Meteorology 1950 - Today 1 Aug 2018 1 st Lt Libby Haynes Capt Kim Mevers
What is meteorology? Is it important to you? Meteorology is the science of the atmosphere embracing both weather and climate. It is concerned with physical, dynamical and chemical state of the earth s atmosphere. Does weather affect your day to day life? What you wear everyday Do you bring an umbrella/rain jacket How much water to drink What to pack on vacation Can we fly today? Wind limits, thunderstorm?
Weather s impact on the outcome of war Napoleon s Army Invasion of Russia in 1812 600,000 invaded East to Russia -40C temperature killed over 450,000 Soldiers Operation Barbarossa 1941 Adolf Hitler s attempt to invade the Soviet Union Prior to the invasion weather forecasters predicted - 24C degrees temperatures outside of Moscow Started their advancements in June October - still 250 km from Moscow December Reached the capital Underprepared with limited winter clothes and forced to retreat
Weather s impact on the outcome of war D-Day Landings - 1944 Critical decisions about when to send the allied forces across the channel were made based on weather forecasts Having broken the Enigma code Allies were able to decode German weather observations German forecasting thought weather conditions would remain unsuitable on the 6 th of June for an allied assault Allied forces had sufficient extra information advised that conditions would be marginal but sufficient to launch https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/learning/weather-andhistory/weather-and-war
Forecasting in the 1950s
Route Forecast
Narsarsuaq International Airport Air Force Base
Narsarsuaq International Airport
Left: Goose Bay, Labrador, June of 1954
175-1 Weather Forecast
Hazards Icing, Turbulence, Thunderstorm
Real-Time Weather Tool
Layers of the Atmosphere Troposhpere - Most airplanes fly - Weather - Deeper at the equator than poles, due to earth s spin - 80% of Earths Atmosphere my mass - 14.7 psi at the surface Stratosphere - Some special aircraft can fly - Flelix Baumgartner s sky dive record - Ozone layer - 1/1000 th of sea level pressure Mesosphere - Burns up most meteors heading to earth Thermosphere - International Space Station
Atmospheric Pressure In the Tropopause - Temperature decreases with altitude why? Experiment: - Demonstration: The force of gravity vs. atmospheric pressure - What happens to the card and why? Pilots and weather forecasters use a standard lapse rate - 2C per 1000 ft - Experiment: Air Rising
How Clouds Form Convection: Clouds develop out of the process of changing moisture from a gas to liquid Solar Radiation 1. Sun heats the ground and air immediately above it 2. The warm air becomes lighter and the flow of air carries this warm air upward 3. Air cools as it rises and the amount of water vapor it can hold decreases 4. Water vapor condenses and clouds develop 3 Ingredients in cloud formation: Moisture Instability (Lifting Motion) Heat the surface / Cool the top Experiment Create a cloud
Condensation process of converting water vapor to liquid Dew Point the temperature at which the air becomes saturated with water vapor Humidity amount of water vapor in the air 100% humidity = Temperature / Dew point difference is 0 Precipitation general term given to various types of condensed water vapor Relative Humidity amount of water vapor in the air compared to its water vapor capacity at a given temperature Saturation the condition of a parcel of air holding as much water vapor as it can at the air temperature at that time Water cycle continuous movement of water as it circulates between the Earth and its atmosphere Definitions
Sources of Lift Behind a Cold Front Frontal System Ahead of a Warm Front
Types of Clouds 3 Primary Types of Clouds: - Cumulus (heaped or piled) - Looks like cotton balls - Puffy, with vertical development - Stratus (sheets or layers) - Looks like a white blanket - Widespread, typically covering a large area - Not much vertical development - Cirrus (curly or fibrous) - Wispy, thin and typically you can see threw - Made entirely from ice droplets
Types of Clouds Cloud Altitudes: - Low-Level Clouds - Surface 6,500 ft - Observing technique: 3 fingers or larger - Formed by rain droplets - Mid-Level Clouds - 6,500 to 20,000 ft - Observing technique: 2 finger rule - Formed by rain droplets - High-Level Clouds - Over 20,000 - Formed by ice crystals
Special Types of Clouds - Cumulonimbus - Thunderstorms - Anvil Head - Stratosphere - Wave/Roll Cloud - Severe Turbulence - Very similar to ocean waves - Created by strong winds going across a mountain range - Lenticular Clouds - Severe to extreme turbulence - Created by winds going over a mountain range
METAR - Observing Clouds Clear Coded: CLR No Clouds in the sky Few Coded: FEW 1/8 2/8 of the sky covered (0-25%) Scattered Coded: SCT 3/8-4/8 of the sky covered (25-50%) Broken Coded: BKN 5/8-7/8 of the sky covered (50-90%) Overcast Coded: OVC 8/8 of the sky covered, no clear sky can be seen (100%)
What cloud is this?
What cloud is this? Cumulus
What cloud is this?
What cloud is this? Stratus
What cloud is this?
What cloud is this? Cirrus Cirrostratus Cirrocumulus
What cloud is this?
What cloud is this? Stratocumulus Cumulonimbus Cumulonimbus with Anvil
What is this image showing? L H High Pressure = Good weather Snow Cumulus Clouds Darkness Why?
What is this image showing? L H April 1, 1960 TIROS-1 High Pressure = Good weather Television Snow Infrared Observation Satellite Cumulus Clouds Darkness Why?
Infrared satellite (ir) - MEASURES TEMPERATURE OF CLOUD TOPS - COLDER IS BRIGHTER (HIGHER CLOUDS) - WARMER IS DARKER (LOWER CLOUDS) - USES FOR IR - CONVECTION (I.E. THUNDERSTORM) STRENGTH - AFTERNOON DRYLINES - TROPICAL STORM DEVELOPMENT - APPROACH OF COLD AIRMASSES (I.E. POLAR VORTEX) - HURRICANE STRENGTH AND ANALYSIS
Applications of Satellite products Dakotas/NE: Low Clouds CA Coast: Marine Layer Mexico -> KS: High Clouds
Dust Storm on Satellite HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=KAKZXSUMQLY&FEATURE=YOUTU.BE
Hurricane analysis via satellite imagery - ADVANTAGES - TRACKING FOR DAYS IN ADVANCE - STRENGTHENING/WEAKENING - SHEAR - DRYLINES
Questions