Solar Energy as RadiationSolar Energy as Radiation

Figure 1.1Figure 1.1

Nearly 150 million kilometers separate the sun and earth, yet solar Nearly 150 million kilometers separate the sun and earth, yet solar radiation drives earth's weather.radiation drives earth's weather.

Earth's AtmosphereEarth's Atmosphere

99% of atmospheric gases, including water vapor, extend only 30 99% of atmospheric gases, including water vapor, extend only 30 kilometer (km) above earth's surface.kilometer (km) above earth's surface.

Most of our weather, however, occurs within the first 10 to 15 km.Most of our weather, however, occurs within the first 10 to 15 km.

Figure 1.2Figure 1.2

Thin Gaseous envelope

Atmospheric Greenhouse EffectAtmospheric Greenhouse Effect

• The warming of the atmosphere by its absorbing and emitting infrared radiation while allowing shortwave radiation to pass through. The gases mainly responsible for the earth’s atmospheric greenhouse effect are water vapor and carbon dioxide.

Aerosols & PollutantsAerosols & Pollutants

Human and Human and natural activities natural activities displace tiny soil, displace tiny soil, salt, and ash salt, and ash particles as particles as suspended suspended aerosols, aerosols,

as well as sulfur as well as sulfur and nitrogen and nitrogen oxides, and oxides, and hydrocarbons as hydrocarbons as pollutants.pollutants.

Figure 1.6Figure 1.6

Weather & ClimateWeather & Climate

Weather is comprised of the Weather is comprised of the elements of:elements of: a) air temperature a) air temperature b) air pressure b) air pressure c) humidity c) humidity d) clouds d) clouds e) precipitation e) precipitation f) visibilityf) visibilityg) windg) wind

Climate represents long-term Climate represents long-term (e.g. 30 yr) averages of weather.(e.g. 30 yr) averages of weather.

Satellite InstrumentsSatellite Instruments

Meteorologists may Meteorologists may study larger weather study larger weather patterns with space patterns with space borne instruments, borne instruments, while ground-based while ground-based tools often measure a tools often measure a single point. (GOES single point. (GOES SAT)SAT)

Figure 1.10Figure 1.10

MeridiansLongitudeLatitudeMiddle Latitudes – 30-50NMiddle-latitude cyclonic stormHurricaneThunderstormTornado – most violent disturbance in atms

Surface Weather MapSurface Weather Map

Figure 1.11Figure 1.11

Meteorologists Meteorologists generate diagrams generate diagrams of observed of observed weather from weather from ground-based ground-based instruments.instruments.

This surface map This surface map overlaps in time overlaps in time with the previous with the previous satellite image.satellite image.

LowHighFrontsWind Direction

History of Meteorology

• Meteorology is the study of the atmosphere and its phenomena

• Aristotle wrote a book on natural philosophy (340 BC) entitled “Meteorologica”

– Sum knowledge of weather/climate at time

– Meteors were all things that fell from the sky or were seen in the air

– “meteoros” : Greek word meaning “high in air”

History of Meteorology

• Invention of weather instruments– 1500’s Galileo invented

water thermometer– 1643 Torricelli invented

mercury barometer– 1667 Hooke invented

anemometer– 1719 Fahrenheit developed

temp scale based on boiling/freezing water

– 1735 Hadley explained how the earth’s rotation influences winds in tropics

– 1742 Celsius developed the centigrade temp scale

History of Meteorology

• 1787 Charles discovered relationship between temp and a volume of air

• 1835 Coriolis used math to demonstrate the effect that the earth’s rotation has on atmos. Motions

• 1869 first isobars were placed on map

• 1920 concepts of air masses and weather fronts were formulated in Norway

• 1940’s upper air ballons/3-D view of atmos

• 1950’s high speed computers• 1960 Tiros 1 first weather

satellite

Impacts of Weather 1/5Impacts of Weather 1/5

Figure 1.12Figure 1.12

Impacts of Weather 2/5Impacts of Weather 2/5

Figure 1.13Figure 1.13

Impacts of Weather 3/5Impacts of Weather 3/5

Figure 1.14Figure 1.14

Impacts of Weather 4/5Impacts of Weather 4/5

Figure 1.15Figure 1.15146 people die each yearIn US from flash floods

Impacts of Weather 5/5Impacts of Weather 5/5

Figure 1.16Figure 1.16

Lightning strikes earth100 times every second

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