What is the difference between weather and climate?
Weather is the condition of the atmosphere at a given place and time. It is short term.
Climate is the long term-conditions of atmosphere over many years.
Weather= mood Climate=personality
Where do most surface weather observations come from in the US? Where are Atlanta's observations taken?
Most surface observations come from Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) stations.
Atlanta ASOS is at Hartsfield-Jackson
What does the word synoptic mean?
coincident in time
The universal time used for creating weather maps is the time zone centered on what city? What are the three names for this universal time?
Greenwich England
3 names: GMT, UTC, or z
Is 1200z morning or evening in Atlanta? What about 0000z?
1200z=morning
0000z=afternoon
Station Model
Why are station models necessary to show weather observations on a map?
...
T/F: a tornado watch means that a tornado may develop and you should watch the weather; while a tornado warning means a tornado has been sighted and you should take shelter immediately
True
T/F: The Earth orbits the sun in a perfect circle
False
On what date is the Earth closest to the sun? What is it called?
Perihelion-closest January 3rd
On what date is the Earth farthest from the Sun? What is it called?
Aphelion-farthest on July 4th
What is the energy source do our weather and most life processes on Earth?
Solar energy
T/F: The Earth's Mesosphere protects us from charged particles form the Sun creates spectacular auroras
False. It is he magnetosphere.
Incoming Solar Radiation is known as ______?
insolation
What is the solar constant?
Average= 1372 W/m^2
T/F: Incoming solar radiation is distributed evenly across the Earth
False
How much more insolation do the tropics receive vs the poles?
The tropics receive more than 2.5 times of what poles recieve
Seasonal changes are caused by variations in what three things?
1. Sun;s declination (where the sun is overhead at solar noon)
2. Sun's altitude (angle above the horizon)
3. day length
T/F: The Earth's axis is tilted 23.5 degrees
True
What star does the Earth's axis always point toward?
north star Polaris
June 21st and December 21st are known as what? What is the solar declination on those days?
June 21st is the Summer Solstice. Declination: 23.5 degrees N
December 21st is the Winter solstice. Declination: 23.5 degrees S
The Spring Equinox is on March 20th this year. What will the solar declination be on that day, and how many hours of daylight will Atlanta have?
The declination will be 0 degrees (equator)
Atlanta will have 12 hours of daylight (?)
What does the word equinox mean?
equal night
T/F: In the winter, we experience a surplus of energy; and in summer, we experience a deficit of energy.
False. Winter=less energy=colder.
Summer=more energy=warmer.
We watched a video of Felix Baumgartner's record-breaking jump. What layer of the atmosphere did he (and Alan Eustace) jump from? What was he testing?
...
What is air pressure? What instrument is used to measure air pressure?
Air pressure is the weight of the atmosphere pressing down on us. Barometers are used to measure air pressure.
Why must all air pressure readings be adjusted to sea-level?
In order to compare pressure readings at different locations.
T/F: Air pressure and density increase as you go up in the atmosphere.
False. Both decrease with increase of altitude.
What are the three criteria used to define the layers of the atmosphere? Which one is most commonly used by meteorologists?
1. Composition
2. Temperature (most common method used by meteorologists)
3. Function
What are the three most abundant gases by volume in the homosphere?
Nitrogen, Oxygen, and Argon
How does temperature change with height in the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere?
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T/F: Ozone absorbs ultraviolet light in the stratosphere, causing it to warm up.
True.
Using the temperature criterion, which layer of the atmosphere do we live in? What is the top of this layer called?
Troposphere. The top is called the equatorial tropopause
What is the name of the clouds found in the mesosphere?
Noctilucent clouds.
T/F: The ionosphere protects us from UV light and the ozonosphere protects us from gamma and X-rays.
False. The Ionosphere protects us from gamma rays and UV rays, the ozonosphere absorbs UV energy and converts it to heat energy.
What is the primary chemical that breaks down stratospheric ozone?
CFC (Chlorofluorocarbons)
T/F: The ozone "hole" is much larger over the Antarctic vs. the Arctic.
