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EVSC 1300 Earth’s Weather and Climate Scales of Motion Scales of Motion Increasing size Increasing duration Scales of Motion Increasing size Increasing duration Mercury Barometer ANEROID BAROMETER Aneroid Barograph or Recording Barometer Barograph Trace Charlottesville Jan. 5–10, 2009 Sea-level pressure variations Station pressure vs. Sea-level pressure Correction for elevation Earth’s atmosphere is thin relative to the size of the planet. Air Column D E N S E TWO BAROMETERS SAME TEMPERATURE High Pressure Barometer Air Column L E S S D E N S E Low Pressure Barometer At same temperature, dense air has higher pressure than less dense air Reference Level Warming or cooling air can induce pressure changes Pressure change can produce air motion—wind! Same temperature at both locations Cold vs. Warm Air Parcels Cold air is denser that warm air (at the same pressure) Surface Air Temperature Variations SOURCE (to atmosphere) N2 O2 •Denitrification by anaerobic bacteria in decaying plants/animals •Respiration •Combustion •Fixed by soil bacteria •Fixed by ocean phytoplankton •Lightning •Aerobic bacterial processes •Combustion •Respiration (oxidation: food to energy) •Ocean phytoplankton •Photosynthesis 6 CO2 + 6 H2O CO2 SINK (removal from atmosphere) Vis. light C6H12O6 + 6 O2 •Photosynthesis •Fixation by ocean phytoplankton •Dissolved directly into ocean surface STORAGE: limestone sediments, marine shells, fossil fuels SOURCE (to atmosphere) CH4 N2O O3 SINK (removal from atmosphere) •Anaerobic processes (wetlands, rice paddies) •Bovine flatulence •Termites •Biomass burning •Bacteria in soils/oceans (nitrification) •Combustion (cars, biomass) •Fertilizers O2 + O O3 •Interaction with hydroxyl in atmosphere •Soils CH4 + OH CH3 + H2O •Stratospheric photochemistry (converted to NOx) O3 + uv O2 + O Also chlorine, bromine, NOx H2O •Evaporation from open water •Sublimation (from ice) •Transpiration (through plants) •Condensation onto surfaces •Precipitation •Deposition Average vertical temperature structure of atmosphere Tropopause is higher over equator and lower over poles