Unit 9: Climate & Meteorology Vocabulary Weather Temperature Dew Point Relative Humidity Psychrometer Air Pressure Barometer Isobars Wind Anemometer condensation Sea Breeze Land Breeze Coriolis Effect Condensation Nuclei Deposition Dew Frost Latent Heat Potential Energy Kinetic Energy Heat of Fusion Heat of Vaporization Specific Heat Conduction Convection Radiation Pressure Belts Convergence Divergence Air Mass Source Region Cyclone Anticyclone Front Temperature Gradient Pressure Gradient Station Model Synoptic Weather Map Storm Track Hurricane Tornado Sublimation Jet Stream Earth s Energy Energy from the Through the seasons, it heats our world, some parts more and some less Solar Electromagnetic Spectrum The ultraviolet rays and infrared rays. includes visible light, as well as X-rays, Climate Climate is. a system of accounting for moisture income, storage, and outgo for the soil in a specific area. LORI 16 GB:Documents:Earth Science:Meteorology:Meteorology Powerpoint:Meteorology Student Notes.docx 1
are those in which the total amount of is greater than the total amount of (Loss of water to atmosphere) PE than P Climate Pattern Factors have significantly more total Latitude Most important factor in determining climate, especially temperatures v As, yearly temperature ranges (difference between highest and lowest temperature). v Temperature range is the difference between the average HIGH temperature and average LOW temperature for an area over a year! Elevation As elevation, average yearly temperature. LORI 16 GB:Documents:Earth Science:Meteorology:Meteorology Powerpoint:Meteorology Student Notes.docx 2
Large Bodies of Water Sea or land locations affect temperature ranges. Since, coastal locations tend to have warmer winters and cooler summers. (depends on CURRENT!) Marine Climate A climate under the influence of the sea, characterized by Continental Climate climate that is characteristic of the interior of a landmass.. Ocean Currents The "Global Conveyer Belt" shows how the oceans move energy from the tropics to the poles and back again in order to moderate Earth's climate. This is accomplished through long-term ocean circulation. El Nino A resulting from a reversal of the ocean current in the Pacific which results in. LORI 16 GB:Documents:Earth Science:Meteorology:Meteorology Powerpoint:Meteorology Student Notes.docx 3
Orographic Effect Mountains act as barriers to prevailing winds. As the wind hits the windward side of a mountain, Side of the mountain that is exposed to the wind. Descending air warms and it holds more moisture, making it. Label your diagram according the picture LORI 16 GB:Documents:Earth Science:Meteorology:Meteorology Powerpoint:Meteorology Student Notes.docx 4
Wind Belts Uneven heating of the Earth produces global wind belts and pressure belts. These pressure belts determine the wetness or dryness of a particular location. Low pressure occurs where air is rising and thus precipitation occurs. High pressure regions are areas that lack rainfall (DRY). METEOROLOGY = the condition of the atmospheric variables, such as temperature, air pressure, wind, and water vapor, at a particular location for a relatively short period of time. Factors Affecting Insolation Direct result of in orbit distribute energy from vertical to oblique rays Tilt (inclination) spreads concentration of energy over broader area Causes of Weather This causes earth s atmosphere to react and become a gigantic engine that produces an infinite variety of. Weather/Atmospheric Variables Moisture Conditions (Precipitation & Humidity) Wind (Speed & Direction) LORI 16 GB:Documents:Earth Science:Meteorology:Meteorology Powerpoint:Meteorology Student Notes.docx 5
measures wind speed measures air pressure measures wind direction Weather Instruments measures amount of water vapor (relative humidity) Measures liquid precipitation measures air temperature Note: In the USA we still use degrees Fahrenheit the rest of the world measures in o Celsius. If you need to convert USE THE CHART! LORI 16 GB:Documents:Earth Science:Meteorology:Meteorology Powerpoint:Meteorology Student Notes.docx 6