True
What is the name of the agreement which ramped down the production of substances harmful to the ozone layer?
The "Montreal Protocol
T/F: The ozone "hole" is expected to grow larger in the coming decades.
...
What are aerosols?
particulates that cause air pollution
Name some natural sources of atmospheric pollution. What are the three biggest sources?
Decaying plants, soil, and the ocean. The three biggest are volcanoes, forest fires, and plants.
How do winds affect pollution?
It spreads pollution from different areas of the Earth.
T/F: Dust from the Sahara Desert can cause hazy conditions in Atlanta.
True
What is a temperature inversion and what is its effect on pollution?
A temperature inversion is a thin layer of the atmosphere where the normal decrease in temperature with height switches to the temperature increasing with height.
This traps air pollutants in the atmosphere.
What are some of the major pollutants over urban areas?
Carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, etc.
Approximately how many people die each year from urban pollution?
1.3 million
Why is carbon monoxide so dangerous?
B/c it is almost undetectable. It is odorless and tasteless.
T/F: Ground-level ozone is the principal component of photochemical smog.
True.
Acid rain is due to two types of acids. Name them.
Nitric and sulfuric acids
T/F: Lead pollution concentrations are possibly linked to violent crime rates.
True.
T/F: The Clean Air Act has saved very little money and lives.
False.
What is energy? What are kinetic and potential energy?
Energy: The capacity to do work (move matter)
Potential energy: energy of position
Kinetic energy: energy of motion
Name the four main methods of energy transfer.
1. Radiation
2. Convection
3. Conduction
4. Advection
What part of the electromagnetic spectrum does the Sun put out the most energy? The Earth?
Sun: visible light
Earth: thermal infrared
(?)
What energy law explains the above?
Wien's Law: Wavelength at which object emits the most energy is related to temperature
What does the Stefan-Boltzmann law tell us? How can we use it to figure out how much more energy one object puts out vs. another?
Everything that has any temperature emits energy
Hotter objects put out a lot more energy
What are the five things that can happen to light from the Sun as it enters our atmosphere?
1. Reflection to space
2. diffuse radiation
3. direct radiation
4. shortwave radiation
5. energy gained and lost by the atmosphere
(?)
What causes blue skies and red sunsets?
Rayleigh scattering: shorter wavelengths are scattered more; longer wavelengths less
How are rainbows formed?
Light is reflected and refracted through raindrops
What is albedo? What is the average albedo of Earth?
Albedo= % of incoming light that is reflected
Average for Earth is 31%.
T/F: Light surfaces have a low albedo and dark surfaces have a high albedo.
False. Light surfaces have high albedos dark surfaces have low.
What is the greenhouse effect? What are some of the primary greenhouse gases in the atmosphere?
A greenhouse traps heat inside.
CO2, H2O, Methane, etc
What effect do clouds have on surface temperature during the day? At night?
Clouds can lead to cooling in the day and heating at night (?)
T/F: The tropics have an energy surplus and the poles have an energy deficit.
True.
Why is there a lag between the time of maximum insolation at the surface and the high temperature?
...
The Earth's surface energy budget can be expressed very simply as a formula for net radiation. What is this formula?
Net R=(SW ?+LW ?)incoming?(SW ?+LW ?)outgoing
T/F: Net radiation is always equal to zero.
...
What are the three ways that areas with a positive net radiation can dissipate heat?
1. sensible heat flux (energy or heat transferred between air and surface)
2. latent heat flux (heat transferred as water changes phase)
3. ground heat flux (flow of energy into and out of the ground)
Is latent heat flux larger over grassy areas or desert areas? What about sensible heat flux?
...
T/F: Urban areas tend to be warmer than surrounding rural areas.
True.
What characteristics of an urban area lead to urban heat islands?
Cement/asphalt
tall buildings
pollution
industry
transportation
other sources of anthropogenic heating ( heating/air conditioning)
lack of vegetation
How can urban heat islands be mitigated?
Urban forests
Green roofs
Light colored roofs/pavement
reducing energy consumption