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How unequal heating of the Earth’s surface causes the atmosphere to move (wind) Dr. Rob Black

How unequal heating of the Earth’s surface causes the atmosphere to move (wind) Dr. Rob Black Professor of Meteorology Georgia Tech. What are we trying to understand? 1) Sea Breeze (at the beach). Millersville University NOAA Jet Stream

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How unequal heating of the Earth’s surface causes the atmosphere to move (wind) Dr. Rob Black

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  1. How unequal heating of the Earth’s surface causes the atmosphere to move (wind) Dr. Rob Black Professor of Meteorology Georgia Tech

  2. What are we trying to understand? 1) Sea Breeze (at the beach) Millersville University NOAA Jet Stream http://www.atmos.millersville.edu/~lead/SeaBreezeYard.jpg http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/yos/resource/JetStream/

  3. 2) Monsoon (in India) The Telegraph NC State University http://www.telegraph.co.uk/http://www.nc-climate.ncsu.edu/edu/k12/.Monsoons

  4. 3) Hadley Cell University Corporation for Atmospheric Research http://www.meted.ucar.edu/

  5. 4) Afternoon rain in Paradise dreamstime.com http://www.dreamstime.com/

  6. What do we need to know? • Unequal heating of Earth’s Surface: • Why? http://sharegeography.co.uk/

  7. 1) Unequal heating of Earth’s Surface Solar radiation stronger in tropics http://krygier.owu.edu/krygier_html/geog_111/geog_111.html

  8. What do we need to know? 2) Fluid parcels: Blobs of air or water

  9. What do we need to know? 3) Heat a fluid parcel -> What happens: Size? Density? Movement? Process? Increases Decreases Rises Up Convection

  10. What do we need to know? 4) Cool a fluid parcel -> What happens: Size? Density? Movement? Process? Decreases Increases Sinks Convection

  11. What do we need to know? 5) Pressure: “Pushing” of nearby parcels

  12. What do we need to know? • Fluid parcels move from regions of • high pressure toward low pressure

  13. Let’s now consider an experiment!! Locally heat bottom of bowl of water: Conduction? Radiation? Convection? Q1: Flame heats bowl by what process(es)? Q2: Bowl heats water by what process(es)?

  14. Let’s now consider an experiment!! Try to predict what will happen in bowl: Size? Density? Movement? Increase Decrease Rise upward (Convection) Q3: What will happen to hot blob of water?

  15. Let’s now consider an experiment!! Hot water blob now pushes upward: H At top? At bottom? Increases Decreases L Q4: How does pressure change above/below?

  16. Let’s now consider an experiment!! “Close the loop” on what will happen: H Spread out (Diverge) Sinking Move Inward (Converge) At top? At sides? At bottom? L Q5: How will water move at top and bottom?

  17. Experimental Setup: • Place a drop of blue food color at one side • Place a drop of red food color at opposite side • Drops will first sink and then mix with water • Mixed drops will then show motion in water • Look for area where water is rising • Place a drop of green food color in rising water • Watch what happens!

  18. Experimental Observations • Where does water appear to rise or sink? • Where does water spread out (diverge)? • Where does water move together (converge)? • How do your observations compare with your expectations (based upon physical principles presented in the powerpoint)? • How are the 2 experiments different or similar? • How do the experiments compare to sea breeze, etc?

  19. Weather Questions? Earth and Atmospheric Science at Georgia Tech: http://www.eas.gatech.edu/ My e-mail (for your questions on weather!): rob.black@eas.gatech.edu

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