Atmosphere =. Composition of the lower atmosphere (troposphere): 1. = 78% used by bacteria in soil to make nitrates 2. = 21% used by plants and animals for respiration 3. = 0.84% 4. = 0.03% used by green plants to make food 5. = 0.01% which include: Helium, Hydrogen, Ozone, Krypton, neon and xenon 6. Also: Layers of the Atmosphere (Reference Tables) Watch the Bill Nye Clip about our atmosphere and answer the questions on the following page (4) in your notes. 1. Why doesn't the moon have an atmosphere? Bill Nye: Atmosphere 2. What is the lowest layer of the atmosphere? 3. What happens to the air pressure as you go up? 4. How much weight does the atmosphere exert on every square centimeter? 5. In a very low place like Death Valley, California (282 feet below sea level), is the air pressure high or low? 6. What about on top of a mountain? 7. Why is it colder on top of a mountain even though you are closer to the sun? LORI 16 GB:Documents:Earth Science:Meteorology:Meteorology Powerpoint:Meteorology Student Notes.docx 7
What is Ozone? O3 we breathe O2 It occurs naturally in trace amounts in the. Ozone protects life on Earth from the Sun s. Ozone is created naturally when sunlight splits apart O2 into single O atoms these then bond to form more O2 or O3 What depletes the Ozone? chlorofluorocarbons, which are used in: Atmosphere and Solar Energy Absorbed by atmosphere Absorbed by Earth s surface Absorbed by clouds Atmosphere and Solar Energy reflected by clouds Reradiation: Reflected by Earth s surface reflected from atmospheric scattering (aerosols) LORI 16 GB:Documents:Earth Science:Meteorology:Meteorology Powerpoint:Meteorology Student Notes.docx 8
Greenhouse Effect Short wave energy comes in and heats the Earth As heat reradiates up from the earth, it is emitted in the form of The long wave energy becomes trapped by gases in the troposphere This trapped gas the air much like your car on a hot day. Major Greenhouse Gases = LORI 16 GB:Documents:Earth Science:Meteorology:Meteorology Powerpoint:Meteorology Student Notes.docx 9
Temperature and Heat Radiation HEAT TRANSFER Convection Conduction Measuring Temperature are lines that connect points of equal temperature. Showing temperature distribution in this way making patterns easier to see. LORI 16 GB:Documents:Earth Science:Meteorology:Meteorology Powerpoint:Meteorology Student Notes.docx 10
Draw isotherms on the map above, complete the questions below! 1. Lines connecting points of the same temperature are known as.. 2. According to the map above and your ESRT what are the prevailing winds in the USA? 3. As the latitude INCREASES, the temperature generally 4. Why do the isotherms dip southward in the western part of the USA? (HINT: What geographic feature makes the winters more cold in that part of the country?) 5. Why should isolines end at the edges of the oceans? Factors that Effect the Amount/Rate of Heating vs. heats up and cools than water COLOR vs. Darker colors tend to absorb more insolation than they reflect. Surfaces with lighter colors tend to reflect more insolation than they absorb. TEXTURE LORI 16 GB:Documents:Earth Science:Meteorology:Meteorology Powerpoint:Meteorology Student Notes.docx 11
vs. A surface which has a rough or uneven surface will absorb more insolation. A surface which is smooth will reflect more than it will absorb MOISTURE Changes in State The change in state from liquid to a gas, such as liquid water into water vapor, also called vaporization. - The changing of a gas or vapor to a liquid. - Changing of a solid to a liquid - Changing of a liquid to a solid Phase Change Diagram LORI 16 GB:Documents:Earth Science:Meteorology:Meteorology Powerpoint:Meteorology Student Notes.docx 12
- The change of state from a solid directly to a gas with no liquid state in between. Examples: dry ice gas changing directly to a solid Ex. Frost Moisture in the Atmosphere The primary source of moisture for the atmosphere are the. Other sources include: Lakes, Rivers, streams and transpiration Moisture in the atmosphere exists in all three states/phases. known as water vapor tiny droplets suspended in the air that form clouds tiny crystals suspended in the air that form clouds vapor in the air is the general term used to describe the amount of water determines the amount of water vapor the air can hold. As air temperature, the amount of water vapor the air can hold..saturation (Evaporation = Condensation) At 35 0 C, a cubic meter of air can hold of water vapor LORI 16 GB:Documents:Earth Science:Meteorology:Meteorology Powerpoint:Meteorology Student Notes.docx 13
Temperature Factors affecting the rate of evaporation Wind Exposed surface area Humidity As humidity goes Evaporation rates go Temperature The temperature to which air must be cooled to reach saturation. And Condense.and make clouds! If the air temp drops down to the dew point, condensation will occur. The dew point can tell us how high clouds will form. Clouds form where condensation is occurring. a. The drier the air, the evaporation will occur resulting in dry bulb and wet bulb will be. cooling. In turn, the difference in temperature between the LORI 16 GB:Documents:Earth Science:Meteorology:Meteorology Powerpoint:Meteorology Student Notes.docx 14
