atmosphere, weather, maps, currents
DESCRIPTION
Atmosphere, Weather, Maps, Currents. What is the atmosphere? Why is the sky blue?. Troposphere [turning]. Stratosphere [distinct layers]. ?. ?. ?. ?. ?. ?. ?. Meso sphere [middle]. Thermosphere [heat]. Iono sphere [ion]. Magnetosphere [ magneto ]. Aurora Borealis. Steamed Hams?. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Atmosphere, Weather, Maps, Currents
•What is the atmosphere?
•Why is the sky blue?
Troposphere [turning]~ 20 km Equator
~ 17 km Average
~ 7 km N/S Poles
TemperatureBegins near 17°C around base and down to -52°C at top - 99% of the WATER VAPOR in the
atmosphere- Drives the Water Cycle- 75% of the mass of the atmosphere - All WEATHER occurs in this level
Stratosphere [distinct layers]
Altitude
~ 10 to 50 km ~ 13 – 20km Ozone Layer
Begins around -52°C around base goes up to -3°C at top - PLANES FLY at bottom of this level to
avoid turbulence, maximize jet fuel, and avoid storms.
- JET Stream is located (winds of 198mph)
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Mesosphere [middle]Altitude
~ 50 km to 85 km
Begins around -3°C around base goes down to -100°C
THE COLDEST LAYER
- Too high for aircraft but too low for orbiting spacecraft
- POOREST Understood region- Most METEORS burn up in this range
Thermosphere [heat]Altitude
~ 80 km to 500 -1000km
Begins around -200°C and then up to 1500+°C
The Highest Temperature Layer
- Temperature would ‘feel’ COLD to us because there are so few molecules, even though they have a HIGH level of energy.
Ionosphere [ion]Altitude
80 km to 550km
LOWER Level of ThermosphereThe ions here bounce radio waves back to Earth. Solar flares can increase the ion levels here and cause interference with radio transmission (one source of that static sound you hear)
Magnetosphere [magneto]Altitude
1000km to about 4000km
Midrange inside of the Thermosphere- VAN ALLEN Radiation Belts - Made up of
positively charged protons and negatively charged electrons, given off by the sun, and captured by the Earth’s magnetic field
- AURORAE - Collisions of these particles cause light energy to be given off, called Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights).
Exosphere [outer]Altitude
550km to 190,000 km
OUTER Level of Thermosphere – extends into “space”- The particles are so spread out that they
are likely to not hit any other molecules- ARTIFICIAL SATELLITES orbit the earth up
here. International Space station, weather, television, and telephone satellites
Greek Roots • Sphere – Ball •Hemi – Half•Atmo – Air • Litho – Stone •Bio – Life •Meso – Middle• Exo – Outer • Thermo – Heat• Strat - Stratify• Trop - Turning• Ion – Ion
•Nitrogen▫Most abundant element in the atmosphere. – 78.1%▫Makes proteins in animals and plants
•Oxygen▫Second most abundant element = 20.8%▫Plants = Give off O2 as waste. ▫Animals = Take in O2 to produce food.
•CO2▫Plants = Take in CO2 to produce food. ▫Animals = Give off CO2 and Nitrogen as waste.
Too Much CO2 in the atmosphere = Too much greenhouse effect
•Ozone▫Found in the stratosphere▫ Blocks UV radiation = good
Atmospheric Elements (% and Movie)
Air Pressure•The result of the weight of a column of air
pushing on an area
Air Pressure•Measured with a barometer•Aneroid / mercury
HEATRadiation ConductionConvection
Convection•The transfer of energy by the bulkmovement of molecules and differences in density.Or – Transfer of heat through fluid
DensityMass / VolumeThe amount of stuffin a given space.
The Electromagnetic Spectrum
Solar Radiation entering the Atmosphere
Lower Energy Long-wave Radiation A – Blocked by our atmosphere
High Energy Short-wave RadiationB – Blocked by our atmosphere
Visible LightC = Absorbed by atmosphere
D = Absorbed by the Earth
E = Reflected by Earth
F = Reflected by Clouds
A
C
F
D
B
E
Greenhouse Effect
Greenhouse Effect
A
B
C
D
A – Incoming Shortwave Radiation that warms earth
B – Long-wave Radiation emitted from Earth
C – Some Long-wave Radiation escapes atmosphere
D – Some Long-wave Radiation is reflected back to Earth
THIS STEP IS THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT
Incoming shortwave radiation from the sun, makes it thru CO2 in the atmosphere
Outgoing long-wave radiation from the earth, does not make it thru CO2
On Earth the Greenhouse Effect
Greenhouse Gases•Which is the most prevalent greenhouse
gas?▫H2O▫CO2
▫CH4
Weather Notes
Direct Heating vs. Indirect Heating
Creation of North/South Winds
The Coriolis Effect•The earth spins faster at the equator than
the poles, and therefore winds don’t travel at the same rate in a vertical path.
