Bad Meteorology

Be very, very careful what you put into that head, because you will never, ever get it out. Thomas Cardinal Wolsey (1471-1530)
Bad Meteorology Click on the symbol for its explanation.

This material is dedicated to teachers who wish to get it right.

By bad meteorology, I do not mean bad weather.

This page is about intellectual disasters, not weather disasters.

This page is prepared by Alistair B. Fraser who retains copyright to the material (unless otherwise acknowledged). However, as the object of the material is educational --- to replace bad science with good science --- the material can be freely used for non-commercial purposes, with the proviso that any use of Fraser's images must be credited with © Alistair B. Fraser, and any quotations must bear attribution.

Suggestions of ideas which might be beneficial to include on this page can be sent to me at alistair@fraser.cc . Also, please send me critical comments on any stupidities that I inadvertently introduce.

The Bad Science and Bad Meteorology pages have been cited by over 3000 other web pages, and in books, magazines, and on TV.

Examples of Bad Meteorology:

The reason clouds form when air cools is that cold air cannot hold as much water vapor as warm air.

Wash your hands of this emetic explanation .

Raindrops are shaped like teardrops.

Weep over this artistic licentiousness .

The greenhouse effect is caused when gasses in the atmosphere behave as a blanket and trap radiation which is then reradiated to the earth.

Reject this explanation as nothing but hot air .

The water in a sink (or toilet) rotates one way as it drains in the northern hemisphere and the other way in the southern hemisphere. Called the Coriolis Effect, it is caused by the rotation of the earth.

This nonsense deserves to be flushed .

The Bad Meteorology FAQ

Proffering Garbage as Gems

The results of a Badness Survey .

The reason clouds form when air cools is that cold air cannot hold as much water vapor as warm air. Wash your hands of this emetic explanation .
Raindrops are shaped like teardrops. Weep over this artistic licentiousness .
The greenhouse effect is caused when gasses in the atmosphere behave as a blanket and trap radiation which is then reradiated to the earth. Reject this explanation as nothing but hot air .
The water in a sink (or toilet) rotates one way as it drains in the northern hemisphere and the other way in the southern hemisphere. Called the Coriolis Effect, it is caused by the rotation of the earth. This nonsense deserves to be flushed .
The Bad Meteorology FAQ
Proffering Garbage as Gems The results of a Badness Survey .