Belfort Instrument Blog

Author: Dave Deane

The world is getting smaller everyday because of the technological advancements of mankind. However, the same factors responsible for making human life and the human race better is also responsible for the degradation of the environment.

Man has been exposed to a more comfortable life and he wants more. He may have everything he needs to live a better and more comfortable life but he is becoming greedy to the point of wanting more than what Mother Nature can afford.

The environmental disasters that are reported in different countries almost every day should serve as a wake up call to humanity that perhaps, they should now be more considerate of the environment. Mother Nature may be generous but she can also become angry and vindictive when she has reached the saturation point.

The strong typhoon, earthquake, soil erosion leading to the collapse of residential areas are just some of the common disasters that are actually caused by men. Illegal logging, the throwing of industrial wastes in the rivers, increased used of un-biodegradable materials are only among the few sins mankind has committed against nature.

Evidence will point out to the fact that environmental retribution will most likely behold mankind soon and he should be prepared for a major disaster brought about by climate change anytime now or in the future.

The issue on the greenhouse effect is not just propaganda in order for environmentalist groups to earn their funding requirement. Global warming is upon us and this can be gleamed from the major environmental changes like too much heat, too much cold and other phenomenon that mankind is faced with.

But no matter what mankind does now, he can ever revert global warming; he can only delay it. What is important is mankind knows the possible effects of climate change and what can be done to alleviate the negative effects.

Climate change can lead to emergencies like the increasing level of the sea water, forest fires and other manifestations. When this happens, the scientists and world leaders should have an emergency program that they can implement to make sure that lives are not lost and properties are not wasted.

The first thing to do is to launch a massive information campaign to make the whole world aware of what is happening in the environment as a result of climate change. People should know what to expect in terms of the possible environmental disasters as well as the possible diseases that may be caused by climate change.

The best emergency preparation kit for people all over the world is knowledge. Knowledge on what is about to befall them once the effects of climate change becomes manifest in our environment would help societies lessen the brunt of the anger of Mother Nature.

Every country should prepare for any emergency brought about by climate change. Even the first world countries that have all the technology would have a hard time facing this disaster. How much more the third world countries that are not even past the problem of providing food resources for their citizens?

Every household should be taught how to prepare for climate change emergencies. They should no longer rely on their governments to see them through the effects of climate change because once that happens, there may be a possibility that even government will become debilitated to act.

Everyone has to act now. They do not have a choice.

Author: Leroy K. Calstard
We know that if the atmosphere did not exist, the earth would go without weather. Imagine for a moment for argument’s sake that the earth has an atmosphere indeed, as it is today, though the sun is absent. Absence of sun would mean absence of weather and that is not only because a frozen solid form the atmosphere will take. Actually the interaction between heat of the sun and our atmosphere builds air masses, while circulation patterns appear due to that. Pressure differences motivate air movements and wind is the end result of the same.

As in case of other materials, the air in the earth’s atmosphere is built of molecules that move about incessantly. Greater is the air pressure where denser concentration of molecules is found. Since air molecules are governed by gravity, the greatest air pressure is found nearest the earth’s surface and with altitude that decreases. The atmospheric pressure at sea level is about 14 and a half pounds on each square inch about which are normally not much conscious.

If air pressure is measured in hectopascals or millibars, normal air pressure ranges from 980 to 1040 hectopascals while on local conditions that is very much dependent.

At different speeds these molecules incessantly move while the speeds depend on temperature, lower the temperature slower is the peed and for higher temperature faster is the speed. The molecules speed up as a mass of air is heated and that results in expansion of air. The density of the molecules decreases as expansion takes place and thereby the air mass becomes lighter. The air mass that has become lighter starts rising now. Convection is the term for the entire process.

All through the world convection is going on constantly in the atmosphere. However neither regular nor uniform is the process. It depends on many local factors whether convection will take place, and if it does at all, how much that will be.

As air rises it cools. Therefore in due course the rising warm air masses get cooled down and to the ground that its starts sinking back. With the rise of air, low pressure results. High pressure is the result where it is sinking. As equilibrium is the goal of atmosphere, air moves from high pressure areas to low pressure ones. Wind is this very movement of air. More the difference between the high pressure and low pressure zones, more forceful winds would be the result.

An elliptical orbit the earth or the third rock from the sun follows and to complete that the time it takes is one year. The time to complete one orbit marks stretch of the earth’s year. Since elliptical is the earth’s orbit, in certain parts of the year it really comes closer to the sun. However that does not cause seasons even though more solar heat the earth receives then.

The earth’s movement is not limited to its travel through space in its own orbit, but it spins also on its axis like a top. In every 24-hour one spin it completes. Alteration between day and night is caused by the earth’s rotation. Weather conditions differ between day and night as is reflected in high and low temperatures and the effect of that is felt on weather patterns too.

On its axis the planet earth is tilted about 23 degrees and that causes really the change of seasons. Due to tilting different parts of the earth come closer to the sun as around the sun the earth travels in its orbit. Therefore during certain parts of the year different parts of the earth receive different amounts of heat.

In December the Northern Hemisphere receives less light since the North Pole is tilted away from the sun then. Thus the days become shorter there while the temperatures go down.

But as the earth moves on its orbit, North Pole comes close to the sun due to earth’s tilt. Till June 21 it continues to come closer to the sun and then the summer reaches its maximum. On that very day the sun is just above the Tropic of Cancer. Around the sun the earth continues to move until December 21 when the winter reaches its peak and the cycle is complete.

Just opposite are the seasons in the Southern Hemisphere even though the same cycle it experiences. In December the Southern Hemisphere is the closest to the sun and therefore it is summertime there. Quite logically June21 is the date marked for winter peak in the Southern Hemisphere.

