Student Research Reports

View Research Report

In this research, researchers examined the relationship between surface temperature, snow depth, cloud coverage, sky visibility, and other atmospheric parameters in Dearborn Heights, Michigan. Researchers collected daily surface temperature and snow depth measurements at a school campus using an infrared thermometer and meter stick. In addition, sky visibility was recorded at an intersection, taking a picture of the Detroit skyline. Furthermore, parameters such as air temperature, barometric air pressure, and humidity were obtained using the WeatherBug app associated with our school’s Weather Networks weather station. In addition, PM was recorded using our school’s PurpleAir device. Over 20 days, trends indicated a steady decrease followed by an upward trend in surface and air temperatures in the winter. A strong relationship was also found between surface temperature and ambient air temperature. PM values are typically higher during low pressure conditions and lower during high pressure conditions, which may also influence the observed trends shown. Humidity and cloud coverage demonstrated a complex relationship, with high cloud coverage generally corresponding to increased humidity, but varying patterns when cloud coverage was low. Barometric pressure and sky visibility had an inverse relationship. As visibility increased, pressure decreased. Potential errors in data collection included environmental variability, and occasional gaps in daily measurements. This data leads to understanding seasonal climate variations on a local scale and highlights the need for further research to refine methods and expand study periods. The researchers suggest adding more parameters such as dew point to fully capture the capacity of the changing environment.