WATER IN THE EARTH’S CLIMATE SYSTEM

Ocean and Freshwater Distribution

Figure 5.3

Water’s Heat Energy Characteristics

Figure 5.6

Maximum Specific Humidity

Figure 5.12

Humidity Patterns

Figure 5.10

Humidity Instruments

Figure 5.13

Atmospheric Stability  • Adiabatic Processes  

– Dry adiabatic rate (DAR)– Moist adiabatic rate (MAR)– Stable and unstable atmospheric conditions

Adiabatic Processes

Stable Unstable

CONDENSATION

DEW (FROST)

FOG

CLOUDS

Advection Fog

Figure 5.20

Evaporation Fog

Figure 5.21

Valley Fog

Figure 5.25 Figure 5.22

Radiation Fog

Figure 5.23

Radiation fog

Atmospheric Lifting Mechanisms 

• Convectional Lifting  

• Orographic Lifting  

• Frontal Lifting – Cold fronts – Warm fronts

Atmospheric Lifting Mechanisms 

Figure 5.27

CIRRUS

STRATUS

CUMULUS

Classification of Clouds (continued)

Figure 12.15

Cumulonimbus

Precipitation Cloud droplets

Less than 20 micrometers (0.02 millimeter) in diameter

Fall incredibly slow Formation of precipitation

Ice crystal process Temperature in the cloud is below freezing Ice crystals collect water vapor Large snowflakes form and fall to the

ground or melt and turn to rain

Precipitation

Formation of precipitation Collision-coalescence process

Warm clouds Large hygroscopic condensation nuclei Large droplets form Droplets collide with other droplets during

their descent

Precipitation Forms of precipitation

Rain and drizzle Rain—Droplets have at least a 0.5 mm

diameter Drizzle—Droplets have less than a 0.5 mm

diameter Snow—Ice crystals, or aggregates of ice

crystals Sleet and glaze

Sleet Small particles of ice in winter

The Standard Rain Gauge

Figure 12.23

Rainshadow

Annual Average Precipitation

Change in Annual Total Rainfall over Time

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Corv

allis

Gra

nt's

Pas

s

Hoo

d Ri

ver

Esta

cada

Mor

o

Lake

view

Alt

uras

Orl

eans

Scoti

a

Uki

ah

Sant

a Ro

sa

Gra

ton

Sacr

amen

to

Nap

a

Los

Bano

s

Han

ford

Coal

inga

Los

Ang

eles

Big

Bear

Sant

a A

na

Palm

Spr

ings

San

Die

go

Chan

ge in

Inch

es o

f Rai

n si

nce

1925

Western OR

Northern CA

Central CA Southern CAEastern OR/Northeast CA

Change in Rainfall from 1925 to 2008, CA & OR

ANNUAL

y = 0.0254x + 72.209

y = 0.0591x + 50.935

y = -0.0085x + 15.508

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

90.0

1878

1883

1888

1893

1898

1903

1908

1913

1918

1923

1928

1933

1938

1943

1948

1953

1958

1963

1968

1973

1978

1983

1988

1993

1998

TE

MP

(F

)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

PR

EC

IPIT

AT

IN (

IN)

RAIN FALL MAX TEMP 5 YR MEAN

MIN TEMP 5 YR MEAN Linear (MAX TEMP 5 YR MEAN)

Linear (MIN TEMP 5 YR MEAN) Linear (RAIN FALL)

Downtown LA Rainfall & Temperature 1878-2003