Lab #13: Climate and Weather Data and
Famine Early Warning Systems

Your Name Date
Course ____________________

Instructions: Photocopy this page and turn in a HARDCOPY to your instructor.
For further information contact Robert Ford's ESS Web Resources Contact: Email: rford@univ.llu.edu

Note: WWW Resources to use: World Climates: Koppen Classification System, Interpreting weather data/maps
and Finding and Accessing Climate Data and the Indian Ocean Monsoon

I. The Koeppen Climate System:

Study the Koppen Climate Classification System and the graphic - The Hypothetical Continent (including sample CLIMOGRAPHS )
as well as the Reading: Appendix E Page A-14-A17 in your textbook - Blue Planet -then answer the following questions:

A. Answers to questions on webreadings:

What is the maximum amount of precipitation for the year possible for a region to still be classified as a BS climate?
What temperature conditions differentiates a D from an E climate?
What moisture/precipitation conditions differentiates an Af from Am climate?
In which months of the year does evapotranspiration exceed precipitation in Panguitch, UT (see sample CLIMOGRAPHS)?
In which months of the year does evapotranspiration exceed precipitation in Pasadena, CA (see sample CLIMOGRAPHS)?
Name three places in the world (major cities) that have Cs climates (use the wall map or globe to find cities) - also use
The Hypothetical Continent graphic.

B. Classifying/Analizing Climates using Data from NOAA.

Go to the CLIMVIS - precipitation historical datasets and CLICK "I agree....." then choose option: "Graph Total Precipitation
Each Year for a Period of Years" then click on Africa (see clickable map) and choose Ouahigouya in Burkina Faso and
make a graph for the period 1960 - 1990. Print the map or copy the graph onto this page by hand. Answer/do the following:
Use the following sites: US Interactive Climate Pages - access pages - NOAA (clickable state maps) and then answer
these questions:
a) Create a climate map showing Mean Palmer Drought Severity for 1997 as compared to average for period 1950-1995:
First choose the Palmer Drought Severity Index (as variable), then as "type of plot" = mean, and then choose January to
December (for beginning and ending of period), and then enter 1997 (as Years for Composites) = then click on Create Map.
Print your map and answer the following:
- Which part of the US had a drought in 1997 and how severe was it?
- Which area had above average rainfall - opposite of a drought (what was the measure on the idex?)

______________________________

Using the NOAA (clickable state maps) answer these questions:

a) Find the Basic Climatology data/charts for Key West, Florida: Using that information, what would be the
correct KOEPPEN classification?

_____________________

b) Find the Basic Climatology data/charts for International Falls, Minnesota: Using that information, what would
be the correct KOEPPEN classification?

c) Find the "Basic Climatology" data/charts for Fairbanks, Alaska: Using that information, what would be
the correct KOEPPEN classification?

II. Making and Interpreting Weather Maps and Images:

A. Go to the resources on Interpreting weather data/maps and study the module: How-to do Contour Analysis - SSEC
and Reading Weather Maps then answer/do the following by considering the online weather maps from the Utah MESONET:

Go to DATA and do the following: Find the Station at the top of the Alta/Germania Lift and tell me the following:
a) What was the Temperature and Relative humidity at midnight (Previous night - list date__________)
b) When was the wind the weakest - what time? And from what direction was it coming?
Go to the Regression Surface Analyses and choose: Wasatch Front Temperature - make a map (static image)
and tell me where was the coldest temperature recorded on that map:

B. Regional/Global Satellite Images on Storms - go to STORM'2004 (PalmBeachPost.com) or the National Hurricane Center
and answer these questions:

Are there any hurricanes or typhoons anywhere on earth at this point in time?
When and where was the last one and what was it called?
What is the Saffir-Simpson scale - describe it?

C. Use the Real time data - SSEC - site and go find the GOES-10 satellite imagery (for western US). Are there any
storms approaching the Great Basin at this time? What clues would you look for and if there is a storm coming, how far away is it at this point?

D. Look at the SSEC - Global Composite Montage image and tell me if you see any storms/clouds over

What time was the image taken/made that you looked at (GMT) ___________

E. You will be given a weather map showing point data for atmospheric pressure for a selected portion of the US. Use
that information to create an Isoline (contour) Map (showing equal lines of pressure): Show on the map where the
Lowest Pressure point is by an L and the highest pressure point by an H. Attach the map to this sheet!

III. The Asian Monsoon module (go HERE):

first SIX Questions in the online quiz