Air Temperature Seasonal variations in surface temperature. The water balance is the inflow, outflow, and storage of moisture on the earth's surface. The source of inflow is precipitation, outflow is evaporation and runoff, and an example of storage is soil moisture. The following animations are examples of the seasonal cycle for inflow, outflow and storage of moisture as part of the global water balance. Precipitation rate is the actual measurement of precipitation at the surface.
Soil moisture represents the pattern of storage of moisture at the surface.
Animations of the seasonal cycle of circulation and winds show the pattern of mean sea-level pressure and 500 mb heights with wind speed and direction. Animations of wind vectors for January and July months are shown to emphasize the actual pattern of air movement. Surface-wind vectors show direction and speed by the orientation and length of vector. January and July mean sea-level pressure animations show the general flow of air at the surface. 500 mb heights show the pattern of upper-level pressure.