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Upper air maps are maps of the atmosphere between 1 and 10 miles above the ground. They are used extensively in weather forecasting, both short range and long range. This module will introduce some conventional upper air maps, explain how to interpret them, and describe their use in weather forecasting.

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  1. Become proficient at inferring winds from height contours.
  2. Be able to use the maps to forecast the movement of weather systems and the evolution of temperature and vertical motion.

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  1. Geostrophic Balance Revisited
  2. Estimating the Actual Wind Speed [optional]
  3. Estimating the Actual Wind Speed Quiz [optional]
  4. Winds and Heights: Mix and Match
  5. The 300 mb Map
  6. The 500 mb Map
  7. The 700 mb Map
  8. The 850 mb Map
  9. Tough Review Questions
  10. Summary

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Questions or Comments

Technical: E-mail John Fulton < jdfult@nimbus.met.tamu.edu >
Scientific: E-mail Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon. < nielsen@ariel.met.tamu.edu >

Copyright © 1996-2003 Texas A&M University, Texas A&M Atmospheric Sciences Department and Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon. All rights reserved.