Nature's Finishing Touch page 2

Nature's Finishing Touch continued

Rainbow

An arch of light of different colors, caused by the refractin and reflection of sunlight by drops of water. Rainbows are typically seen in the sky during a summer shower and in the mists of waterfalls and sprays from garden hoses. A rainbow can only be seen when the sun is behind you. Sunlight is composed from all the colors in a rainbow: indigo, violet, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red. There are several different types of rainbows:

primary - most commonly seen; strongly colored; red forms the outermost band, followed by orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet.
secondary - appears outside the first rainbow; faintly colored; colors are reversed.
intersecting - seen after a rain shower when sunlight is reflected from a body of water.
double - seen when sunlight reflects from 2 bodies of water; strongly colored.
lunar - very rare; formed by sunlight reflecting from the moon.

Did you know: The lower the sun is in the sky, the larger a rainbow appears.

Seasons

The season change as the earth rotates about the sun. When the northern hemisphere has its summer, the southern hemispher has its winter. The northern winter is shorter and warmer than the southern winter. The northern summer is longer and cooler than the southern summer.

March - Spring begins; northern and southern hemispheres recieve equal amounts of light.
June - Summer begins; northern hemisphere recieves its maximum amount of light while the southern hemisphere recieves it minimum.
September - Autum (Fall) begins; northern and southern hemispheres recieve equal amounts of light.
December - Winter begins; northern hemisphere recieves its minimum amount of light while the southern hemispheres recieves its maximum.

Did you know: During northern summers, Antartica has no sun while Alaska has no night; the reverse is true for winter.

Snow

Ice crystals that fall from the sky. Snow forms in clouds where moisture in the air freezes into ice crystals. In general, the crystals form around dust or other very small particles of solid matter. Snow crystals range in diameter from 1/1000 inch to 1/2 inch. Size and shape depend largely on the temperature and moisture condittions during the growth of the crystal. Snow is the principal source of water in many regions. Winter snows in the mountains and plains melt in the spring, and thus provide water to feed lakes, rivers, and streams. Melted snow seeps into the ground and increases groundwater supplies.

Did you know: Snow appears to be white because of the many reflecting surfaces of the ice crystals, but may occasionally be red, pink, yellow, brown, blue, or green depending on the particles collected by the crystals as they fall through the air.

Waves

Rhythmic motions of water caused by vibrations from the wind or a shifting of the earth's crust.

Did you know: The ocean's waves would produce an extreme amount of energy if harnessed.

Wind

Wind is the movement of air over the earth's surface. Wind is caused by differences in atmospheric pressure by unequaled heating of the earth's surface by the sun. The rotation of the planet influences the direction of the wind. The Planetary Winds move in a circular pattern over the entire earth and control the 5 general wind zones:

Doldrums -lie approximately between 5 degrees north and south of the equator, but shifting with the sun causes these winds to reach as far as 17 degrees north in summer and south in winter; weather is hot, humid, and rainy; surface winds are light and varible.
Trade - extend from the doldrums to as much as 30 degrees north and south; are the steadiest over the oceans.
Horse - form a belt begining at 30 degrees north and south between the trade and the prevailing westerlies; some of the world's largest deserts are located in the path of these winds; weather is clear and bright; surface winds are weak and shifting.
Prevailing Westerlies - extend from horse to 60 degrees north and south; wind is from the west and highly varible.
Polar Easterlies- extend from 60 degrees north and south to the poles; wind is from the east.

Did you know:Wind blows from cooler areas into hotter areas.

Return to Home page

This page hosted byGet your ownFree Home Page