurricane Hazel, a hurricane that struck southern Ontario in 1954. It includes comments from survivors and numerous facts about the effects of the storm, the path of the hurricane and the number of lives lost. This site provides a historical look at this event in Canadian history and offers extensive information on flood control and recovery.

Hurricane Storm Science
http://www.miamisci.org/hurricane/hurricane0.html

This site explains weather instruments, takes you inside a hurricane, details some famous killer hurricanes, explains hurricane tracking, contains links to current hurricane and weather data, and has a section of storm survivors' stories.

Hurricanes - Nature's Greatest Storms
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

This site from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration provides basic information about hurricanes, current weather watches, warnings and forecasts, and offers links to hurricane preparedness guides, the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane scale and other hurricane-related sites.

Intellicast.com: The Authority in Expert Weather
http://www.intellicast.com/

Find U.S. local and national and World weather reports, hourly forecasts, historic averages, satellite images and maps, as well as weather information for selected cities. Includes specific data for skiing and beach or marine forecasts. Also provides weather related health, travel, radar and satellite information.

JPL's El Nino Watch
http://airsea-www.jpl.nasa.gov/ENSO/enso.html

"This home page provides updated information on NASA's contribution in monitoring the evolution of El Niño and its climatic consequences."

Kids' Lightning Information and Safety
http://www.kidslightning.info/zaphome.htm

Sabrina says: "The reason that I made this web site is because it really hurts when you are struck by lightning and I want to help other kids to learn more about lightning safety. I want to share what I have learned with you. I think that the more you know, the safer you can be." She has excellent resources to other lightning safety sites and general lightning information pages.

NASA's Lightning Detection from Space (A Lightning Primer)
http://thunder.msfc.nasa.gov/

The page does a good job of describing lightning and giving its history. It discusses the characteristics of a storm and different types of lightning discharges. There is also a description of NASA's study of this phenomenon from space.

NASA's Observatorium
http://physics.ship.edu/~mrc/astro/NASA_Space_Science/observ...

"A public access site for Earth and space data. We have pictures of the Earth, planets, stars, and other cool stuff, as well as the stories behind those images." Searchable.

NASA’s Earth Observatory: Ask a Scientist
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Library/AskScientist/

Do you have a question about the Earth's environment, or climate? Ask NASA. The NASA Earth Observatory – Ask a Scientist website offers users a chance to ask a nagging question about the environment or climate of the earth, and potentially receive a response. The website also includes images and numerous other resources regarding these same topics.

National Geophysical Data Center
http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/

"The National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) is the national repository for geophysical data, providing a wide range of science data services and information. NGDC provides long-term stewardship for and access to geophysical data, compiles new, well-documented databases from many sources, and offers value-added data services to researchers and the general public. NGDC acquires and exchanges global data through the World Data Center system and other international programs. To find all data, information, and products available from NGDC, you can follow one of the data discipline links at left (glaciology, marine geology & geophysics, paleoclimatology, solar-terrestrial physics, and solid earth geophysics)." The site is searchable.

National Hurricane Center
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

This site provides latest forecast information on tropical weather, reconnaissance data, satellite and radar imagery, hurricane preparedness, and information on the center.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
http://www.noaa.gov/

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is an organization run by the U.S. Department of Commerce. This government organization "conducts research and gathers data about the global oceans, atmosphere, space, and sun, and applies this knowledge to science and service that touch the lives of all Americans." The website includes current news, factual information and statistical information on: weather, ocean, satellites, fisheries, climate, research, coasts and charting and navigation throughout the nation.

NOAA El Nino - Southern Oscillation Page
http://www.elnino.noaa.gov/

"NOAA is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which has primary responsibilities for providing forecasts to the Nation, and a leadership role in sponsoring El Niño observations and research." This site provides extensive background information about El Nino, research publications, information for the public and the media, El Niño forecasts, observations and ongoing research. The site also provides graphics and animations detailing climate data, satellite observations, and oceanic changes. Some of the data is "real time".

NOAA's Drought Information Center
http://www.drought.noaa.gov/

"A roundup of the various NOAA Web sites and information on drought and climate conditions. Some external links are included for your convenience."

NOVA: Descent Into Mt. Blanc
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/mtblanc/

Learn about France's Mt. Blanc as a group of climbers, or glacinoauts, discover unexplored glacier caves. This site also offers information on about glaciers including why they are shrinking, NASA satellite images, the life cycle of snowflakes, as well as the type of gear climber's need to wear when exploring glaciers.

NOVA: the wave that shook the world
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tsunami/

PBS Online created this resource in tandem with the NOVA program aired March 2005. Find teacher's guides, try interactive links to "Anatomy of a Tsunami" and "Once and Future Tsunamis", read "Wave of the Future", a look at preparation for the next major wave, and follow other links and resources to information on this topic. The site even provides an "Ask the Expert" link for email questions about tsunamis.

Operational Significant Event Imagery
http://www.osei.noaa.gov/

"Our Daily Operational Significant Event Imagery Report (DOSEIR) outlines the events we have captured in satellite imagery and provides a direct link to the images themselves. Each image is described with a short narrative and a line of information that notes the satellite source of the image, the channels used, the date and time of the satellite pass, whether it is in color or in grayscale and the geographic location where the image is centered. "

Ozone Depletion FAQ
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/ozone-depletion/

Comprehensive guide to the scientific aspects of stratospheric ozone depletion.

