Conduction- touchingConvection –by movement of mass, usually in liquidsAdvection – movement of airTransfer of radiationLatent heat of evaporation of waterThe poles are cold and the equator is hot because of the latitudinal heat balance. The incoming solar radiation has to equal the outgoing terrestrial radiation. There is a surplus of energy at the equator  more radiation in than out. There is less energy at the poles  more radiation out than in. Heat is transported from the equator to the poles by ocean currents and by the atmosphere. Day light is longer in the summer because of the tilt of the earth, the north pole is facing the sun more directly leading to longer days in the summer and vice versa.The greenhouse effect is a process by which thermal radiation from a surface is absorbed by atmospheric greenhouse gases, and is re-radiated in all directions. Since part of this re-radiation is back towards the surface, energy is transferred to the surface and the lower atmosphere. As a result, the temperature there is higher than it would be if direct heating by solar radiation were the only warming mechanism.LatitudeSurface typeElevation and aspectDifferential heating of land and waterOcean currentsCloud cover and albedoMorningTemperature lowSaturation vapor pressure smallRelative humidity largeAfternoonTemperature highSaturation vapor pressure highRelative humidity lowThese two variables have an inverse relationship, as temp increases RH decreases. The warmer air is able to hold much more humidity so the RH drops, vice versa.A rising parcel of air always expands, as the parcel expands, it will cool, no heat is gained or lost by the parcel.Lapse rate – rate at which the real atmosphere falls off with altitude environment lapse rateWhen the environmental lapse rate is less than 10 degrees Celsius  atmosphere is stable, vice versaThermometer: temp using mercury and resistanceBarometer: pressurePsychrometer, dew point hygrometer: humidityAnemometer: wind speedWind vane: wind directionRain gauge: precipitationGravitational forceDirected downward, normal to the groundEqual to mass of the air times the gravitational accelerationPressure Gradient ForceFunction of the pressure different and air densityCoriolis ForceAlways acts at right angles to the direction of motionCentrifugal force/ centripetal accelerationForce going outward in a circular motionAOSC 200 Fall 2011 Key Topics to Study for the Final ExamWhat is the carbon dioxide and hydrologic cycles? What are the sources and sinks of each?Carbon cycle: exchange of carbon between the atmosphere, biosphere and hydrosphere. Sinks: Plant photosynthesis, oceans, and carbonatesHydrogen cycle: exchange of hydrogen throughout the atmosphere, can leave earth. Sinks: drain, soilWhat are the different ways energy is transferred in the atmosphere?Conduction- touchingConvection –by movement of mass, usually in liquidsAdvection – movement of airTransfer of radiationLatent heat of evaporation of waterWhy does the earth have seasons? Why is it that the poles are cold and the equator is hot? Why is daylight longer in summer than winter?Seasons come from the rotation of the earth, during the winter the north pole is facing away from the sun, less solar radiation and vice versa. The poles are cold and the equator is hot because of the latitudinal heat balance. The incoming solar radiation has to equal the outgoing terrestrial radiation. There is a surplus of energy at the equator  more radiation in than out. There is less en-ergy at the poles  more radiation out than in. Heat is transported from the equa-tor to the poles by ocean currents and by the atmosphere. Day light is longer in the summer because of the tilt of the earth, the north pole is facing the sun more di-rectly leading to longer days in the summer and vice versa. What is the greenhouse effect?The greenhouse effect is a process by which thermal radiation from a surface is ab-sorbed by atmospheric greenhouse gases, and is re-radiated in all directions. Since part of this re-radiation is back towards the surface, energy is transferred to the sur-face and the lower atmosphere. As a result, the temperature there is higher than it would be if direct heating by solar radiation were the only warming mechanism.What factors control a region’s annual/daily temperature range?LatitudeSurface typeElevation and aspectDifferential heating of land and waterOcean currentsCloud cover and albedoHow does temperature and relative humidity change throughout the day? How are these two variables related? What happens to RH as temps increase/decrease? Why?Morningo Temperature lowo Saturation vapor pressure smallo Relative humidity largeAfternoono Temperature higho Saturation vapor pressure higho Relative humidity lowThese two variables have an inverse relationship, as temp increases RH decreases. The warmer air is able to hold much more humidity so the RH drops, vice versa. What happens when air rises and sinks adiabatically in the atmosphere? At what rate does temperature change, with or without the presence of moisture? What constitutes a stable and unstable atmosphere?A rising parcel of air always expands, as the parcel expands, it will cool, no heat is gained or lost by the parcel. Lapse rate – rate at which the real atmosphere falls off with altitude environment lapse rateWhen the environmental lapse rate is less than 10 degrees Celsius  atmosphere is stable, vice versaHow do clouds form? How does precipitation from in the tropics versus the mid latitudes? Collision – Coalescence (Only in Tropics). Droplet grows by condensation of water vapor on its surface. This process requires a lot of droplets. As the cloud droplet is formed  pulled down by gravity moved upward by rising air within the cloud. Droplets move in all directions and can collideto form larger droplets by coalescing. Once a drop grows to a size when its force of gravity exceeds the uplift from the rising air, the drop moves downward through thecloud picking up other droplets as it falls.Outside of the tropics there are not enough cloud droplets to form raindrops by the collision-coalescence processWhat are the vertical temperature profiles for rain, snow, sleet, and freezing rain?What instruments do we use to observe the atmosphere? What do these instruments measure and how do they work?Thermometer: temp using mercury and resistanceBarometer: pressurePsychrometer, dew point hygrometer: