If you have difficulty running Java applets in your browser in general, the information at this location might be helpful.

Just click on the links below to run the applets. This list is shown by categories and some applets fall into more than one category. You may Click Here to get a list sorted by date of release.

• Storms
  • Explore how the sea surface temperature affects the change of intensity of hurricanes!! (This is a test version that also shows other options and configurations that are available...)
  • Find out what destructive forces there are in tornadoes for various EF-scale (Enhanced Fujita) values. using this applet
  • Really cool applet that lets you learn to determine how far away a thunderstorm is by counting the seconds between seeing the lightning and hearing the thunder.
  • A simple hurricane model that lets you explore the relationships between changes in central pressure, eye wall size, temperature and wind speed.

• Temperature
  • Explore how the sea surface temperature affects the change of intensity of hurricanes!! (This is a test version that also shows other options and configurations that are available...)
  • Explore the relationship between the jet stream and the horizontal temperature gradient
  • Check out the use of graphs in learning about the Effective Temperature of planets here

• Humidity
  • Find out what the relative humidity in your house is and what activities influence it here
    • ...and just for fun, we've now included an air conditioner for those hot, humid days
  • Find the height of cumulus clouds by pressing here We also have a version in Celsius and meters -- Click here instead!

• Precipitation
  • Explore how rainbows are formed with this applet. Thanks to Francisco Martín León we also have a Spanish language version.
  • Make snowflakes using different crystals!
  • Determining what type of precipitation will fall -- this applet implements Dan Baumgart's top-down approach for precipitation type forecasting...and it's just fun to play with!

• Wind
  • Explore the relationship between the jet stream and the horizontal temperature gradient
  • Learn about the balance of Coriolis, frictional, and pressure gradient forces and the wind
    • A simple approach
    • A bit more complex (contributed from Bureau of Meteorology in Australia)
    • A different slant on this (contributed from Bureau of Meteorology in Australia)

• Clouds
  • Explore how different parameters effect the images that polar-orbitting satellites see....(A test version only!!!!)
  • A near real-time composite infra-red satellite picture of the US that you can interactively explore the temperature as seen from the space (done for the AMS)
  • Explore what causes contrails to develop by flying a plane through atmospheric conditions you create
  • Really cool applet that lets you learn to determine how far away a thunderstorm is by counting the seconds between seeing the lightning and hearing the thunder.
  • Find the height of cumulus clouds by pressing here We also have a version in Celsius and meters -- Click here instead!
  • Find out what it takes to make a thundershower by pressing here
  • Find out what stability parameters are by pressing here
  • Three variations on interpretation of satellite images (these are available in both English and metric units, and in English and Spanish):
    1. Find out what those satellite images on the TV news really are here
    2. Then explore how the thickness of cloud changes the way it looks from space
    3. Next, explore a visible image and discover the how ground cover also changes the way it looks from space.
    4. Finally, experiment with a so-called "water vapor" image and discover it's unique attributes, including seeing the "fluid-like" motion of the upper atmosphere. (Also, click herefor an example of metric units.)

• Radiation
  • Explore the intensity of solar radiation at the top of the atmosphere for different latitudes and days of the year.
  • Explore The Planck Function
  • Explore weighting functions related to satellite measurements
  • Check out the use of graphs in learning about the Effective Temperature of planets here
  • Or learn about how changes in emissivity, albedo and solar output affect the temperature through the atmosphere

• Climate
  • Explore the orbit of the Earth around the sun, and how changes in the Eccentricty, Precession and Tilt over the last 400,000 years might have influenced our Climate, according to the Milankovic Cycles and shown with the Vostok Core temperature changes. (STILL IN TESTING!)
  • Explore DaisyWorld simulations!
    • Original simulation
    • Updated simulation with chart!
  • Check out the use of graphs in learning about the Effective Temperature of planets here
  • Or learn about how changes in emissivity, albedo and solar output affect the temperature through the atmosphere

• Basic meteorology exercise and research
  • Learn about the affect of air density (altitude) on how far a fly ball travels in a baseball stadium using this applet.
  • Realtime station model plotting and interpretation
  • Test the sensitivity of a barotropic model to time step, grid spacing and initial condisions
  • Do some statistics on the ERBE dataset here
  • Learn to draw contour lines here!!
    • Read how to get the Contouring applet for your own use!
  • Realtime data plots to practice contour drawing
  • Practice drawing fronts and highs/lows here...

• Miscellaneous and non-meteorology
  • Explore the interactions of two waves
  • Exploring colors and how we perceive them
    • Change the number of pixels in an images and explore the effects. Or try this one, or this one...just for fun!
    • Mix the 3 primary colors (red, green and blue) and see what the result is
    • See the different between mixing paints and mixing colors on the computer screen
    • Change the background color and see how that alters what the foreground looks like
  • Practice setting your altimeter!
  • Learn effects of temperature on altitude while flying
  • Explore Mendel's ideas of dominent and recessive traits
  • Explore growing bacteria in petri plates with a virtual Ames test

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Local Madison Weather

Unless otherwise noted, all the applets and related files linnked from this page are Copyright 1998-2008 by Tom Whittaker and Steve Ackerman. They are free software; you can redistribute them and/or modify modify but you may NOT repackage and sell them.

These programs are distributed in the hope that they will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

The developers or their employers are not responsible for any and all ramifications, etc., which may result from using this software, or software derived therefrom. Furthermore, you agree to hold us harmless from any consequences related to the use of this software.