The middle and high latitudes only, i.e., above 23.5 degrees north and below 23.5 degrees south, enjoy four seasons precisely. Normally for the tropics only wet and dry seasons are the two seasonal variations.

Author: Ross Bainbridge

Weather vanes were indispensable to farmers as a tool to indicate wind directions. Originally, they were made having a simple arrow shape, balanced on a pivot that had north-south directions indicated on them.

Weather vanes were typical countryside equipment often seen to be spinning above a country barn and village farms. Weather vanes were rarely made at home. Instead, skilled local wood carpenters or iron and tinsmiths used to manufacture them. They played an important role in the lives of country people in keeping with their dependence on weather in their daily life. Ancient wooden weather vanes were mostly made of carved wood and painted with natural colors. The true artistry of these vanes often went un-noticed due to this countryside association. Weather vanes gradually evolved from a practical instrument to a decorative folk art as artisans came up with intricate and innovative patterns.

Gradually by 1850s, weather vanes were produced in huge numbers from molds and artisans came up with advanced techniques to produce unique pieces. Wooden vanes perished faster due to constant exposure to elements. Iron and tin were a better alternative to make weather vanes as such materials were long lasting. Most ancient and commonly used designs for weather vanes were rooster or the cock. Apart from this, figurines of cockerel, cows, pigs and goats were also quite popular. Now, almost all animal forms are used to design weather vanes including human figures, birds, boats, vehicles and even bugs and insects. These ornament types are used to depict cultural, religious and patriotic themes through a variety of designs that could reflect country life.

Modern weather vanes are built with various other materials such as copper, brass, steel and cast aluminum to name a few. Modern weather vanes have found a place in the interiors of houses, on the walls and fireplace mantles as decorative items. Ancient weather vanes are now deemed as prized antique pieces and have been collectors’ favorites for decades.

Author: Jennifer Akre

When was the last time you saw copper weather vanes and wondered about those pieces of farmhouse architecture?

If you’re like most people, you probably haven’t put any thought into the history and creation of that spinning piece of metal you saw on a farmhouse or in a garden.

If you’ve thought of putting copper weather vanes on your home or in your yard, wouldn’t you like to at least know about these pieces so you can appreciate them more?

Copper weather vanes have been around for a centuries. Originally, they were a very important element of the farmhouse life. Copper weather vanes were attached to the top of the barn as a way to let farmers know what was happening with the weather. Back in the time when copper weather vanes were first in use, there were no weather forecasters and meteorologists to let the farmers know what was coming and what to expect for their fields.

While the primitive copper weather vanes were just pieces of metal that were put in place on the roof that would turn with the changing winds, they evolved over time.

Why put up plain, flat pieces of metal when you can have attractive decorative copper weather vanes? That is exactly what was created to replace those boring pieces of metal. It soon became just as important to have beautifully decorated copper weather vanes as it was to have functional ones. Since these pieces stand out and are often the first image someone has of a home, as they stick up above the tree line, they became a weather device that also was to be an artistic beacon to the farm.

If you are wondering why copper weather vanes are the most popular, there are a few reasons. First, copper is a very easy to work with material that can be formed into various shapes without too much difficulty. Additionally, it is an attractive metal. Also, it is important to note that copper weather vanes are best suited for all kinds of weather. While some metals will rust, copper will stand up well to the elements and may patina over time, but that appearance is one that is admired in copper, while rust is not so appreciated in other metals.

If you are considering putting copper weather vanes on your barn or just in your garden, it is important to know how to properly set them up.

If you want the copper weather vanes to work properly as well as look pretty, they must be able to tell what is happening with the weather. That means they need to be above the tree line, so they will be able to react to the shift in winds. Many mount copper weather vanes on the top of tall steel rods to offer a strong support for the structure.

Adding copper weather vanes to your home or yard are a great way to capture a little bit of the old world in the modern day.

Author: Trevor Kugler

Fishing in cold weather can be quite challenging and offers some unique challenges that anglers don’t have to deal with when the weather is “good”. For the purposes of this article I’m not referring to ice fishing, in my opinion ice fishing is a totally different animal. I’m referring to fishing like you normally would, the only difference being that the weather is colder.

Without boring you with a diatribe on bundling up and layering, which I assume you are well aware of, I’m going to focus on the actual fishing. Not just the fishing, but the fish themselves. Cold weather can have a dramatic affect on the fish themselves.

As the weather gets cooler, the water temperature obviously gets colder as well. As the temperature of the water drops, so does the body temperature of the fish. Seeing as how fish are cold blooded, this drop in body temperature has a dramatic effect on the fishes behavior. Fish become much more sluggish in cold weather and therefore it’s a god idea to pay attention to when you’re fishing.

In colder water temperatures fish don’t feed as much, so paying attention to other factors that affect their feeding behavior is important. The easiest things to pay attention to are the weather and moon. When I refer to weather and moon, I’m referring specifically to the moon phase and frontal systems that pass through your fishing area. These two things have a dramatic affect on fishes feeding patterns, and that affect is multiplied when the weather is cold.

Paying attention to the weather and moon is easier than you might think. As a matter of fact, a half an hour or so of study will do wonders to help your fishing success in cold weather. Were you aware of the fact that fish bite better during certain phases of the moon? It’s true, and fishing when the moon is in your favor will help your catch rates.

The other big thing to keep in mind when fishing in cold weather is your hands. Keeping your hands warm is of the utmost importance. But many times us anglers still need the use of our fingers when fishing. This is where a pair of quality fingerless gloves comes into play. They can be the difference between fishing and going home to get warm. Believe me, I know this is true from experience.

The bottom line is that fishing in cold weather simply offers some different challenges than fishing in other weather conditions. Familiarize yourself with the weather and moon and keep your hands warm and you’ll be much better off. Oh, and don’t forget to layer up and all that.