objective: determine where clouds form using dewpoint and relative humidity agenda: cloud notes...
TRANSCRIPT
November 11, 2011
Objective:Determine where
clouds form using dewpoint and relative humidity
Agenda:Cloud NotesCloudbase labWind NotesIsobar practice
Cloud Notes
1. Condensation surface In order for condensation to occur,
two things must take place. The air needs to be saturated. There is a condensation surface available.
On the ground, the condensation surface would be the grass.
In the air, the condensation surface would be aerosols such as dust, smoke and pollutants.
HOW DO CLOUDS FORM AND CAUSE PRECIPITATION?
2. Precipitation This is liquid or solid water that falls
from clouds. All clouds are made of tiny water
drops or ice crystals. Precipitation happens when the water
drops or ice crystal become heavy enough to fall.
Precipitation actually cleans the atmosphere by washing the dust, smoke and pollutants back down to the earth.
The bad part is that this also causes acid rain
1. There are three main types of clouds. Stratus: horizontally layered clouds Cumulus: puffy clouds Cirrus: feathery clouds
TYPES OF CLOUDS
How to determine Dew Point & Humidity
Use a sling psychrometer:
1. Find the "dry bulb temp"
2. Subtract the dry and wet bulb.
3. Find the difference on the top
Use the exact same procedure for finding the Relative HumidityCHECK YOUR CHART!!
Moving air is called Wind
231mph @ Mt. Washington, NHApril 12, 1934
http://www.mountwashington.org/about/visitor/recordwind.php
World's Strongest Wind:
Wind
Basic Rules:
1. Warm air rises
2. There is always air
3. Warm air cools off
4. The Sun heats the GROUND
Wind is caused by differences in air
pressure
Wind
Low Pressure
L
High Pressure
HWIND
Wind moves from
________________
to
________________
Remem
ber that...
WindWhich way is it moving??
WindHow about here? ?
Isomaps & Wind
Isobars:connect pointsof equal pressureThe closer the linesthe higher the windspeed.
http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/wx/surface.rxml
Think of contourmaps made of hills of air...
There is always a more complex map
Weather Instruments
Wind Vaneswind
direction
Thermometers
Temperature
BarometersAir
Pressure
AnemometersWind Speed
Leaning Tower of Pisa Mt. Washington -
wind is measured by an anemometer (wind speed) and a wind vane (direction)
Wind moves from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure
The Rules of Wind