wx 201
Primary reason of radiation inversion
IR emitted by earth's surface
OLR is unequal that ISR
avg temp would change
CO2 has
been increasing in concentration
Chemicals that break down ozone
chlouroflourocarbons
During Equinox
day=night, noon sun is over equator, 24 hr of sunrise or sunset at pole
ISA Lapse Rate
2°C/ 1000'
How are the different temperature scales related?
30°C= 86° 20°C=68° 0°C=32° -40°C=-40°
20°C= what in F
68°
Heat transfer process depends on air movement
Convection
What are the three heat transfer mechanisms?
Convection (random vertical air motions) Radiation (electromagnetic wave heating) Conduction (transfer of heat between molecules)
How does temperature vary throughout the day?
Hottest at 3pm and coldest right before sunrise
50°F= what in celsius
10°
average sea level pressure
14.47lb/in^2, 1013mb, 29.92 Hg
Absolute temp of object doubles, energy goes up by factor of
16
Altitude of tropo in highest in
Tropics
most of earth's weather occurs
Troposphere
What happens to incoming solar and outgoing infrared radiation?
70% absorbed (19% by atmosphere, 51% by surface) 30% reflected back to space (6% by atmosphere, 20% by clouds, 4% by surface) 30% albedo
At midday on June 22, the solar elevation at 30ºN is
83.5°N
Do you know how to estimate the solar elevation angle? Why does it change throughout the day and throughout the year?
90- ∣ L-Ld ∣ L= latitude Ld= Solar declination The tilt of the earth's axis causes a higher concentration on some areas
Meteorology is the study of
Atmosphere
Why is there an ozone hole, and what are the implications of ozone depletion?
Chlorofluorocarbons deplete the ozone, the sun helps with the creation of ozone and should see a fix within the hole.
What is the tropopause and how do its characteristics change with latitude?
Coldest spot in the troposphere, higher latitudes have a warmer and lower tropopause
What is latent heat?
Energy absorbed/ released when water changes state Melting or evaporating, absorbing erergy Condensing or freezing, releasing energy
How are vertical motions created, and why are they usually weak?
Gravity keeps it in a general state of hydro static balance
Which gases are greenhouse gases, and why are scientists predicting global warming?
H20, Co2, CH4 (methane) etc. Greenhouse gases absorb and re radiate outgoing long wave radiation back which warms the earth
How do thermal circulations develop, and where in the atmosphere do they occur?
Happens at the surface and its when there's a warm and cold column of air.
Temp radiating energy at greatest energy
Highest temp
Most radiation emitted by earth is in the _____ part of the electromagnetic spectrum
Infrared, IR
Wein's displacement law, max radiation occurs
Inversely proportional to temp.
How do altimeters work?
It measures the pressure outside in relation to your control height (barometer)
Air holds more vapor if
Its warm
Isothermal layer
Layer with constant temp with increasing height
How does the wind rotate around lows and highs?
NH: H: Clockwise, L: Counter Clockwise SH: H: Counter Clockwise, H: Clockwise
Inversion layer with increasing temp with height has a _____ lapse rate
Negative
Volume of air _____ occupies 78% and _____ occupies 21%
Nitrogen, Oxygen
What factors cause the indicated altitude to differ from the true altitude?
Non standard temp, Nonstandard pressure, Non-hydro static conditions (storms)
Ozone
Occurs at 75000' and absorbs UV
How and why do pressure and temperature vary with height on average?
P always decreases with height and temperature changes based on the layer of the atmosphere
Can you name the variable and permanent gases in the atmosphere?
Permanent: Nitrogen (78%), Oxygen (21%), Argon (1%)(Neon Helium Krypton Hydrogen) Variable: Water Vapor, Carbon Dioxide, Ozone
What determines whether a gas is variable or permanent
Permanent: Sources=Sinks Variable: Unbalanced
Sinks of Co2
Photosynthesis
What are the three forces that produce wind, and what are the characteristics of each?
Pressure gradient force, Coriolis, Friction
What are density, pressure, and temperature? How are they interrelated? How are they measured
Pressure= Density x Temperature (decreasing temperature causes density to increase and vice versa)
Max winter warmth in north, large windows should face
South
What controls the temperature of the atmosphere, the oceans, and the surface of the earth?
Specific heat controls temp, latitude, elevation
What two laws govern the behavior of electromagnetic radiation?
Stefan-Boltzmann Law: E α T^4 Wien's Law: max wavelength α 1/T
What are the characteristics of the standard atmosphere?
T= 15°C (decreases 2°C per 1000 ft), D=1.225kg/m^3, P= 14.7 lbs./in.^2 or 29.92 in. Hg or 1013 mb
How does friction influence the wind?
The direction and speed
How does the average wind speed vary with height in the atmosphere?
The max is at the tropopause and it generally increases in height until it hits the stratosphere
What are the four layers of the atmosphere, and what are the characteristics of each?
Troposphere (0-36000 ft, 200-1030 MB, vertical air currents and turbulence), Stratosphere (36000-160000ft, 1 to 200 MB cloud free, ozone layer), Mesosphere (160000-280000ft, .005-1 MB, ionization occurs), Thermosphere (280000ft+, highly energize but few molecules, temp increase due to absorption of x-rays and gamma rays, molecules split (ionize) at this layer)
How do pressure gradients originate?
Variation's in temperature
What are the characteristics, meteorological importance, and relative concentrations of each gas?
Water Vapor: precipitation; energy transport and transformation, 0-4% concentration Carbon dioxide: Warms earth, 0.039 % concentration Ozone: Absorbs Ultraviolet light from the sun
What is geostrophic flow and what forces are involved?
Wind above 3000' and results from pgf and Coriolis force.
Can you predict the direction and relative strength of the geostrophic wind within a given pressure gradient?
Yes based on how close the isobars are you can predict the direction and magnitude of the wind
greenhouse gas does
absorbs and re-emits olr
Tiny solid or liquid particles
aerosol
Temp. inversion
air temp increases with height
IF i heat air in a closed container pressure will
rise
Blue light has a _____ wavelength compared to red
shorter
Only substance near surface that is found naturally in the atmosphere as a solid, liquid, and gas
water