b. The more humid the air, the evaporation will occur resulting in cooling of the wet bulb thermometer. In turn, the difference in temperature between the dry bulb and wet bulb will be. c. At saturation, the temperature difference between the dry bulb and wet bulb would be. RELATIVE HUMIDITY Maximum amount of water vapor the air can hold at a given temperature. The actual amount of water vapor in the air is the. tells "how full" the air is with water. It is expressed in %.. The ability of air to hold water changes depending on the temperature. If temperature and moisture in the air remains the same, relative humidity will. Changing Absolute Humidity Temperature Relative Humidity If moisture content of the air and temperature, relative humidity will. Using the ESRT to determine Dew Point and Relative Humidity LORI 16 GB:Documents:Earth Science:Meteorology:Meteorology Powerpoint:Meteorology Student Notes.docx 15
Measuring Dew Point Temperature (Dew Point chart) Measure the wet-bulb and dry(air) bulb temperatures Locate where the air temp crosses the difference between wet and dry bulbs. Measuring Relative Humidity (Relative Humidity chart) Measure the wet-bulb and dry(air) bulb temperatures Locate where the air temp crosses the difference between wet and dry bulbs. Clouds LORI 16 GB:Documents:Earth Science:Meteorology:Meteorology Powerpoint:Meteorology Student Notes.docx 16
Air Pressure Air pressure acts equally ; it also exists within any object containing air like a building, the human body and empty bottles The weight of 20,000 miles of atmosphere = 14.7 lbs/sq.inch = Hg rising 30 inches. Measuring Air Pressure barometer Changes in Atmospheric Pressure to change: a. Factors/Variables that cause atmospheric pressure b.effect of on air pressure: As air temperature ; (air molecules move further apart/become less dense) the air pressure c. Effect of air pressure: As humidity, air pressure because when water vapor molecules enter the air, they replace heavier air molecules LORI 16 GB:Documents:Earth Science:Meteorology:Meteorology Powerpoint:Meteorology Student Notes.docx 17
d. Effect of on air pressure As altitude, air pressure (less air is above and air is less dense Mapping an Air Pressure Field are lines that connect points of equal air pressure. Showing air pressure distribution in this way makes patterns easier to see. On U.S. Weather Bureau maps, the interval between isobars is. Isobars can be used to identify "Highs" and "Lows". The pressure in a high is greater than the surrounding air. The pressure in a low is lower than the surrounding air. Directions: 1. Begin drawing from the 1024 millibars station pressure over Salt Lake City, Utah (highlighted in gray). 2. Remember, isobars are smooth lines with few, if any, kinks. 3. Repeat the procedure with the next isobar value. Remember, the value between isobars is 4 millibars. 4. Label each isobar with the appropriate value. Traditionally, only the last two digits are used for labels. 5. Label the center of the high pressure area with a large blue "H". 6. Label the center of the high pressure area with a large red "L". On weather maps, circle represents a city on the map. is represented by a three digit number to the upper right of a circle; this 053 Rules to follow to determine the value of this number: A decimal point is omitted between the last 2 digits on the right. The number 9 or 10 is omitted in front of this number. If the original number is above 500, place a 9 in front. If it is below500, place a 10 in front. (Hint: use whichever will give a result closest to 1000 mb) Example: 053 1005.3 LORI 16 GB:Documents:Earth Science:Meteorology:Meteorology Powerpoint:Meteorology Student Notes.docx 18
LOW HIGH Called: Air is: Caused by: Winds blow: Rotates: Weather: Barometer: LORI 16 GB:Documents:Earth Science:Meteorology:Meteorology Powerpoint:Meteorology Student Notes.docx 19
Wind The horizontal movement of air parallel to Earth s surface. **All wind deflects to the in the Northern Hemisphere** A. What Makes the Wind Blow? 1. Uneven heating at Earth s surface 2. Examples: a. b. c. Sea Breeze/Land Breeze During the day, the sun heats both land and water. Because of its lower specific heat, land heats faster and cools more rapidly than water. The heated air above land rises, which creates an area of low pressure. The air above the sea is cooler, creating an area of higher pressure. The cooler air in the area of high pressure above the sea moves to the area of low pressure over land. This is called a "sea breeze" because the breeze is coming from the sea. LORI 16 GB:Documents:Earth Science:Meteorology:Meteorology Powerpoint:Meteorology Student Notes.docx 20
