Lecture 1● Which gases are the primary constituents of the atmosphere? ○ Nitrogen, Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide, Water● What is the difference between weather and climate? ○ Weather is what we see outside the window○ Climate is the prolonged period of weather – it is what we expect to see outside● What is the difference between satellites and radar?○ Satellites view clouds from above○ Radars view precipitation from underneath● What is Doppler radar?○ Senses motion of particles moving towards or away from radar● How is wind direction defined?○ Wind direction is defined from where the wind is blowing from.● How do winds blow around high and low pressure systems in the Northern Hemisphere and howdoes this influence the temperatures near these systems?○ In high pressure systems winds blow clockwise and outward. Results in clear skies.○ In low pressure winds blow counterclockwise and inward. Results in clouds and precipitation.Lecture 2● What is pressure and how does it change with height?○ Pressure is the amount of weight in an area or the amount of force in an area. Pressure always decreases with height.● What is the average atmospheric pressure (in mb) at sea level?○ 1013.25mb● What is density and how does it change with height?○ Density is mass/volume. Density always decreases with height.● Why is pressure corrected to sea level?○ Pressure can vary by 300 mb from sea level to the top of mountains so meteorologists correct the pressure to sea level to get rid of the variability.● What is a lapse rate?○ The rate at which temperature decreases with height● What is an inversion?○ Layer in which temperature increases with height● What is the troposphere?○ The lowest layer of the atmosphere. This is where all the weather takes place.● How is the atmosphere divided into layers? What are they? ○ We use temperature to divide the atmosphere into layers.○ Troposphere, Tropopause, Stratosphere, Stratopause, Mesosphere, Mesopause, Thermosphere 8 LECTURE #38 What is temperature?● Temperature is the measure of the average speed of molecules moving in a substance.8 How does temperature affect air density?● Warm air is less dense (rises)● Cold air is more dense (sinks)8 What is sensible heat?● Thermal energy that can be felt and measured with a thermometer8 What is latent heat?● The energy absorbed or released during a phase change.8 What are the phase changes of water? Which are warming and which are cooling processes? Why?● Condensation- Vapor to water (warming)● Evaporation- water to vapor (cooling)● Freezing- water to ice (warming)● Melting- ice to water (cooling)● Sublimation- ice to vapor (cooling)● Deposition- vapor to ice (warming)8 What is conduction? Convection? Advection?● Direct transfer of heat from one substance to another● Transfer of heat through fluid flow (vertical motion)● Transfer of heat through horizontal movements of air8 How does the sun heat the lower atmosphere?● Sun heats ground and ground heats atmosphere8 How does the temperature of air change as it rises and sinks? Why?● As air rises the pressure decreases resulting in the expansion of air and as the parcel expands the temperature cools● As air sinks the parcel compresses and as the parcel compresses the temperatureincreases.LECTURE #4● What objects emit radiation?○ Everything● How is the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation related to energy?○ Shorter wavelength the greater the energy● What controls the intensity and amount of radiation an object emits?○ Temperature- objects that are hot enough emit light● What type of radiation does the earth primarily emit? The sun?○ Earth emits infrared radiation. Sun emits IR and UV.● How does the absorption and emission of radiation affect the temperature of an object?○ If an object absorbs more radiation than it emits then the temperature increases.○ If an object releases more radiation than it absorbs then the temperature decreases.● What is a greenhouse gas? What are examples of greenhouse gases?○ Gases that absorb certain wavelengths only. Examples of greenhouse gases include Water vapor, CO2, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone● What is the greenhouse effect? Why is it a poorly-named phenomenon?○ The emit more IR radiation upward and downward. It is bad because the temperature is higher than the atmosphere should be. ● What is albedo?○ Measure of reflectability.● Why is the sky blue? Why are clouds white? Why are sunsets red?○ Blue light scatters four times as much as red light making it appear blue. Clouds are white because they reflect all light equally well. Sunsets are red because at night, light takes a longer path to the earth which results in the blue and green light getting scattered leaving only red light.LECTURE #5● Why does the earth have seasons?○ Summer when earth is tilted toward the sun. Winter when earth is tilted away from sun.● How do summer and winter in the Southern Hemisphere differ from those in the Northern Hemisphere? Why?○ When we have summer southern hemisphere has winter because when we are tilted toward the sun they are tilted away.● Which general regions of the earth have the largest difference between summer and winter temperatures? The smallest? Why?○ The poles have the largest difference, interiors of the continents, and the east coast. The tropics have the smallest difference, exteriors of continents, and the west coast.● How does water influence temperature? Why?○ Water takes a lot more energy to warm up so areas around water and generally cooler.● Why does the West Coast experience less seasonality than the East Coast?○ There is greater seasonal temperature change on the east coast than the west coast.● How does altitude of a region affect its temperature?○ Colder temperatures at higher altitude● When do daily high and low temperatures typically occur?○ High at 3:00pm to 5:00 pm○ Low at sunrise● What factors maximize nocturnal cooling?○ Nocturnal inversion, which prevents conduction○ Calm, cool nights● How do clouds influence daytime and nighttime temperatures?○ Early morning temperatures warmer in cloudy areas○ Daytime temperatures cooler in cloudy areas.LECTURE #6● Which gas is the most important to daily weather?○ Water vapor● What is saturation? What mathematical relationships are true at saturation?○ Saturation is when evaporation and condensation rates are