Weather and Climate Power Point

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Weather and Climate Power Point
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Atmospheric Composition
Our air is made up of 78 Nitrogen 21
Oxygen 0-4 Water Vapor 0.93 Argon .038
Carbon Dioxide 0.01 Trace
Gases (Carbon dioxide has increased from 0.028
over the past 150 years)
Our Atmosphere From Space
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Layers of the Atmosphere
Last/Outer Layer of our Atmosphere

• Exosphere- the traditional boundary between
  Earths atmosphere and outer space.
• Thermosphere The layer has extremely low
  density which causes the temperature, temp is
  more than 1000C.
• This layer also contains the Aurora from solar
  wind!
• Mesosphere This layer actually decreases in
  temperature.
• This is the layer that protects us from
  meteoroids!
• Stratosphere- Here temperature increases with
  altitude, especially in the Ozone Layer. The UV
  absorption of UV radiation in the ozone causes
  the temperature to rise.
• The OZONE layer protects humans from the
  extremely dangerous UV waves from the Sun.
• Troposphere The layer we live in. All weather
  happens here.

Atmospheric Layers
Surface of Earth
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Air Pressure

• Air Pressure is the weight of the air pressing
  down on you.
• Air Pressure and Elevation- As you go higher in
  elevation, the air molecules are more spread out,
  therefore the air is less dense. Also, there is
  less air above you being pulled down on you by
  gravity.
• Air pressure and Weather
• Sunny Weather High Pressure (approx the weight
  of a school bus!)
• Cloudy/Rainy Weather Low Pressure (approx the
  weight of a Volkswagen beetle)
• Why dont humans crush if we are always under
  such extreme pressure?

Air Pressure is measured with a barometer.
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Heat Transfers- The way heat is exchanged on
Earth.

• Radiation The direct transfer of heat through
  the air.
• Ex sunlight, heat given off from a fire or stove
• Conduction The transfer of heat from one object
  to another.
• Ex heat from the hot pot to your hand
• Convection The circulation of heat through a
  liquid or gas.
• Ex Convection currents in the mantle or a
  boiling pot of water.

Why does warm air rise?
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Cirrus tell that there will be a storm in a
couple of days
These are the only vertical clouds and are the
huge thunderstorm and tornado clouds.
Fair sunny weather
Rain but not thunderstorms
Flat/Low overcast clouds
Dew point is the temperature at which the air can
no longer hold all of its water vapor, and that
vapor begins to condense into liquid water.
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CLOUD NAMES
Shape
Precipitation
-Cirrus means curly or thin. -Stratus means
layered. -Cumulus means lumpy or piled up.
Clouds containing precipitation will have the
word Nimb somewhere in the name.
Height
-Cirro are clouds above 6,250 meters. -Alto
clouds are between 1,875 and 6,250
meters. -There is no prefix for clouds below
1,875 meters.
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Cloud Formation- clouds form by tiny water
droplets attaching to dust particles in the sky.
Eventually the drops will build up on the dust
until it becomes heavy enough for gravity to
pull it to the Earths surface as precipitation.

1. Evaporation fills the air with water vapor
   (gaseous water)
2. Air rises away from the surface, carrying the
   moisture upward.
3. As it rises, the temperature drops causing the
   water vapor to condense into tiny droplets.
4. Water molecules attach to condensation nuclei
   (tiny dust particles that cloud droplets form
   around).
5. Coalescence - The droplets continue to grow in
   size as condensation continues. Most droplets
   will eventually collide with another droplet,
   increasing size.
6. Once they become heavy enough, gravity will pull
   them to the ground as precipitation.

Cloud Formation Time Lapse
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Types of Precipitation

1. Rain- liquid precipitation
2. Sleet- frozen ice pellets (less than 5mm)
3. Freezing Rain- comes down as a liquid by freezes
   on contact leaving a glaze of ice.
4. Snow- frozen, six-sided crystals.
5. Hail- (only forms in cumulonimbus clouds) ice
   pellets that circulates vertically in the clouds
   and forms layers as it grows bigger.

http//dsc.discovery.com/search/results.html?query
hail
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The Water Cycle
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Global Wind Systems
Polar Easterlies
Prevailing Westerlies
Northern Trade Winds
ITCZ Low Pressure Intertropical Convergence Zone
Southern Trade Winds
Prevailing Westerlies
Polar Easterlies
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WHY DO THESE WINDS CURVE???
The Coriolis Effect causes global winds and ocean
currents to curve. This is due to the Earths
rotation.
In the northern hemisphere, winds and currents
rotate clockwise. In the southern hemisphere,
winds and currents rotate counter-clockwise.
How come an airplane you are travelling on never
travels in a straight line?
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Air Mass- large volume of air that has
characteristics of the area over which it forms.

• Types of Air Masses

• A (Arctic)- Extremely cold and dry, forms over
  northern Canada.
• cP (Continental Polar) dry and cold, forms over
  central Canada.
• mP (Maritime Polar) Cold and wet, forms over
  northern Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
• mT (Maritime Tropical) warm and wet, forms over
  southern Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
• cT (Continental Tropical) Warm and dry, forms
  over Mexico in the SUMMER ONLY.

