Chapter 1 Introduction to the Atmosphere Isobar Isopleth Isotach Isotherm Mesopause Mesosphere Meteorology Methane Micron Millibar Molecule Nitrogen Nitrous Oxide Occluded Front Oxygen Ozone Permanent Gas Pressure Sea level Pressure Sink Source Stationary Front Station Model Stratopause Stratosphere Surface Chart Thermosphere Time Zones Trace Gases Transpiration Tropopause Troposphere Universal Temps Coordonne UTC Variable Gas Warm Front Warning Watch Water Vapor Weather Key Terms Aerosols Anthropogenic Argon Atmosphere Barometer Barometric Pressure Carbon Dioxide Chlorofluorocarbons CFCs Climate Climatology Cloud Condensation Density Diffuse Evaporation Front Gravity Hydrologic Cycle Summary Weather is the state of the atmosphere at a particular time and meteorology is the study of weather The state of the atmosphere on longer time scales including tis interactions with oceans land and living things is called climate As with daily weather the climate of a region changes with times although on much longer time scales than the weather Earth s atmosphere has been shaped by billions of years of volcanic emissions and plant life It is composed of primarily nitrogen and oxygen gases Atmospheric concentrations of water vapor carbon dioxide methane nitrous oxide ozone CFCs and aerosols are very small but also very important to the study of weather and climate Understanding the concentrations of water vapor and CO2 among other gases requires taking into account the cycles of water vapor and carbon from the air to the land and ocean and back to the air The concentrations of most of these trace gases are increasing as a result of human activities The different molecules of the atmosphere are continually moving exerting pressure in all directions Atmospheric pressure is related to the weight of the column of air above you As your altitude increases the number of molecules above you decreases For this reason atmospheric pressure always decreases with distance from the surface This simple concept is important in understanding the formation of clouds and the transfer of energy in the atmosphere To compare measurements of atmospheric pressure at locations that are at different altitudes the measurements must be adjusted to sea level Unlike pressure temperature does not always decrease with increasing distance from the surface The vertical changes in temperature neatly divide the atmosphere into four distinct layers the troposphere stratosphere mesosphere and thermosphere Most weather occurs in the troposphere closer to the surface Weather maps show the weather conditions for many conditions at the same time Many variables describe weather at a specific location including temperature pressure and wind The stations model is a graphic way to compress large amounts of weather data for one location into a small area on a weather map Weather observations are taken at the same time at locations all over the world This requires a system of time zones and universal standard of time known as UTC and referenced to Greenwich England The National Weather Service issues watches when hazardous weather may occur in a region and issues warnings for more localized areas when hazardous weather has been observed nearby Warnings require action on your part to protect life and property
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