•Winds therefore bend towards either east/west.
Creation of East/West Winds
Trade Winds
Westerlies
Easterlies
Uneven heating of surfaces
Water Cycle EPIC•Evaporation▫Water is warmed up enough to go from
liquid to gas and rises in the air.•Precipitation▫Enough water molecules collect in a cloud
to form a droplet as either rain, snow, sleet, hail
• Infiltration▫The water enters into the ground.
•Condensation
Air Masses that Affect the U.S.A.•m•c•T•P•A
Uneven heating of surfaces
6am 10 am 2pm Temp
(°F)Wind
Speed/DirTemp(°F)
Wind Speed/Dir
Temp(°F)
Wind Speed/Dir
Land 60.5 14.1 71.5 3.2 92.7 20.9 Sea 68.1 14.4 69.9 3.2 71.6 20.9
6pm 10pm 2amTem
p(°F)
Wind Speed/Di
r
Temp(°F)
Wind Speed/Di
r
Temp(°F)
Wind Speed/Dir
79.4 15.8 73.1 5.8 66.1 5.3 71.7 15.8 70.0 5.8 68.9 5.3
92.7 °F71.6°F
20.9 mph
20.9 mph
66.1°F68.9 °F
5.3 mph
Weather Maps and Fronts
What is the percent cloud cover at the station?
What is the wind speed in knots?
What direction is the wind coming FROM?
What direction is it going to?
This funny looking thing is a weather symbol. It represents data recorded from a weather station.
The circle is cloud cover.
The “tail” is the wind direction. It shows where the wind comes FROM.
The feathers are the wind speed in knots. (1 knot = 1.15 miles)
0%
15 knots
NW
SE
•5 knots = ½ a “feather”•10 knots = 1 full “feather”•50 knots = triangular “feather”
•1) Draw a weather symbol with ▫½ cloud cover▫wind at 5 knots out of the northeast.
•2) Draw a weather symbol with ▫60% cloud cover▫wind out of the west at 55 knots.
What is a weather system?•Remember the rule of thumb. •Wind flows from areas of high to low
pressure!
• Air pressure is equal to the weight of a column of air at a particular location. It is measured in millibars (mb)
• High pressure systems are regions of relatively high pressure. ▫ They are associated with dry weather and clear skies.
Why? - Air flows from high to low pressure. Air sinks and flows away from a high pressure system. Therefore, few or no clouds form.
•Low pressure systems are areas of relatively low pressure. They are associated with clouds and precipitation. Why?
Air flows from high to low pressure. Air flows toward a high pressure system and rises. Therefore, many clouds form.
What are fronts? • An air mass is a large body of air with similar
temperature, pressure, and humidity throughout.
• A “front” is a boundary between air masses.
• We talk about “warm fronts” and “cold fronts.” These both happen with low pressure systems. Why can’t they occur in high pressure systems?
Air flows from high to low pressure. Air sinks and flows away from a high pressure system. Therefore, few or no clouds form.
Cold Fronts▫A cold front is a boundary between an
advancing cold air mass and a warm air mass that is already present.
▫It is represented by triangles that point the direction the front is moving.
▫Precipitation/clouds occur behind the front. ▫Why?
• Cold air is more dense and “pushes” the less dense warm air up. Clouds form and precipitation occurs behind the cold front. (I.e. it gets cold before it rains).
Do cold fronts have to be “cold?” As in freezing?
Warm FrontsA warm front is a boundary between an advancing warm air mass and a cold air mass that is already present. It is represented by semi-circles that point the direction the front is moving.Precipitation/clouds occur ahead of the front. Why?
•Warm air is less dense and rises above the cold air. It condenses and forms clouds ahead of the front.
