AVON CRAWFORD
KATHY GUELTZOW                                      "If we are afraid to learn from
JOHN LORD                                                         the past, how can we shape
GINGER NEACE                                               the future?"

       
 

  
 
                 INTRODUCTION
Radiant energy from the sun is absorbed by the air, land and water, which in turn, stores and transfers heat, affecting weather and climates all over the world.

Earth's atmosphere is a mixture of nitrogen, oxygen, and trace gases that include water vapor. The atmosphere has different properties at different elevations. Global patterns of atmospheric movement influence local weather. Oceans have a major effect on climate because water in the oceans holds a large amount of heat.

Weather is the condition of Earth's atmosphere which includes temperature, humidity, precipitation, and air pressure. Atmospheric factors that interact to cause weather are heat energy, air pressure, winds, and moisture. The uneven heating of Earth's surface produces the planet's seasons and weather patterns. Seasons result from variations in the amount of the sun's energy hitting the surface, due to the tilt of the Earth's rotation on its axis and the length of the day.

Climate is the average weather for a given place as recorded over a period of years and is determined by two basic factors: temperature and precipitation. Climate is important because it controls the plants and animals that live in a particular region and the basic needs of the people. Global climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun and influenced by cloud cover, Earth's rotation and the position of mountain ranges and oceans.

Space technology and satellites are instrumental in relaying weather  information.
 

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