week 2 class notes

Week 2 Class NotesWeek 2 Class NotesTonight (2/1/2011) Tonight (2/1/2011)

• Weather ReviewWeather Review

• Turbulent Atmosphere (Chapter 1)Turbulent Atmosphere (Chapter 1)

• Weather ObservationsWeather Observations

• Geography 101 (in class – HW#2)Geography 101 (in class – HW#2)

Next WeekNext Week

• Heat & Energy (chapter 2)Heat & Energy (chapter 2)

• Weather MapsWeather Maps

Week 2 Class NotesWeek 2 Class Notes1. No iLearn. Everything will be on the class website.

http://funnel.sfsu.edu/courses/jnull/metr302/s11/

2.re: Homework # 1.

Deadline extended until 6 PM Wednesday, Feb. 2

3.If you are wait-listed get a Permit #

4.Textbook??

Your Weather SongsYour Weather Songs

Aint no sunshine Baby, it's cold outsideBack to December Ballet for a Rainy Day Coffee & SnowColdest Winter CycloneFrostFury of the Storm Here Come the Sun HurricaneI make it Rain Macarthur Park RainRain Drops keep falling on my head

Raining BloodRainy Day Women No. 12 and 35 Rainy Days Rhythm of the RainRiders on the StormShe's Like The Wind Sit Down, Stand upSparks FlyThe Sound of SunshineThe WheelUmbrellaWalking in the RainWalking on SunshineYou Are My Sunshine

Weather Songs ListWeather Songs List• How I Wish it Would RainHow I Wish it Would Rain• Let it SnowLet it Snow• You Are My Sun Shine You Are My Sun Shine • Its Raining MenIts Raining Men• Tears and RainTears and Rain• Rain Stained MelodiesRain Stained Melodies• Ain't No SunshineAin't No Sunshine• No Rain No Rain • Rain Down On MeRain Down On Me• Wheel in the SkyWheel in the Sky• Frosty the Snow ManFrosty the Snow Man• And it Rained All NightAnd it Rained All Night• RainRain• A Hard Rains a Gonna FallA Hard Rains a Gonna Fall• Blueberry RainBlueberry Rain• Pennies From HeavenPennies From Heaven• I Can’t Stand the RainI Can’t Stand the Rain• Crooked TeethCrooked Teeth• Make it RainMake it Rain• Riders on the stormRiders on the storm• Let the rain fall downLet the rain fall down• Rainy DaysRainy Days• It's Raining MenIt's Raining Men• Fire and RainFire and Rain• Texas FloodTexas Flood• Let it RainLet it Rain• The Wind Cries MaryThe Wind Cries Mary• Sunday MorningSunday Morning• Riders On the StormRiders On the Storm

• Here Comes the SunHere Comes the Sun• Singing In The RainSinging In The Rain• Follow the SunFollow the Sun• Fire and RainFire and Rain• Love a Rainy NightLove a Rainy Night• Walking On SunshineWalking On Sunshine• Ain't No SunshineAin't No Sunshine• My GirlMy Girl• Drops of JupiterDrops of Jupiter• Summer BreezeSummer Breeze• Cold Day In JulyCold Day In July• Stormy WeatherStormy Weather• Have You Ever Seen the Rain?Have You Ever Seen the Rain?• It Never Rains in Southern It Never Rains in Southern

CaliforniaCalifornia• Raindrops Keep Falling on My HeadRaindrops Keep Falling on My Head• You Are the Sunshine of My LifeYou Are the Sunshine of My Life• Over the RainbowOver the Rainbow• Rhythm of RainRhythm of Rain• Rainy DaysRainy Days• UmbrellaUmbrella• Blame It on the WeathermanBlame It on the Weatherman• It's Raining MenIt's Raining Men• Cold WindCold Wind• Lucy in the Sky with DiamondsLucy in the Sky with Diamonds• The Rain SongThe Rain Song• Rock You Like a HurricaneRock You Like a Hurricane• I'm Praying for RainI'm Praying for Rain• HurricaneHurricane

• There's No Sunshine There's No Sunshine AnymoreAnymore

• Kisses in the RainKisses in the Rain• Rihanna UmbrellaRihanna Umbrella• Flowers Never Bend With The Flowers Never Bend With The

RainfallRainfall• Make it RainMake it Rain• I Can't Stand the Rain I Can't Stand the Rain • Obscured By CloudsObscured By Clouds• Blame It on the RainBlame It on the Rain• Sunny RainSunny Rain• Lightning StrikesLightning Strikes• And It Rained All NightAnd It Rained All Night• Thunder RollsThunder Rolls• StormStorm• SnowSnow• Fire, FireFire, Fire• This WeatherThis Weather• Itsy Bitsy SpiderItsy Bitsy Spider• Electrical StormElectrical Storm• She’s Like the WindShe’s Like the Wind• PressurePressure• Rainy Days and MondaysRainy Days and Mondays• Pressure ZonePressure Zone• Raining on SundayRaining on Sunday

Weather ReviewWeather Review

Visible, Sat PM

Infrared, Today

Enhanced Infrared, Today

Radar, Today

Watches & Warning

Groundhog DayGroundhog Day

oror

Why February 2Why February 2ndnd??


