What is Weather?

Weather means the specific atmospheric conditions at a specific point in time, or what the atmosphere is like at one time. It also includes the overcast conditions, like if it is cloudy, partly cloud, and sunny, as well as if it is raining, snowing, etc. A big part of weather is the outside temperature, which measures how hot or cold it is outside. People who study weather are called meteorologists. 

The weather is cold and it is raining!

The Living Organisms

When you look outside, you will see many animals and other living organisms. For example, you might see a bird in a tree, or a rabbit in your backyard. Animals play an important role in an ecosystem, or a habitat. The rabbit eats plants and provides energy for its predators, and the bird might regulate the number of insects there are. No matter how different they look, they all interact with their ecosystem in order to survive. For example, a duck has webbed feet to swim better, and an arctic hare has white fur to blend in with the snow. Unfortunately, human actions are starting to affect their interactions with an ecosystem.

The duck has webbed feet that help it swim in this pond.

The pond is an example of an ecosystem in which there are living and nonliving factors, which are also known as biotic and abiotic factors. The living organisms are the grass and the duck, and the nonliving factors are the pond and the mountains.

Pollution's Effect on  Weather

Pollution is waste that we disperse into a place or the air. For example, cars release pollution into the air, which can pollute the air. Some people might dump their trash into a lake, which will pollute the water. Firstly, let's look at pollution's effect on weather, which means air pollution. When we release pollutants into the air, the nitrogen oxide and sulfur oxide (which are released by fossil fuels) levels in the air increase. When that happens, it makes the air more acidic. This acidity can mix with weather.

For example, the increased acidity can go into clouds, which makes the rain more acidic. This is called acid rain. Acid rain is harmful to plants and animals, since the increased acidity in rain can irritate marine animals and weaken plants. It is not good when pollution mixes with weather!

Acid rain can weaken and harm trees.