Through the centuries, nations have battled each other for control, but the weather is an element none of them can control. World leaders realize this and have been banding together to help them predict this essential element of our lives because they all need an accurate weather forecast.
The industrialized nations of Europe, North America, Asia and Australia have been working together to combine weather research. Other nations, such as China, Saudi Arabia and South Africa have likewise been studying the weather in an effort to better plan for crops.
It makes sense: As weather systems circle the globe, what happens in one nation can affect another half a world away. For this reason, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has been collecting and sharing weather information since the 1950s. Meteorologists now have access to a database with weather information from around the world.
This information is useful, especially as our knowledge of the weather has increased, thanks to advances in physics, satellite technology and computers. Our ability to forecast the weather day to day has improved because we are able to collect and read information from a growing number of weather stations around the world.
New discoveries in weather prediction occur all the time. We now know the Earth has five atmospheric layers. While the layer that most affects the weather is the troposphere, the other four layers also play a significant part. For example, the ozone layer, located in the stratosphere 15 miles above the Earth, is the subject of much study, thanks to our continuing concern about global warming.
The layers of the atmosphere are as follows, from bottom to top: The troposphere is the layer from the ground to about 5 to 10 miles above the Earth’s surface. If you were to travel upward through the troposphere, you would notice the air temperature decreasing but this effect would stop as you reached the tropopause, the next layer. The tropopause is very cold, about -70 degrees F.
The stratosphere is the next level and extends to about 30 miles above the Earth’s surface. Here the air is much warmer, about 40 degrees F. Because of the difference in air temperature, air rising from the Earth’s surface stops at the stratosphere and fans out toward the poles, thus creating our air circulation patterns, pressure systems and winds.
Above the stratosphere is the mesosphere. Here the temperature again decreases dramatically, to about -130 degrees F. This layer can be found from 30 to 50 miles above the Earth’s surface. Above this point is the ionosphere or thermosphere. Again, the temperature dramatically increases, to about 2,700 degrees F. This layer absorbs meteors and other space debris. The exosphere is the highest atmospheric level, marked by low gravity and the presence of many gases.
Watching how air temperature and pressure change between these various layers is a major part of predicting the weather. It’s amazing to think that the movement of invisible air molecules 30 miles above the Earth can have such a major effect on our lives here on the ground. Next time you notice weather conditions, keep in mind how little things can really mean a lot.
