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Meteorology

Meteorology. Credits www.epa.gov/airnow/2004conference/.../nese_ meteorology _101. ppt ‎ Meteorology  101. Fundamentals of Weather. Jon Nese and Jen Carfagno . The Weather Channel. February 22, 2004. . Meteorology 101. Questions to Answer. How, why, when, where does the wind blow?.

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Meteorology

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  1. Meteorology Credits www.epa.gov/airnow/2004conference/.../nese_meteorology_101.ppt‎ Meteorology 101. Fundamentals of Weather. Jon Nese and Jen Carfagno. The Weather Channel. February 22, 2004.

  2. Meteorology 101 Questions to Answer • How, why, when, where does the wind blow? • What controls vertical motions? • When and where do clouds and precipitation form?

  3. Bellringer • What are two differences between a warm and cold front? • What are two differences between a Low Pressure System and a High Pressure System?

  4. Meteorology 101 Geographical Terminology… Polar Regions Mid-Latitudes Subtropics Tropics

  5. Stratosphere 6-8 Altitude (mi) Troposphere Planetary Boundary Layer Temperature Meteorology 101 Layering of the Atmosphere

  6. What is its composition? • 78.09% nitrogen • 20.95% oxygen • 0.93% argon • 0.039% carbon dioxide • Small traces of other gases • Variable amounts up to 1% of water vapor

  7. How is the Troposphere structured? • Troposphere—lowest layer (upper boundary called tropopause) • Temperature decreases with altitude • Rate of cooling is variable but averages about 6.5ºC per km • Stops decreasing at tropopause—9km at poles and 16km at the equator • Contains the most water vapor • Contains about 80% of the mass of the atmosphere • Jet stream is located just under tropopause • All Earth’s weather occurs here.

  8. Cloud Types High-Level Clouds (Cirrus)High-level clouds form above 20,000 feet (6,000 meters) and since the temperatures are so cold at such high elevations, these clouds are primarily composed of ice crystals. High-level clouds are typically thin and white in appearance, but can appear in a magnificent array of colors when the sun is low on the horizon

  9. Cloud Types Mid-Level CloudsThe bases of mid-level clouds typically appear between 6,500 to 20,000 feet (2,000 to 6,000 meters). Because of their lower altitudes, they are composed primarily of water droplets, however, they can also be composed of ice crystals when temperatures are cold enough.

  10. Cloud Types Low-level CloudsLow clouds are of mostly composed of water droplets since their bases generally lie below 6,500 feet (2,000 meters). However, when temperatures are cold enough, these clouds may also contain ice particles and snow.

  11. Cloud Types Vertically Developed CloudsProbably the most familiar of the classified clouds is the cumulus cloud. Generated most commonly through either thermal convection or frontal lifting, these clouds can grow to heights in excess of 39,000 feet (12,000 meters), releasing incredible amounts of energy through the condensation of water vapor within the cloud itself.

  12. Cloud Types Vertically Developed Clouds Fair Weather Cumulus

  13. Cloud Types Vertically Developed Clouds Cumulonimbus clouds (Cb) are much larger and more vertically developed than fair weather cumulus. They can exist as individual towers or form a line of towers called a squall line. Fueled by vigorous convective updrafts (sometimes in excess 50 knots), the tops of cumulonimbus clouds can easily reach 39,000 feet (12,000 meters) or higher.

  14. Orographic Clouds forced by the earth's topography Orographic clouds are clouds that develop in response to the forced lifting of air by the earth's topography (mountains for example). Cloud Types • Orographic Clouds forced by the earth's topography Orographic clouds are clouds that develop in response to the forced lifting of air by the earth's topography • (mountains for example).

  15. Cloud Practice

  16. Cloud Practice

  17. Cloud Practice

  18. Cloud Practice

  19. Cloud Practice

  20. Cloud Practice

  21. Cloud Practice

  22. Cloud Practice

  23. Structure (con’t) • Stratosphere—second layer (upper boundary called stratopause) • Clear, dry layer • 50km above the Earth’s surface • Lower part is about as cold as tropopause • Warms steadily to stratopause • Warming due to ozone • Ozone absorbs uv rays and releases some as heat • How do we reduce damage to the ozone layer?

  24. Structure (con’t) • Mesosphere—third layer (upper boundary called mesopause) • 50km to 90km above the Earth’s surface • Temperature drops with altitude • Layer where meteors burn up • Noctilucent clouds form here

  25. Structure (con’t) • Thermosphere—outermost layer • Temperature rises with altitude • Temperatures can rise above 1000ºC • Extremely thin; few molecules • Highest layers—composed of lighter gases (He, H2) • Lowest layers—composed of heavier gases(N2,O2) • Contains the ionosphere • Located between 90 and 500km • Air is highly ionized due to the uv rays • Affected by solar events • Can disrupt radio transmissions • Form auroras

  26. Structure (con’t) • Thermosphere (con’t) • Contains the ionosphere • Located between 90 and 500km • Air is highly ionized due to the uv rays • Affected by solar events • Can disrupt radio transmissions • Form auroras

  27. Meteorology 101 Some Fundamentals • Earth is heated unevenly: Tropics are warmer than the Polar Regions. • Nature tries to try to even out temperature differences. • Uneven heating sets atmosphere in motion and is the fundamental cause of all weather.

  28. Meteorology 101 30% 20% 50% Radiation is the transfer of thermal energy by electromagnetic waves

  29. Meteorology 101 Convection is the transfer of energy by the movement of heated material from one place to another. Conduction is the transfer of energy between objects when their molecules collide

  30. Meteorology 101: What is this? Warm Air Mass? Cold Air Mass? Moist Air Mass?

  31. Meteorology 101: What is this? A Cold Front Meeting a Warm Air Mass. When cold air contacts warm air??? Warm air rises into cooler atmosphere Condensation occurs (Rain)

  32. Meteorology 101: What is this? Cumulonimbus Supercell Thunderstorm

  33. Meteorology 101: What is this? Lake Effect Snow Warm water evaporates. The warm water moves over land The land is cooler. Precipitation occurs (condensation)

  34. Meteorology 101 Isobars (like a topographic map of atmospheric pressure) Millibars (like pounds of pressure) How would you describe the change in atmospheric pressure along the orange arrow?

  35. Meteorology 101 How many times more dense is the troposphere than the thermosphere?

  36. Meteorology 101 The Coriolis Effect

  37. Meteorology 101 The Coreolis Effect

  38. Meteorology 101

  39. “Top” 1” 1” Meteorology 101 Air Pressure On average, air weighs about 14.7 lb/in2 14.7 lb/in2 =29.92 “inches of mercury” Air Pressure varies over the globe

  40. Meteorology 101 Changing Pressure - Winds L H Take more out than put in – decrease pressure Put more in than take out – increase pressure

  41. Cold Warm H L Coldest column = highest pressure ** Warmest column = lowest pressure ** Meteorology 101 Changing Pressure - Temperature

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