Novice questions

[jes]

On the water vapor map the dark area in the gulf has expanded west since yesterday. I think that I understand the dark area is high pressure. Is it also called a ridge? So the storm was inbetween the ridges - and the one to the East was stronger so it pushed the storm west - is this correct? Are the westerlies also high pressure? Are the westerlies also the dark areas on the map? I am just trying to understand a tiny bit about the maps, but it difficult. I wonder if I printed some maps if the local met at the TV station would explain them to me. Do they do things like that for the public?

[KeyLargoDave]

Lots of questions, probably a semester worth at least <!>. You might want to get a basic textbook or meteorology book. Check out the library. Time Life books used to have a great series on natural science.

AFAIK, water vapor loops show differences in amount of moisture in the air. Because moisture levels are different in warm and cold air, you can see fronts and troughs and high pressure in water vapor loops. You can see the movement of air masses.

Remember, the atmosphere is a three dimensional, fluid system. You might see something in a loop that is high, med or low feature.

Hurricanes are steered by high pressure systems. Winds move clockwise around highs. In the north Atlantic, a high north of a hurricane steers the hurricane westward. At the western end of a high, the winds turn the hurricane northwestward. Other forces also want a hurricane to go poleward (north) in the absence of a blocking high.

Isobars are the lines on the maps of equal pressure. Winds move from high to low pressure. Isobars tightly packed indicate pressure gradients that increase winds.

HTH. I'm no weather expert -- I write about technical subjects for general audiences.

[Pebbles]

There was this site with all these links about basic and advanced weather on the net. But when my computer crashed a few weeks back I lost the link *sighs* Really wish I could find it again as it just had GOBS of info (almost enough for a whole teach yourself weather without paying for college kinda feel to it). If anyone knows what site I am talking about it please post the link.

[jes]

Thanks to both of you. Dave, I did grasp some of your information but I can tell that this is going to be way over my head. My degree is in Social Work --so no science in college. I now know I can't just look at a high and know it will push or pull in one direction. Pebbles I think I will go to the library in hopes of finding a "picture book" so that maybe I can develope just a vague idea of what I am looking at on the maps.

[Ed25]

Try this
http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/home.rxml

[jes]

Ed - that is a wonderful resource - its just what I need. I think that there are many people on this board who would enjoy it. You might want to offer it as a new topic. Thanks

[Dee Bee]

Try this
http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/home.rxml

This looks great for novices like me, too! I'm on break from teaching college English/Lit down in FLL this week, so (in between getting things back to "normal" after my minor damage from Jeanne) I'll have something interesting to read/learn. Thanks to you and all the participants in this forum for your expertise and advice!

[TropicalJen]

another site we all know and love http://www.storm2k.com i've learned soooooo much here, college degree vicariously through Derrick and all other mets here, schooled or amateur

[ColdFront77]

Water Vapor satellite imagery basically shows a "picture" of water vapor content in the upper part of the atmosphere between approximately 10,000 and 40,000 feet. The images are typically of lower resolution than IR images, but are available both day and night - which is an advantage over visible imagery.

Infrared (IR) satellite imagery basically shows the temperature of the highest cloud or land surface at all locations. Since, the temperature usually decreases dramatically with height throughout the part of the atmosphere where clouds are found, the colder clouds are typically higher in the atmosphere.

IR has more is better to view after sunset and before sunrise... because visibile satellite imagery suffers from the fact it displays reflected sunlight. The visible satellite imagery is usually more detailed than other types of satellite imagery.