Introduction to the Weather Introduction to Weather Meteorology is the study of weather. Weather is caused by the movement or transfer of energy .
Energy is transferred wherever there is a temperature difference between two objects.
Many weather phenomena result from a transfer of energy that occurs via the movement of air in the atmosphere. This is known as convection . Air contains water vapour from the evaporation of liquid water sources on the Earth's surface, including oceans, lakes and rivers, and from evapotranspiration by plants. When air is moved about the Earth, either vertically when uplifted or horizontally as part of air masses, it may cool and release water vapour as condensation in the form of clouds and eventually rain and other forms of precipitation , which is returned to Earth. This cycle of evaporation, condensation and precipitation between the Earth and the atmosphere is known as the water cycle .