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Dan Staley Meteorology and Trees May 7, 2008 Agenda • Introduction – “The Basics” of weather • Severe Weather – – – – Wind Tornadic activity Thunder, lightning Flash floods • Relationships to trees Introduction • The Basics: – Scale – very important in nature • Space (spatial) – Relative lengths, areas, distances and sizes – [Mega-] global [Macro-] continental, regional [Meso-] regional, local [Micro-] yard, flowerpot Introduction • The Basics: – Scale • Time (temporal) – Relative duration – [Macro-] epoch, era [Meso-] century, decade [Micro-] minute, second Introduction • The Basics: Air & its movement – Hot -> Cold – High -> Low conduction advection • High pressure = fair weather – – – – Warm air rises = less dense Cool air sinks = more dense Sinking air compresses and warms Land heats and cools faster than water Hot -> Cold: Global • Earth’s axis and sunlight Hot -> Cold • Earth’s axis and sunlight Hot -> Cold • Resultant average temperatures Hot -> Cold • Predictable pattern – 3 cell Hot -> Cold • Predictable pattern Predictable Pattern • Winds Hot -> Cold • Predictable pattern Wind and Weather • Infrared photo Water vapor photo Wind and Weather • Infrared photo Water vapor photo Wind, Weather Patterns • Wind, Weather Patterns Wind, Weather Patterns: January Wind, Weather Patterns: July Hot -> Cold: Regional & Local • Valley winds: up in day, down at night Hot -> Cold: Regional & Local High-> Low: Regional & Local • Trees: flagging - alone High-> Low: Regional & Local • Trees in forests tend to live longer than lone trees (open grown) Hot -> Cold: Regional & Local • Humanity has used hot -> cold for many centuries Hot -> Cold: Regional & Local • Humanity has used hot -> cold for many centuries High -> Low: Weather Maps High -> Low: Weather Fronts • Fronts are the boundaries between different air masses High -> Low: Weather Fronts • Reminders: – Warm air rises – Rising air cools, condenses, forms clouds • Rapid rise, taller clouds, severe weather potential – Cold air more dense – Air flows into low pressure (counterclockwise in northern hemisphere) High -> Low: Weather Fronts • Cross-section of a cold front High -> Low: Weather Fronts • Cross-section of a warm front High -> Low: Weather Fronts • A cold and warm front section High -> Low: Weather Fronts • Most summertime severe weather comes from the clash of cold front and warm, moist air High -> Low: Weather Fronts • Most wintertime severe weather comes from trying to move cold, dense air Severe Weather: Wind • • Wind is air trying to equalize pressure - from high to low & “falling downhill” into low pressure Severe Weather: Wind • Severe Weather: Wind • Isobars are like topographic lines on a map Severe Weather: Other Wind • Chinook, foehn Severe Weather: Other Wind • Chinook, foehn Severe Weather: Other Wind • Microburst Severe Weather: Other Wind • Tornado Severe Weather: Other Wind • Tornado formation Severe Weather: Other Wind • Tornado formation Severe Weather: Lightning • Why does lightning form? Severe Weather: Lightning • Why does lightning form? Severe Weather: Lightning Severe Weather: Flash Flood • • • • Time scale: hours Caused by intense thunderstorms Especially in desert southwest Never drive into water across roads Severe Weather: Flash Flood • In US, more people die from floods than from hurricanes, tornadoes, lightning on average each year Severe Weather: Hurricane • Hurricanes are a method of transporting heat from equatorial regions to the poles (hot to cold) via the energy in water vapor Severe Weather: Hurricane • Causes of hurricane damage: – Tidal surge Severe Weather: Hurricane • Causes of hurricane damage: – Wind Severe Weather: Hurricane • Causes of hurricane damage: – Tornadoes Trees • Trees moderate wind Trees • Trees moderate wind Trees • Trees moderate sunlight – energy savings Trees • Trees moderate sunlight – pavement savings – Protection from sunburn on sidewalk Trees • Trees moderate sunlight – pavement & parking lots – Protection from gasoline vaporizing in heat Trees • Trees are preferred by people in both residential and commercial areas: “nearby nature” Trees • We are beginning to understand that greenery helps us heal – “attention restoration” and “nearby nature” – Greenery outside a window speeds recovery Wrap-up • “Savanna hypothesis” – people prefer trees and open areas • Trees are not found everywhere – there must be enough water and not too much wind • People are generally found where trees are found – weather patterns Wrap-up: Meteorology • Air & its movement – Hot -> Cold conduction – High -> Low advection • High pressure = fair weather – – – – Warm air rises = less dense Cool air sinks = more dense Sinking air compresses and warms Land heats and cools faster than water Wrap-up: Meteorology Thank you!