• Origin:• Celtic celebration• Midpoint between Soltice & Equinox• If fair then 2nd half of winter stormy

• Christian Candlemas• Scots: “If Candlemas be bright and clear,

there'll be two winters in the year'‘• English: ``If Candlemas be sunny and

warm, ye may mend your mittens and look for a storm.''


• Germans brought tradition to Pennsylvania

• Tradition evolved to whether the groundhog (i.e., woodchuck) saw its shadow

• Accuracy? < 40%• “No skill”

CHAPTER 1

THE TURBULENT ATMOSPHERE

CHAPTER 1

THE TURBULENT ATMOSPHERE

THREATS FROM THE SKYTHREATS FROM THE SKY

• Weather-related events cause an estimated $10 billion in property damage annually

• Virtually no part of the globe is free of the threat of extreme weather

Fig. 1.2, p. 5

Billion Dollar Weather DisastersBillion Dollar Weather Disasters

Fig. 1.2, p. 5

THREATSTHREATS FROM THE SKY

• “Extreme and unusual weather” are the focus of public fears, and are often the impetus behind our quest for knowledge about the atmosphere

• In the United States, the risk of death due to a weather event is relatively small when compared to other risks – About two in one million

Table 1.1, p. 5

Fig. 1.3, p. 5

Fig. 1.4, p. 7

Table 1.2, p. 6

THE EARTH’S ATMOSPHERETHE EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE

• Our atmosphere is a delicate life-giving blanket of air that surrounds the earth

• Warmth for our planet is provided primarily by the sun’s energy

• Radiant energy drives the atmosphere into the patterns of everyday wind and weather, and allows life to flourish

If the earth were the If the earth were the size of a size of a basketball, the basketball, the atmosphere would atmosphere would be about the be about the thickness of a thickness of a sheet of paper.sheet of paper.

Very Thin Slice of LifeVery Thin Slice of Life


• The earth’s atmosphere is a thin, gaseous envelope containing:– 78% nitrogen (N2)

– 21% oxygen (O2)

– water vapor (H2O) (volume variable)

– carbon dioxide (CO2) (volume variable)

• Almost 99% of the atmosphere is within 20 miles of the earth’s surface

O3

1 cm1 cm33 of air can contain as many as 200,000 of air can contain as many as 200,000 non-gaseous particles.non-gaseous particles.– dustdust– dirt (soil)dirt (soil)– ocean sprayocean spray– volcanic ashvolcanic ash– waterwater– pollenpollen– pollutantspollutants

Particulates (Aerosols)Particulates (Aerosols)

1 cm = 0.4 in

Role of ParticulatesRole of Particulates• Scattering of sunlight.Scattering of sunlight.

• Condensation nuclei for water vapor.Condensation nuclei for water vapor.

• Surface or catalyst for atmospheric Surface or catalyst for atmospheric chemistry.chemistry.

PM 10 and PM 2.5PM 10 and PM 2.5• Fine Particles 10Fine Particles 10μμm and 2.5m and 2.5μμmm

• μμm = m = μ μ = micron = micrometer = micron = micrometer

• ““Spare the Air” NightsSpare the Air” Nights

• Unhealthy AirUnhealthy Air


• Water is the only substance in our atmosphere that is found naturally as a gas (water vapor), liquid (water), and solid (ice).

• Both water vapor and carbon dioxide are important greenhouse gases.

Fig. 1.7, p. 10

COCO22 Cycle Cycle

Fig. 1.8, p. 10

COCO22 Time Series Time Series

OZONEOZONE

• “Good” ozone (O3) in the stratosphere protects life from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

• At the surface, “bad” ozone is the main ingredient of photochemical smog.

• Surface Ozone Surface Ozone

Ozone FormationOzone Formation

• Stratospheric Ozone Stratospheric Ozone – UV radiation has UV radiation has

enough energy to enough energy to naturally break up the naturally break up the molecule.molecule.

– Acclerated by CFCs’Acclerated by CFCs’• Hairspray, freon etc. Hairspray, freon etc. • Catalyst Catalyst • Accelerate Accelerate

BreakdownBreakdown

Ozone DestructionOzone Destruction

Ozone DestructionOzone Destruction

Ozone Ozone HoleHole

19781978

http://ozonewatch.gsfc.nasa.gov/monthly/monthly.php?date=1979-10


19881988



19981998



20082008


ATMOSPHERIC PROPERTIESATMOSPHERIC PROPERTIES

• Weather is comprised of these elements:1. air temperature

2. air pressure

3. wind

4. humidity

5. clouds

6. precipitation

7. visibility

• Climate represents the accumulation of daily and seasonal weather events (the average range of weather) over a long period of time.


• Temperature is a measure of the average speed of the atoms and molecules.– Hot = fast– Cold = slow (absolute zero)

• Temperature scales– Kelvin (K)– Celsius (ºC)– Fahrenheit (ºF)


Fig. 1.11, p. 14

TEMPERATURE SCALESTEMPERATURE SCALES

• Air temperature normally decreases with altitude up to about 36,000 ft.