PlanetDiary
http://www.phschool.com/science/planetdiary/index.html

"PlanetDiary records the events and phenomena that affect Earth and its residents. Every week, this site presents geological, astronomical, meteorological, biological, and environmental news from around the globe." The site provides information ranging from a calendar of dates of predictable natural phenomena, current information on important events like hurricanes and volcanoes, and general information on many natural phenomena and topics like: astronomy, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and volcanoes.

Project BudBurst
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/citizen_science/budburst/

Provides tools for citizen scientists to collect climate change data through "the timing of leafing and flowering in their area." Also publishes the results of this data.

Red Sprites
http://www-star.stanford.edu/~vlf/Red_Sprite/

Learn more about these "naturally occuring colorful flashes". The page includes MPEG movies of some red sprites and provides links to other pages that study this phenomenon.

Sebastopol College Science Learning Area
http://www.sebas.vic.edu.au/links/sci/sci.htm

Sebastopol College in Victoria, Australia, provides this page to organize URL links for a variety of scientific disciplines. By selecting one of the science subject areas - general science, history of science, astronomy/space, biology, chemistry, environmental science, forensic science, geology/paleontology, investigations, physics, or weather/meterology - users are taken to web pages where lists of appropriate URL links are provided. Sebastopol College last tested the links in November 2002. Links to more general URls such as "How Stuff Works" are also included.

StormReady Weather Safety Awareness Links
http://www.stormready.noaa.gov/awareness.htm

This section of the National Weather Service website contains links to information on various types of severe weather: heat waves, hurricanes, floods, rip currents, thunderstorms, lightning, tornadoes, and winter weather. Each section includes safety information, historical facts, public service announcements, and downloadable brochures.

Stormtrack: Storm Tracer Homepage
http://www.stormtrack.org/

Features news about storm activiy around the United States, plus chase logs, case studies, data libraries, and other information.

Stratospheric Ozone
http://www.ec.gc.ca/ozone/en/index.cfm

Introductory information about the Earth's ozone layer and the problem of ozone depletion.

The Tsunami Disaster in Asia, 2004 : an Annotated Directory of Resources
http://bulldog2.redlands.edu/dept/AsianStudiesDept/tsunami.h...

"An annotated directory of Internet resources on the 2004 tsunami disaster in Asia, including news sources, information on relief efforts & donations, missing persons & victim contact information, & impact on affected countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Myanmar and Somalia." The site contents include aggregated sources, Asian government sources, reports & commentary, relief aid & donations, missing persons & victim contact, and general information on tsunamis.

The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
http://commerce.senate.gov/public/

The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation reviews proposed legislation, messages, petitions, memorials, and other matters relating to topics including the Coast Guard, coastal zone management, communications, highway safety, inland waterways, interstate commerce, marine and ocean navigation, marine fisheries, Merchant marine and navigation, nonmilitary aeronautical and space sciences, oceans, weather, and atmospheric activities, interoceanic canals, regulation of consumer products and services, regulation of interstate common carriers, science, engineering, and technology research and development and policy, sports, standards and measurement, and transportation.

United States Interactive Climate Pages
http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/data/usclimate/

"This web site provides easy access to climatologies for cities throughout the US and its possessions." It can be searched by state and city for weather types such as precipation or snowfall. Time periods can be specified and information is available in detailed or text format for slower downloads.

USGS, Natural Hazards Support System
http://nhss.cr.usgs.gov/

Interactive printable map that shows earthquakes, active volcanoes, NOAA hurricane tracking, and active fires for North America or the world.

Weather Advisory Browser
http://weather.terrapin.com/

Weather advisories, watches, and warnings issued by the National Weather Service. You can search for advisories by location and/or type of advisory.

The Weather Channel
http://www.weather.com/index.html

The WWW version of cable TV's Weather Channel. Current weather information and forecasting for the United States are easily accessed. This site also offers educational resources, such as the "weather classroom." Weather news, advisories and facts of interest are available, as is the Weather Channel's TV schedule.

Weather Glossary for Storm Spotters
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/oun/severewx/glossary.php

A comprehensive glossary of weather terms for storm spotters.

The Weather Office
http://www.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/canada_e.html

This site is from Meteorological Service of Canada and contains local and national weather reports from Canada and the world. It offers satellite photos, radar images, and other measures of weather and the environment.

Weather: What Forces Affect Our Weather?
http://www.learner.org/exhibits/weather/

"Weather is dynamic, the product of interacting forces we are only beginning to understand." This exhibit explains the forces that cause our weather and how our climate is changing. Topics that are covered include, the atmosphere, the water cycle, storms, ice, snow, and forecasting. Online activities are provided.

WeatherWeb: Weather Resources for Schools
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~kamr/

"This website provides curriculum resources for teachers and students teaching and learning about the Weather as part of middle and high school Earth and Atmospheric Science."

WINDandSEA: An Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences Internet Locator
http://www.lib.noaa.gov/docs/wind/windandsea.html

"This locator was built in response to the many reference questions that are posed to the library and is meant to make Internet searching more efficient for the NOAA community, the academic community, other government agencies concerned with oceanic and atmospheric issues, and the general public. Presently WINDandSEA has over 800 selected links to science and policy sites organized by topic and alphabetically within topic; sites that include government science agencies, educational institutions, professional organizations, and commercial organizations that have information relevant to the oceanic, atmospheric, and marine biological sciences. In addition, it has links to scientific bibliographies and glossaries. WINDandSEA is of value to educators, students, the scientific community, and environmental policy-makers. All of these sites have been reviewed and annotated by a technical information specialist of the NOAA Central Library staff."

World Climate
http://www.worldclimate.com/

Offering information on "What the weather is normally like for tens of thousands of places worldwide!" Offers historical weather averages, typically including monthly and annual average rainfall and/or precipitation data.