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Weather

The weather describes what is happening in the atmosphere at a particular time. Weather conditions can change suddenly. Today may be warm and sunny, tomorrow may be cool and cloudy. Weather conditions include features like rain, snow, sleet, hail, fog, mist, sunshine, wind, cloud, and thunderstorms.

The moon has no air and has no atmosphere. Consequently, it has no weather. Weather "needs" an atmosphere. The Earth's atmosphere is mainly heated by the Earth's surface, which is heated by the Sun during the daytime. Different parts of the Earth receive different amounts of sunlight. Places nearer the equator receive stronger sunlight and are therefore hotter than places nearer the poles which receive less sunlight. This temperature difference causes heat to flow from the equator towards the poles, carried by moving air. This heat flow is one of the driving forces behind the world's weather. Heat moving vertically up and down through the atmosphere due to temperature differences within the atmosphere also drives the weather.

 

Atmosphere

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Environmental Change Network
Weather World
US EPA
Franklin Institute

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Introduction
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