Weather & Climate Patterns

Stephanie Spera, Assistant Professor of Geography and the Environment, can discuss broad weather concepts, including the processes that drive weather patterns, the general circulation of the atmosphere, and climate on earth.

Spera can also discuss why weather happens and why weather changes; physical laws that govern weather and climate patterns; the climate system; and the effects of weather and climate on people living in different regions of the world.

“Climate is weather averaged over a 30-year period,” explains Spera. “Weather phenomena occur on short time scales, yet form the basis for understanding climate, the study of changes over longer time scales.”

Spera can also speak in general about how meteorologists predict the weather. She teaches a course called “Weather, Climate, and Society.” In her most recent class, Spera’s students created weather field journals and science-based children’s books about weather and climate topics.

Contact director of media and public relations Sunni Brown at sbrown5@richmond.edu to connect with Spera.