Envs 101 1st Edition Lecture 18 Outline of Last Lecture I. Ocean CirculationII. Ocean Tides and WavesIII. Where Land and Ocean MeetIV. Changing Sea Levels V. The habitable Planet/Composition and structure of our AtmosphereOutline of Current Lecture II. Universal Gas LawIII. Moisture in the AtmosphereCurrent LectureUniversal Gas Law: PV-nRT - Pressure, Volume, Number of molecules, and Temperature of a gas are related. In this equation, R is a constant. As one value changes, the others will respond (see saw effect)- As air is blown into a balloon, how do P and V change? Both undergo an increase!Evaporation absorbs heat, and this energy is stored in water vapor, and called latent heat- Condensation releases latent heat, providing energy for storms (bear in mind that because energy can neither be created nor destroyed, latent heat is a form of potential energy). When the air is cold and dry, there is not much energy in the atmosphere. During the summer however, humidity will increase, and this is the energy that fuels occurrences such as storms throughout the Earth.- Absolute Humidity- Amount of water vapor in the atmosphere (i.e about 0-4% of air, dew point, or a partial pressure measurement)When the number of molecules that evaporate equals the number that condense, the vapor is saturated. - Relative Humidity- amount of water as a fraction or % of the saturation value (this is influenced by both water vapor as well as temperature.- Dew Point: temperature at which an air mass becomes saturated. Cooling air to the dewpoint causes condensation of clouds, fog, or dew. These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.Evaporation and condensation are influenced by temperature, higher temperatures favor evaporation over condensation.Adiabatic Lapse Rate: PV=nRT- Warm air rises, but since air pressure decreases, the air expands and cools- Cool air descends, but with increased air pressure it compresses and warms- The rate of temperature change with change in elevation is the:o Dry adiabatic lapse rate (unsaturated air)o Moist adiabatic lapse rate (saturated air) cooling occurs slower as latent heat is released by condensation.Clouds are visible aggregates of minute water droplets, ice crystals, or both. They form when airrises and becomes saturated with moisture, a response to adiabatic cooling and condensation. Cloud drops require condensation nuclei (consisting of dust and aerosols) to condense onMoisture in the Atmosphere: Cumulus are puffy individual clouds, Stratus are sheets of cloud cover, Cirrus are the highest, wispy feathers composed of ice crystals, Nimbus are rain, as in cumulonimbus or nimbostratus. Cloud bases will show the condensation level.Lifting processes that create clouds include:Density
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