Weather and Climate Lecture 3: Climatology and Meteorology

positive points associated with the use of climatic normals:

- Associated with regional climatology - Useful in the construction of climatic classifications

What are two advantages to polar-orbiting satellites?

1.sharper images for polar regions. Geostationary satellites camera angle is too low for these regions. 2.Polar orbiters circle the Earth at a much lower altitude (530 mi). They can provide detailed photographs of individual storms and cloud systems

Every ____years, a new climatic normal is adopted.

10

Qualitative climatology:

A way by which visual and sensed observations about nature are made without instruments.

What is a weather satellite and what does it provide?

A weather satellite is a cloud-observing platform orbiting the Earth. It provides extremely valuable information of areas where there are no ground-based observations.

How does the radiosonde work?

As the radiosonde rises, sensors measure vertical profiles of pressure, temperature, and relative humidity. Dew point and wind flow informations can be estimated.

Under what circumstances was the jet stream discovered?

By B29 bombers in WW2`

Scientific study of climate, specifically trend and cyclical weather conditions taking place over a defined period of time, past, present or future

Climatology

Areas of clouds and rainfall appeared to be focused along ____

Convergence zones of cold and warm fronts

During the early twentieth century an abundance of records on temperature, rainfall, wind, etc... could be found in weather log books... and were viewed as useless... WHY?

Daily values needed to be organized to summarize and characterize the climate of a given location or a given region!!

Polar-orbiting satellites orbit the ___

Earth's meridian lines

Main problem with qualitative climatology?

For centuries, the study of climate was based on description rather than explanation!

Two primary types of satellites:

Geo-stationary satellites (geo-synchronous satellites) and Polar-orbiting satellites

Fathers of climatology:

Greek, Chinese, and Indian civiliazations

What is this an example of? In the Canadian Prairies, an extensive agricultural research program has been in place place for more than 30 years.

How we use climatology to help us in agriculture

Some of the inventions that took place during the golden age of instrumentation (after the 15th century):

Hygrometer (1400) - Leonardo da Vinci Plate Anemometer (1450) - Leon Batista Alberti Thermometer (1593) - Galileo Galilei Barometer (1643) - Evangelista Torricelli Hair Hygrometer (1752) - Horace de Saussure Psychrometer (1825) - Ferdinand August Cup Anemometer (1846) - John T Robinson

WW2 main weather innovations include:

Improved synoptic weather analysis. (Norwegian Cyclone Model) (Totally redesigned weather maps, better understanding of surface air dynamics) b) Discovery of high altitude wind flows (Jet Stream) c) Development of the radiosonde (upper-air observations/vertical sounding for temperature) d) New practical applications for the radar

Why did the Impact of Instrumentation prove to be crucial on the development of climatology as a science?

Instrumentation allowed: - the measurement of weather elements. - a way to keep a record of numerical observations.

What was the view of climate change in the 1950s?

It could only change if thousands of years were considered.

What is the Climatic Normal?

It is a 30-yr yardstick used to characterize the climate of a region.

Most used climatic classification system:

Koppens

Why in most countries around the world, does the length of the climatic record rarely exceed 120 yrs.

Many instruments had design flaws in the beginning. - Competition amongst inventors (and countries) where the invention took place [Patent]

Scientific study of the atmosphere that focuses on weather processes and forecasting.

Meteorology

What is today's view of the climatic normal and why is it different?

Past: Climate was seen as static Today we know climate is not static so - 30 yrs is too short to use as a yardstick for "normal conditions". It must be used with caution

Hydroelectricity:

Refers to the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water.

Why do modern satellites use radiometers?

They can observe clouds day and night because they measure the radiation emanating from these clouds. They can also measure radiation from atmospheric gases (including water vapor).

What is meant by energy exchanges?

This has to do with the net radiative budget (SW/LW) between the earth's surface and the atmosphere. [radiative transfers]

What are some Applications of Satellite Imagery In Weather and Climate?

Visualization for forest fires, progression of drought, tracking hurricanes, and infrared color (hurricanes, El Nino, and sea surface temperatures)

Weather glass

You could tell a storm was coming if water drips out

Radiosonde's provide

a vertical distribution of temperature, pressure, humidity, and wind which is critical to forecasting severe thunderstorms and tornadoes in the summer, and snow/ice storms in the winter.

Quantitative climatology is:

a way by which weather elements can be measured and quantified by instruments from one day to another. It allows the statistical assessment of the climate of a region.

The first statistical assessment of climatic data included:

a) Monthly mean b) Seasonal and Annual means c) Range and standard deviation [measures of dispersion/variability] d) The introduction of a climatic "Yardstick" = the climatic normal.

It took time for the scientific community to ____ the use of various weather instruments

accept and approve

As the Earth rotates to the east beneath the satellite, each pass monitors ___.

an area to the west of the previous pass.

What does a second order tertiary measure

basic measurements of temperatures, rainfall, and sometimes relative humidity are taken.

Research on _____, technological developments on ____ and aircrafts, and a little bit of luck, led to major breaktroughs in weather forecasting during WW2.

cyclonic low pressure systems, electromagnetic waves

First order/Primary weather stations, are: Can be found at:

designed for specialised climatic measurements. They can be found at: Airports Agricultural research stations Forestry research stations Water resources research stations

With time, it became possible to use the radar to determine _____, _____ and their ______ (radar) [early warnings]

determine the movement of storms, the areas of heavy precipitations, distance from the transmitter

When the climate system is disturbed, an alteration in the ___ exchanges between the atmosphere and the earth's surface takes place.

energy and mass

Geo-stationary satellites (geo-synchronous satellites) Orbit the ____ at the ____ (rate). They remain at an altitude of about ____ (numerical value) above ____ on the earth's surface.

equator, same rate the earth spins, 22,300 mi (about 36,000km), a fixed spot

In the 1920s there weren't any weather ___ on maps.

fronts

On an infrared (IR) image cold clouds are:

high clouds, so the white color typically highlight the colder regions.

What are the three main components that form the climatic data base?

i) Surface-based observations (Specific point - weather stations) ii) Upper-air data (Approximately specific point - vertical sounding - radiosonde) iii) Satellite data (Orbital observations - wide areal coverage of the globe)

Satellites gather data from emitted ____

infrared radiation

The data collected by the network of radiosonde stations:

is the basic ingredient that goes into computer models that simulates how the atmosphere flows across the Northern Hemisphere. From there = models=forecasts.

Warm clouds are:

low clouds. Warmer clouds emit more IR radiation, so grayish color highlights the warmer regions

Aneroid barometer

measures atmospheric pressure without the use of fluids. It consists of a partially evacuated metal chamber, the thin corrugated lid of which is displaced by variations in the external air pressure. This displacement is magnified by levers and made to operate a pointer

The Greek civilization invented

qualitative climatology

Instrumentation led to the birth of:

quantitative climatology

Modern satellites use _____.

radiometers

One of the greatest examples of climate change in the 60s was:

the Sahel region of Africa

What five things make up the climate system?

the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, the cryosphere, the land surface and the biosphere

Polar front theory:

the main inflow into a cyclone was concentrated along two lines of air convergence, one ahead of the low (warm front) and another trailing behind the low (cold front).

The most important thing in a climate system

the sun

Goe-stationary satellites are useful for:

tracking Earth's global weather systems, and large scale hemispheric regions to observe

What were the first 2 weather instruments?

•The rain gauge (bucket and a stick - 4th centuryBC). Indian Civilization (Arthasastra) •The wind vane (wind direction - 2nd centuryBC). Greek Civilization - The Tower of Winds (Athens)