Sunday, July 17, 2011

Isobars

For the purposes of meteorology and weather forecasting, lines of constant pressure—or isobars—are used to chart pressure differences in the atmosphere. This is vital to forecasting and evaluating weather conditions as air pressure greatly influences the types of weather phenomena that occur. Like any type of isoline, the closer an isobar is to another, the greater change in pressure that is experienced. On the other hand, if an isobar is further away from another isobar there is a smoother increase or decrease in pressure. The map shown here displays a powerful north eastern storm moving into the United States. The great red "L" signifies the center of the low pressure system and the isobars around it are close together showing a dramatic drop in pressure in that area.

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