Brings cold air
Clouds and precipitation behind the front Clouds and
precipitation ahead of the front
Brings aweather change.
Cold Front Warm Front
Brings warm air Occurs duringa low
pressure system.
Hazardous WeatherAndIndiana Weather
Special Weather EventsThere are many types of hazardous weather•Tornadoes•Blizzards•Thunderstorms•Flooding•Hurricanes•Drought•Lake Effect Snow
Thunderstorms•The 3 Key Ingredients of a Thunderstorm▫MOISTURE
Large bodies of water (warmer temperatures = good)
▫INSTABILITY Warm moist air underneath colder dense air As the warm air rises it will cool and form the
CUMULONIMBUS clouds ▫A LIFTING MECHANISM
Differential heating (Water vs. land), Fronts, Terrain
Thunderstorms•The 3 Stages of a Thunderstorm▫TOWERING STAGE
The warm air is forced upwards making the tall fluffy cumulonimbus clouds.
▫MATURE STAGE The air that has been raised higher cools and the
precipitation begins to fall.▫DISSIPATION STAGE
The storm runs out of the warm moist air that fuels it.
Towering Phase
What is an Anvil?
Mature Phase•“Anvil” Shaped Top
Mature Phase•“Anvil” Shaped Top
Dissipation Stage
Types of Thunderstorms•Ordinary Cell▫One cycle through the previous phases
•Multi-cell▫The storm builds and cycles through several of the
phases•Squall Line▫The thunderstorm forms a horizontal line that
spreads several miles.•Supercell▫Last for several hours traveling over long distances.
Produce almost all of the significant tornadoes
Supercell Thunderstorm
Thunderstorm Hazards•Hail•Damaging Winds▫Indiana State Fair
•Tornadoes•Flash-Floods ▫Single greatest cause of death in
thunderstorms
Tornado•A violently rotating column of air
descending from a thunderstorm and touching the ground.
Formation•Most tornadoes are spawned from
supercell thunderstorms. Supercell thunderstorms are characterized by a persistent rotating updraft and form in environments of strong vertical wind shear.
•The exact processes for the formation of a funnel are not known yet.
Enhanced Fujita Scale
EFscale Class
Wind speedDescriptionmph km/h
EF0 weak 65-85 105-137 GaleEF1 weak 86-110 138-177 ModerateEF2 strong 111-135 178-217 SignificantEF3 strong 136-165 218-266 SevereEF4 violent 166-200 267-322 DevastatingEF5 violent > 200 > 322 Incredible
What’s more dangerous than a tornado?
•The Fire Whirl
Flooding•Discuss why flooding occurs with your
neighbor•Basics – Flooding occurs when there is too
much water coming into an area and not enough flowing water out.
•Water “Out” sources – rivers, lakes, INFILTRATION, Combined Sewer Overflows Systems.
•Dangers People underestimate how powerful moving
water can be. Even at low levels moving water is strong.
Dangers of moving Water• Of the three deaths which occurred as a result of the
Fort Worth tornado, March 28, 2000, one death was due to flooding. The man who drowned was a passenger in a car with his girlfriend, the driver. They approached a low spot with water flowing over the road due to very heavy rain. Flooding was a common occurrence at this location with heavy rains and the danger was well marked.
• As the driver drove her car into the water she became frightened as the water rose higher and higher around her vehicle. She backed out to higher ground. The passenger said the water was NOT too deep and he would prove it by walking across to the other side. He never made it.
• Nuetzel’s Canoeing story
Lake Effect Snow• is produced during cooler atmospheric conditions
when COLD winds move across long expanses of WARMER LAKE WATER, providing energy and picking up water vapor which freezes and is deposited on the opposite shores.
Lake Effect Snow
Currents and Climates
How does energy get to Earth? •The sun’s energy transfers to the earth
through space through the process of radiation.
How does the heat from earth get to the rest of the atmosphere and through the oceans?
•Convection currents carry the heat. •Hot, less dense fluids rise. •Cold, more dense fluids sink.
What are some global wind and water currents? •A current is a body of water or air moving in a definite direction.
Do currents go in straight lines?
•Video: Coriolis Effect
•http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_36MiCUS1ro
Global Winds•Winds flow from high pressure to low
pressure areas. (They want to go where there are less particles).
•The equator has low pressure, because warm air rises.
•Winds generally flow toward the equator.
