ESRL Puts World of Weather in Scouts’ Hands 

Annie Reiser
OAR Earth System Research Laboratory

May 15, 2009 — If you had heard the rolling booms emanating from the El Paso County Fairgrounds in Calhan, Colo., one weekend in late April, you would have thought a storm front had come in.

Something large and noisy had made landfall there, but it wasn’t a thunderstorm. It was a group of nearly 200 local Boy Scouts armed with "thunder tubes" supplied by NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory.

The tubes — cylindrical contraptions that simulate thunder when shaken — were handed out by ERSL scientist Andy Loughe as part of NOAA’s educational outreach effort at the scouts’ annual spring "camporee." This year’s theme: science and technology.

A long-time instructor for the scouting weather merit badge, Loughe distributed the thunder tubes to raise awareness of lightning safety, something of particular importance for the Boy Scouts who often encounter thunderstorms. He also educated the scouts on weather concepts and safety through engaging, hands-on experiments focused on debunking common weather-related myths and misconceptions.

“We couched the scout’s whole learning experience in terms of scientific experimentation and hypothesis development and testing,” said Loughe, who works on behalf of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) in Boulder, Colo.

For example, Loughe first demonstrated how high and low pressure affect inflated objects by using balloons and fluffy marshmallows placed in a clear, acrylic chamber. He then used a vacuum pump to remove air inside the jar, simulating a drop in atmospheric pressure. When asked to vote on what was likely to happen, most scouts hypothesized that the balloons and marshmallows would shrink — to their surprise, they did just the opposite. The objects inflated in size, especially the balloon, due to less air compressing their surfaces.

Loughe also conducted cloud experiments to show how high and low pressures affect the development (or not) of small clouds. Using an air compressor to apply varying levels of pressure, he combined small amounts of condensation nuclei (tiny dust particles to which water vapor clings) and water (to create water vapor) in a bell-shaped glass jar. Depending on the amount of heat and pressure conditions within the jar, vapor clouds would form or eventually disperse.

The Boy Scouts saw for themselves that as air warms due to increased air pressure, it is capable of holding more water vapor and therefore produces fewer clouds. When air cools, clouds form more easily. They also were amazed to learn that low atmospheric pressure is associated with poor weather, not high pressure. 

"Seeing that ‘ah-ha’ moment was especially cool," said Loughe. "If you can demonstrate the flaws in these mistaken hypotheses, it’s easier for kids to internalize their own observations. This is active learning, not just rote memorization of facts."