1 / 31

Understanding Climate versus Weather: A Comprehensive Overview for Weather Enthusiasts

Explore the distinctions between climate and weather in this informative lecture. Learn about key weather elements like temperature, pressure, humidity, wind, and more. Understand how climate is the average weather compiled over many years. Discover the factors influencing the greenhouse effect and global energy balance.

quach
Download Presentation

Understanding Climate versus Weather: A Comprehensive Overview for Weather Enthusiasts

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Weather, Climate & SocietyATMO 336Climate vs. Weather

  2. Climate and Weather “Climate is what you expect. Weather is what you get.” -Robert A. Heinlein Lecture 2-Nats 101

  3. Weather – The state of the atmosphere: for a specific place at a particular time Weather Elements 1) Temperature 2) Pressure 3) Humidity 4) Wind 5) Visibility 6) Clouds 7) Significant Weather Weather Lecture 2-Nats 101

  4. Surface Station Model Responsible for boxed parameters Temperatures Plotted F in U.S. Sea Level Pressure Leading 10 or 9 is not plotted Examples: 1013.8 plotted as 138 998.7 plotted as 987 1036.0 plotted as 360 Ahrens, p 431 Lecture 2-Nats 101

  5. Sky Cover and Weather Symbols Ahrens, p 431 Ahrens, p 431 Lecture 2-Nats 101

  6. Wind Barbs Direction Wind is going towards Westerly from the West Speed (accumulated) Each flag is 50 knots Each full barb is 10 knots Each half barb is 5 knots 65 kts from west Ahrens, p 432 Lecture 2-Nats 101

  7. SLP pressure temperature dew point cloud cover Ohio State website Lecture 2-Nats 101 wind

  8. 72 111 58 Decimal point What are Temp, Dew Point, SLP, Cloud Cover, Wind Speed and Direction? Ahrens, p 431 Practice Surface Station Temperate (oF) Pressure (mb) Last Three Digits (tens, ones, tenths) Dew Point (later) Moisture Wind Barb Direction and Speed Cloud Cover Tenths total coverage Lecture 2-Nats 101

  9. 42 998 18 Decimal point What are Temp, Dew Point, SLP, Cloud Cover, Wind Speed and Direction? Ahrens, p 431 Practice Surface Station Sea Level Pressure Leading 10 or 9 is not plotted Examples: 1013.8 plotted as 138 998.7 plotted as 987 1036.0 plotted as 360 Lecture 2-Nats 101

  10. Surface Map Symbols • Fronts Mark the boundary between different air masses…later Significant weather occurs near fronts Current US Map Ahrens, p 432 Lecture 2-Nats 101

  11. Upper-Air Model Responsible for boxed parameters Conditions at specific pressure level • Wind • Temperature (C) • Moisture (Later) • Height above MSL • UA 500mb Analysis Ahrens, p 431 Ahrens, p 427 Lecture 2-Nats 101

  12. Climate Climate - Average weather and range of weather, computed over many years. Whole year (mean annual precipitation for Tucson, 1970-present) Season (Winter: Dec-Jan-Feb) Month (January rainfall in Tucson) Date (Average, record high and low temperatures for Jan 1 in Tucson) Lecture 2-Nats 101

  13. Lecture 2-Nats 101

  14. Lecture 2-Nats 101

  15. Climate of TucsonMonthly Averages Individual months can show significant deviations from long-term, monthly means. Lecture 2-Nats 101

  16. Lecture 2-Nats 101

  17. Climate of TucsonProbability of Rain Lecture 2-Nats 101 Cool Site:Western Region Climate Center

  18. Climate of TucsonExtreme Rainfall Lecture 2-Nats 101 Cool Site:Western Region Climate Center

  19. Climate of TucsonSnow! Lecture 2-Nats 101 Cool Site:Western Region Climate Center

  20. Summary • Weather - atmospheric conditions at specific time and place Weather Maps  Instantaneous Values • Climate - average weather and the range of extremes compiled over many years Statistical Quantities  Expected Values Lecture 2-Nats 101

  21. Weather, Climate & SocietyATMO 325Global Energy Balance Greenhouse Effect

  22. General Laws of Radiation • All objects above 0 K emit radiant energy • Hotter objects radiate more energy per unit area than colder objectsStefan-Boltzman Law • The hotter the radiating body, the shorter the wavelength of maximum radiationWien’s Displacement Law • Objects that are good absorbers of radiation are also good emitters Lecture 2-Nats 101

  23. General Laws of Radiation • Wien’s Displacement Law • Stefan-Boltzman Law Lecture 2-Nats 101

  24. Sun - Earth Radiation Spectra Ahrens, Fig. 2.8 Planck’s Law Lecture 2-Nats 101

  25. Absorption Visible IR Visible (0.4-0.7 m) is absorbed very little O2 an O3 absorb UV (shorter than 0.3 m) Infrared (5-25 m) is selectively absorbed H2O & CO2 are strong absorbers of IR Little absorption of IR around 10 m Ahrens, Fig. 2.9 Lecture 2-Nats 101

  26. Visible radiation (0.4-0.7 m) is not absorbed Infrared radiation (5-25 m) is selectively absorbed, but there is an emission window at 10 m Total Atmospheric Absorption Ahrens, Fig. 2.9 Lecture 2-Nats 101

  27. Greenhouse Effect: Simple Example(1-layer atmo., 100% IR, 0% SR absorbed) Balance 1 Unit Outgoing IR to Space 1 Unit Incoming Solar 1/2 1/4 1/8 1/16 ½ emitted to space ½ emitted to ground no SR absorbed all IR absorbed All SR +IR absorbed 1/16 1 1/2 1/4 1/8 2 Units IR Emitted by Ground Net effect is 1 extra unit absorbed by the ground! Lecture 2-Nats 101

  28. Global Solar Radiation Balance 70% solar absorbed by earth-atmosphere Ahrens, Fig. 2.13 Lecture 2-Nats 101

  29. The Atmosphere is Heated from Below Ahrens, Fig. 2.11 old ed. Lecture 2-Nats 101

  30. Global Atmo Energy Balance Ahrens, Fig. 2.14 Lecture 2-Nats 101

  31. Summary • Greenhouse Effect (It’s a Misnomer) Warmer than Rad. Equilibrium Temp Reason: selective absorption of air H2O and CO2 most absorbent of IR • Energy Balance Complex system All modes of Heat Transfer are important Lecture 2-Nats 101

More Related