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Hydrosphere Partitioning…. Total = 1.36 x 10 9 km 3 water. Earth’s water balance (Fluxes per year). Ocean Volume = 1.4x 10 9 km 3 Oceanic Evaporation Rate = 3.2x10 5 km 3 /yr Groundwater Volume = 8.4x10 6 km 3 (o.6%) River+Lake Volume = 2x10 5 km 3 (o.014%)
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Hydrosphere Partitioning… • Total = 1.36 x 109 km3 water
Earth’s water balance (Fluxes per year) • Ocean Volume = 1.4x 109 km3 Oceanic Evaporation Rate = 3.2x105 km3/yr • Groundwater Volume = 8.4x106 km3(o.6%) • River+Lake Volume = 2x105 km3 (o.014%) • Atmosphere Volume = 1.3x104 km3 Runoff Rate = 3.6x104 km3/yr
89% of rain falls over oceans • Land receives ~11% of ocean’s evaporation (36,000 km3) • Twice as much water evaporates (&transpires) from land as runs off it • e.g. rain on land falls three times on average before it gets back to sea
Residence times in ground, rivers, & atmosphere Residence time defined as the (Volume of ‘Reservoir’)/(Rate of flow through Reservoir) For groundwater = 8.2x106 km3 / 3.74x104 km3/yr = 224 years For rivers & lakes = 2x105km3 / 3.74x104 km3/yr = 5.3 years For atmosphere = 1.3x104km3 / 3.8x105 km3/yr = 12 days
Why do raindrops not grow to be huge?They self-destruct once they grow too big!
Atmosphere temperature & condensation Adiabatic effects on rising and sinking air: Air cools when it rises & is decompressed. Air warms up when it descends & is compressed. (reason why a bike pump gets hot when pumped)
Another way to lift air…(warm front) Moderate Precipitation 1/200 ~200 km
Different Variation (cold front)… 1/100 ~100 km
Coriolis Force key influence on weather fronts & storms (Cyclonic effects)
Life cycle of a thunderstorm Downdrafts cut off fuel (warm air) & storm dies Condensation (rain) releases heat, fuels ascent Unstable warm air rises
Regions where hurricanes form… Warm water = hurricance fuel.
New Orleans Experience Hurricane surge (wind-driven waves was up to 28ft above sealevel — new record for US) Why were Mississippi & Alabama also severely affected, but not Texas? N.O. Path of Katrina’s eye
New Orleans— Flooding from Hurricane Surge & Rain Path of Katrina’s eye