Global Winds • Air
movement towards the equator is called trade winds. Why do you think they are called that?
Global Winds • Winds that blows across the US from the west are called the “Westerlies.”
• What do the Westerlies cause in the US?
Deep ocean currents • The general pattern is called the “global conveyer
belt.”• Warm water rises at the equator and travels
toward the poles. • Water cools and sinks at the poles. It travels back
toward the equator.
Surface Ocean Currents •Are driven by the wind blowing over the
ocean’s surface. •The winds create gyres, circular patterns
of currents.
•Climate is the average weather conditions over time including wind, temperature, rainfall, etc.
•How is that different from weather?
Current and Climate
Rule of thumb for climate: It is based on the latitude of the place. Closer to the equator is warm.
But wait….Can all climates be explained by latitude alone?
Based on latitude alone, we should expect England to have a climate similar to _________________?
Why is it so warm in northern Europe compared to other places at the same latitude?
•The gulf stream brings warmer water to northern Europe than would be expected for that latitude.
•The difference is about 5°C warmer.
Based on latitude alone, we should expect Hawaii to have a climate similar to _________________?
Why is relatively cool in Hawaii compared to other places at the same latitude?
Meteorology Match Maker• I love to travel! In particular, I enjoy the southeastern coast of
the United States, the Atlantic Ocean, and the coasts of Northern Europe. I like to think I have a warm personality. ▫ Gulf Stream
• My life moves at a quick pace, with a jet-set sort of lifestyle. I go wherever the wind blows me. I sometimes find it difficult to stay grounded. I am hoping to settle down with a pilot. ▫ Jet Stream
• I would describe myself as worldly, really a force of nature. I feel my emotions “deeply.” I can also be pretty hot and cold, but people get used to that. I am an avid swimmer, and I feel at home in the sea. ▫ Global Conveyor Belt
• I tend to get tired easily. I often like to have a good cry, particularly after violent, sad, or loud movies. ▫ Dissipating Stage
• I have a bright and sunny personality. I like to push the blues away. My happiness and cheer spreads to everyone for miles around me. Other people feel like they are under pressure to be as happy as me! ▫ High Pressure
• I am by no means straight-laced. Sometimes, I can go round and round in a conversation. I think of life as a merry-go-round. ▫ Coriolis Effect
• I am tall and imposing. When people see me, they know there will be trouble. People say my head is in the clouds. ▫ Anvil cloud / Cumulonimbus
• I love to travel. I get cold easily, so I like to take vacations near the equator. I love to buy souvenirs on my vacations that are imported from around the world. ▫ Trade Winds
• I can tend to come on a bit strong, and I get upset by people who under-estimate me. However, people who know me understand that I am nearly overflowing with love and emotions! ▫ Flash Flood
• I have a history of violent and destructive behavior. Some would even say that I am on a downward spiral, and that I am pretty twisted. Any potential mate will need to take my last name, Fujima. ▫ Tornado
• I am very protective of those I am close to. You should know that I have very fair skin, and I wear SPF 75 at all times. ▫ Ozone Layer
• I am a homebody, but I am still very social. Some people think I am a low-class person, that I will never live the high-life. However, I feel happy and grounded. ▫ Troposphere
Atmosphere Vocab and Concepts•Atmosphere▫How does the
temperature change in the layers?
▫% of Elements▫Troposphere▫Stratosphere▫Mesosphere▫Thermosphere▫Exosphere
•Air Pressure▫What happens to Air
Pressure in the
atmosphere?▫High / Low
•Density▫How does heat affect
density?•Convection•Radiation•Electromagnetic Waves▫Which are allowed in,
which are blocked?•Greenhouse Effect•Water Cycle – E,P,I,C
Atmosphere Vocab and Concepts•Unequal Heating▫Equator/Poles – N/S▫Spinning Earth- E/W▫Terrain – Local/Coastal
•Air Masses▫Tropical, Polar, Arctic▫Maritime, Continental
•Coastal Winds▫How does convection
play out on a coastal area regarding temp/wind?
•Weather Map Symbols▫Cloud Cover/Wind
Speed•High / Low Pressures▫Weather / Fronts /
Clouds•Ocean Currents▫Surface/Deepwater
•Climate•Hazardous Weather▫Thunderstorms, Winds,
Tornadoes, Hurricanes