• The decrease in air temperature with increasing height is due to the fact that sunlight warms the earth’s surface, and the surface, in turn, warms the air above it.


• The rate at which the air temperature decreases with height is called the temperature lapse rate.

• The average lapse rate in the lower atmosphere is about 3.6°F for every 1000 ft rise in elevation.

• Temperature inversion


• Vertical thermal structure of the atmosphere:– Troposphere– Stratosphere– Mesosphere– Thermosphere


Stepped Art

Fig. 1.12, p. 15

____ 42,000’

____ 158,000’

____ 275,000’

• Atmospheric Pressure– The weight of the air molecules over an area

of surface is called atmospheric pressure– Atmospheric pressure always decreases with

increasing height– 1013.25 mb mean sea level pressure


Fig. 1.14, p. 17

Fig. 1.15, p. 17

Fig. 1.16, p. 19

Typical Range of barometric pressure for San Francisco~ 970 to 1040 millibars

BAROMETERSBAROMETERS

• Mercury

• Aneroid

• Barograph

• Altimeter

• Wind– Simply the atmosphere in motion– Sales of motion (micro, meso, macro)– Measurement: speed and direction– Wind tends to blow from higher pressure toward

lower pressure– Surface winds in the Northern Hemisphere are

clockwise and outward around areas of high pressure and counterclockwise and inward around areas of low pressure


Fig. 1.17, p. 20

SCALES OF MOTIONSCALES OF MOTION

Fig. 1.18, p. 20

Wind DirectionsWind Directions

Fig. 1.19, p. 21

Wind flows toward low pressureWind flows toward low pressure

ATMOSPHERE BASICSATMOSPHERE BASICS

• Moisture– Clouds and precipitation are associated with

surface low pressure; clear skies with surface high pressure.

– Relative humidity does not tell us how much water vapor is actually in the air; rather, it tells us how close the air is to being saturated.

– The dew point temperature is the temperature to which air would have to be cooled in order for saturation to occur.

Fig. 1.20, p. 21

HH22OO

Fig. 1.21, p. 22

Three states of matterThree states of matter

ATMOSPHERIC BASICSATMOSPHERIC BASICS

• Rising air causes clouds– Air parcel– Air that rises expands and cools– Dew point– Air that sinks compresses and warms

Fig. 1.23, p. 24

Hydrologic CycleHydrologic Cycle

WEATHER AND CLIMATE WEATHER AND CLIMATE EXTREMESEXTREMES

• Wind chill

• Drought

• Heat waves

• Tornadoes (cyclones, twisters)

• Thunderstorms (lightening, flash floods, downburst)

• Mid-latitude cyclones

• Hurricanes

Fig. 1.24, p. 26

Fig. 1.25, p. 27

Fig. 1.26, p. 28

Fig. 1.27, p. 29

Fig. 1.28, p. 29

Fig. 1.29, p. 30

Fig. 1.30, p. 30

Meteorology ConventionsMeteorology Conventions

Meteorological DirectionsMeteorological Directions(Cardinal Directions)(Cardinal Directions)

E = 90E = 90

S = 180S = 180

N = 0N = 0

W = 270W = 270

Example: 225 degrees = SouthwestExample: 225 degrees = Southwest

Plotted DataPlotted Data• Altitude is represented on charts as Altitude is represented on charts as

increasing upward (y-axis)increasing upward (y-axis)• Temperature increases to the right (x-axis)Temperature increases to the right (x-axis)

AltitudeAltitude

TemperatureTemperature


Greenwich Mean TimeGreenwich Mean Time• GMTGMT• UTC (Coordinate Universal Time)UTC (Coordinate Universal Time)• Zulu (Z)Zulu (Z)

• PST = UTC – 8 hoursPST = UTC – 8 hours• PDT = UTC – 7 hoursPDT = UTC – 7 hours

– 0000 UTC = 1700 PDT = 5 PM PDT0000 UTC = 1700 PDT = 5 PM PDT

– 1200 UTC = 0500 PDT = 5 AM PDT1200 UTC = 0500 PDT = 5 AM PDT


Map Classwork (10 pts)Map Classwork (10 pts)

Map ClassworkMap Classwork

Map ClassworkMap Classwork

PACIFICOCEAN

Sie

rra

Nev

ada

Cas

cade

s

GreatBasin

Roc

ky M

ount

ains

Great Plains

GreatLakes

Midwest

NewEngland

Mis

siss

ippi

Val

ley

Gulf Coast

Atla

ntic

Sea

boar

d

ATLANTICOCEAN

Gulf of Mexico

Next WeekNext WeekNext WeekNext WeekFeb 8Feb 8

• Energy that Drives the Storms (chapter 2)Energy that Drives the Storms (chapter 2)

• More Weather Maps (Isopleths)More Weather Maps (Isopleths)

week 2 class notes

Documents

air temperature decreases

blanket of air

air temperature2

air pressure3

unusual weather

bad ozone

gas water vapor

average range of weather