Meteorology
Section I How does the Sun warm the Earth?
A. Atmosphere
1) Layers
2) Composition
B. Electromagnetic Spectrum
C. Insolation
1) Ozone Layer
2) Angle of Insolation
D. Greenhouse Effect
E. Temperature
1) Kinetic Energy
2) Three scales
3) Isotherms
Section II Weather Variables
A. Pressure
1) Measures
2) Conversion
3) Isobars
B. Wind
1) Air moves
2) Sea Breeze/Land Breeze
3) When isobars are close together the wind is fast.
4) Gradient
C. Humidity
1) Evaporation
2) Condensation
3) Relative humidity
4) Dewpoint
D. Station Models
1) A picture of the current weather
2) Pressure Conversion
E. Clouds
F. Precipitation
Section III Weather Systems
A. Pressure Systems
1) Low and High Pressure Systems
2) Corriolis Effect
3) Storm tracks
B. Air Masses
C. Fronts
1) Cold Fronts
2) Warm Fronts
D. Severe Weather
E. Climates
1) Elevation
2) Latitude
3) Ocean Currents
4) Proximity to Water
5) Mountains
6) Planetary Wind Belts
Section I How does the Sun warm the Earth?
A. Atmosphere
1) Layers
Life jacket page 15.
Ø The troposphere is the lowest layer of the atmosphere and the layer that all weather occurs in.
2) Composition
The two most abundant gasses in the atmosphere are _Nitrogen__ and _Oxygen__.
Use your life jacket page 11.
Ø Nitrogen is 78% of the Troposphere and Oxygen is 21%. Other gasses include Carbon Dioxide, Water Vapor, Argon, Neon, Helium, Methane and Others.
B. Electromagnetic Spectrum
Energy travels in waves. As the wavelength of the energy changes, the properties of that energy change.
Life jacket page 14.
Ø Wavelength is the distance from the top of a wave to the top of the next wave. Electromagnetic energy is different based on its wavelength.
C. Insolation
Incoming Solar Radiation = __Sunshine__
1) Ozone
The energy that reaches the Earth from the Sun doesn’t all go through the atmosphere. For example ___Ultraviolet Radiation (UV)__ is absorbed by _Ozone__ and doesn’t reach the Earth’s surface.
Ozone Layer found in __the Stratosphere____.
2) Angle of Insolation
Insolation that hits the surface at a 900 angle is the most intense.
The angle of the Sun changes:
during the day
The Sun is at a higher angle at _Noon_ and therefore the intensity of the Sun is _greater_ at that time.
during the year
The Sun is highest in the sky on _June 21_ and lowest on __Dec. 21_ ( if you live in the Northern hemisphere)
at different latitudes
The _Equator_ receives the highest angle of sunshine, the _Poles_ the least.
D. Greenhouse Effect
Shot wave visible light is absorbed by the Earth’s surface. That energy is re-radiated as longer wave infrared heat.
Ø The three gasses that absorb the greatest amount of long wave infrared radiation are known as the greenhouse gasses. They are Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Water Vapor (H2O), and Methane (CH4).
E. Temperature
1) Measures the __average kinetic energy of the air molecules__.
Less energy More Energy
Less Movement More Movement
More Packed Together Less Packed Together
More Dense (Heavier) Less Dense (Lighter)
2) Three scales. Use your life jacket page 13.
3) Isotherms
Ø Lines that connect points of equal temperature on a map.
Draw isotherms using an interval of 100F.