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Examples of Areas that have specific Air Masses
cP

• cP- Central Canada, North Dakota, Siberia
• mP- Maine, Northern Canadian Coast, Washington
  and Alaska
• mT- Florida, Rainforests, Northern Australian
  Coast
• cT- Texas, Mexico, Los Vegas, Arizona
• A- Northern Siberia, Arctic Circle, Northern
  Canada and Alaska and Greenland

mP
mT
mT
cT
A
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Fronts- The boundary at the front of an air
mass The front created depends on the
characteristics of the air mass..
http//www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/7r.h
tml
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Cumulonimbus Clouds- these are the dangerous
thunderstorm clouds, they are also called
thunderheads. These clouds usually form on a hot
and humid day when the warm air rises quickly
Lightning- is a sudden spark or discharge
released from energy within a cumulonimbus
cloud. Lightning can be up to 30,000C. Thun
der- is the sound of the explosion. Since light
travels so much faster than sound, you always
see the lightning first, than HEAR there
explosion within seconds of the lightning.
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Tornadoes- is a rapidly whirling, funnel-shaped
cloud that reaches from the cloud to the Earths
surface. Tornadoes usually last less than 15
minutes but within that time, tornadoes can have
winds speeds up to 320 miles per hour and be up
to half a mile wide! TV Warning vs Watch-
Thunderstorm or tornado Warning means that
there IS A STORM or funnel cloud and it is
heading your way! Watch means that there is a
very good chance that the thunderstorm and
tornado COULD FORM. Tornado Safety- safest
places are a strong cement basement or bath tub
with a mattress over your body. If in a car, get
out! Get to a bridge overpass or lie in a ditch
with your hands over your head away from any
objects that could become projectile.
TORNADO FORMATION
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Cause for Tornado Alley1. cP Air Mass from the
north mixes with the mT from the south. The
large temperature contrasts cause the formation
of supercells (extremely powerful thunderstorms).
The rotation begins within the thunderstorm
clouds and the updrafts create a column which
increases rotation. The air pressure lowers in
the center causes a violent increase in wind
speed.
The Fujita Scale Rates Tornadoes F0-F1 (last
1-10 minutes and winds up to 45-120 mph) F2-F3
(last 20 minutes, winds up to120-220mph) F4- F5
(Last up to 1 hour, winds are up to
220-340mph) What is the most violent season for
tornadoes?
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Location of Tornado Alley
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Hurricanes
HURRICANE FORMATION
Hurricane Irene

• Hurricane Formation
• Warm air absorbs moisture from the ocean.
• Water Vapor is lifted into the atmosphere.
• As the water vapor rises, the cooler upper air
  condenses it into liquid droplets.
• Condensation releases latent heat into the
  atmosphere, making the air less dense.
• As the lighter air rises, moist air from the
  ocean takes its places creating a wind current.
• Moving air begin the rotate due the Coriolis
  Effect (the process curving large wind and water
  systems due to the very fast rotation of the
  Earth)
• Tropical Depression- Some thunderstorms and winds
  are 25-40 mph
• Tropical Storm- thunderstorm wall becomes more
  solid, winds 42-78mph
• Hurricane or Cyclone- distinguished eye with a
  surrounding eyewall (layers of thunderstorms that
  surrounds the eye) and winds are more than 78 mph.

Hurricane Katrina
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Climate- the average year after year conditions
of temperature, precipitation, wind, and clouds
of an area.
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BIOMES OF EARTH
RAINFOREST SAVANNA DESERT DECIDUOUS
FOREST GRASSLAND TAIGA TUNDRA ALPINE
Biomes are geographic areas of land on Earth that
share similar climates, animals, plants, and type
of soil.
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BIOMES OF EARTH

• Rainforest-Tropical Moist Climates (Af) Rainfall
  is heavy, more than 250 cm. (100
  in.),temperatures of 27C (80F),Humidity is
  between 77 and 88.
• savanna-Wet-Dry Tropical Climates (Aw)-there is a
  very wet season and a very dry season. It gets a
  little cooler during this dry season but will
  become very hot just before the wet season.
• desert biome-Dry Tropical Climate (BW) -These
  desert climates are found in low-latitude deserts
  approximately between 18 to 28This makes for a
  very dry heat. The dry arid desert is a true
  desert climate, and covers 12 of the Earth's
  land surface.
• Deciduous Forest biome-Moist Continental Climate
  (Cf) - This climate is in the polar front zone -
  the battleground of polar and tropical air
  masses. Seasonal changes between summer and
  winter are very large. Daily temperatures also
  change often. Abundant precipitation falls
  throughout the year.
• grasslands biome- Dry Midlatitude Climates (Bs)
  Annual temperatures range widely. Summers are
  warm to hot, but winters are cold. These dry
  climates are limited to the interiors of North
  America and Eurasia.
• taiga biome-Boreal forest Climate ( Dfc) -This is
  a continental climate with long, very cold
  winters, and short, cool summers. Very cold air
  masses from the arctic often move in.
• tundra biome-Tundra Climate (E) -Polar and arctic
  air , The winter season is long and severe, A
  short, mild season exists, but not a true summer
  season
• Alpine Biome- Highland Climate (H) Highland
  climates are cool to cold, found in mountains and
  high plateaus. Climates change rapidly on
  mountains, becoming colder the higher the
  altitude gets. The climate of a highland area is
  closely related to the climate of the surrounding
  biome

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Biomes According to Bear Grylls
Desert Biome
1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9)
Rainforest Biome
Grasslands Biome
Tundra Biome
Alpine Biome
Deciduous Biome
Taiga Biome
Savanna Biome
Marine Bioime