At night, land continues to cool more rapidly than water, which means the sea is now warmer than the shore. Now the air above the sea becomes warmer than the air above the land. The air again moves from higher (over the land) to lower (over the sea) pressure. Directions: Using the diagrams of Sea Breeze or Land Breeze, answer the following questions. 1. In the diagrams, what are the circular motions of air called? 2. What causes these circular motions of air to occur? 3. Why is the warmer air rising while the colder air is sinking? 4. Why is the land significantly warmer in the daytime when compared to the ocean? 5. Why is the land significantly cooler at night when compared to the ocean? 6. During the daytime, would you face towards the land or the ocean to feel a breeze blowing on your face? 7. Would this daytime breeze be warm or cool? 8. Would you face towards the land or ocean to feel a breeze on your back at night? 9. Would this nighttime breeze be warm or cool? 10. Make a general statement concerning how large bodies of water affect the climate of nearby coastal communities. LORI 16 GB:Documents:Earth Science:Meteorology:Meteorology Powerpoint:Meteorology Student Notes.docx 21
Wind Direction and Speed 1. Winds always blow from regions of pressure to regions of pressure. Wind is represented by this symbol at a : The direction of the line always points to the center of the circle (in this case pointing east) and indicates the direction in which the wind is blowing at this location. Each feather represents the wind speed Whole feather = Half feather = 2. The speed of the wind is determined by the. 3. Pressure gradient difference in distance between cities. 4. As the pressure gradient increases (isobars are very close together), wind speed. Coriolis Effect The coriolis effect Earth s on it s axis causes winds to be deflected to the in the hemisphere and to the in the hemisphere. The unequal distribution of Insolation causes unequal heating of the Earth which causes differences in pressure which result in winds. air, being more, sinks toward Earth due to gravity, causing LORI 16 GB:Documents:Earth Science:Meteorology:Meteorology Powerpoint:Meteorology Student Notes.docx 22
Earth s rotation causes the which results in the three (or six) cell circulation of winds as illustrated in your notes. Earth Science Reference Table Air Masses What is an Air Mass? An is a large body of air in the troposphere moving in a particular direction, with the same, and throughout. 1. Source Region = 2. Types of Air Masses a. originates in the tropics (low latitudes). Characterized by. b. originates in polar regions (high latitudes). It is characterized by. LORI 16 GB:Documents:Earth Science:Meteorology:Meteorology Powerpoint:Meteorology Student Notes.docx 23
c. originates in ice covered arctic regions (winter only). It is. d. originates over land masses. It is. e. originates over water. It is. 3. Air masses are a combination of 4. Fronts Types of Fronts Front Symbols The direction of the points or half circles indicates the direction that the front is moving. In this case it would be moving North Station Models Each circle represents a city, the amount of fill in the circle represents the sky conditions LORI 16 GB:Documents:Earth Science:Meteorology:Meteorology Powerpoint:Meteorology Student Notes.docx 24
Severe Storms Thunderstorms: A storm that generates and. Frequently produce strong winds, heavy rain, and hail. At any given time, there are an estimated thunderstorms in progress on Earth. In the US, Florida and the eastern Gulf Coast region experience the most activity. Develop when air rises in an environment. Tornadoes Violent windstorms that take the form of a column of air called a, which extends downward from a cloud. The US experiences approximately 700 tornadoes each year. Greatest occurrence is from (but can happen anytime). Most frequently in the! Measured using the. Hurricanes A hurricane is a heat engine that gets its energy from. These storms develop from tropical depressions which form off the coast of Africa in the warm Atlantic waters. When in the form of heat., releasing heat which sustains the system. A tropical depression becomes a hurricane when its sustained recorded winds reach 74 mph. Although hurricane forecasting has improved over the years tremendously, the path of these storms may only be approximated. LORI 16 GB:Documents:Earth Science:Meteorology:Meteorology Powerpoint:Meteorology Student Notes.docx 25