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Meteorology
The Atmosphere
 Compare the terms
weather and climate.
 Weather refers to the
state of the atmosphere at
any given time and place.
Climate is based on
observations of weather
that have been collected
over many years.
Composition of the Atmosphere
Composition Cont.
 Explain ozone and its
purpose in the
atmosphere.
 Ozone is a form of
oxygen that combines
three oxygen atoms into
each molecule (O3).
 Ozone is used to filter
out UV radiation from
the sun.
Layers of Atmosphere
 Describe the
troposphere and how
temperature changes in
this layer.
 troposphere is the
bottom layer of the
atmosphere where
temperature
decreases with an
increase in altitude.
 This is where all the
weather happens
Layers of Atmosphere Cont.
 What layer of the
atmosphere contains
ozone and temperature
increase as you go up in
altitude?
 stratosphere is the
layer of the
atmosphere where
temperature begins a
gradual increase until
the stratopause.
 The Jet Stream and
Ozone is located in
this layer
Layers of Atmosphere Cont.
 Describe the Mesosphere
and Thermosphere.
 mesosphere is the layer
of the atmosphere
characterized by
decreasing temperatures
with height.
 thermosphere is the
region of the atmosphere
characterized by
increasing temperatures
due to the absorption of
very short-wave solar
energy by oxygen
Heating the Atmosphere
 How does heat flow?
 Temperature- the
measure of the average
kinetic energy of the
particles in the object.
 Heat- is thermal
energy that flows from
something at a higher
temperature to
something at a lower
temperature.
Heat Transfer
 Why does it take water a
long time to heat up and
to cool down?
 Specific Heat- the
amount of heat needed
to raise the
temperature of 1kg of
some material by 1ºC
 Water has a high specific
heat. So it takes a long
time to heat up and to
cool down.
Heat Transfer
 Explain the three ways that
heat can be transferred.
 Conduction-the transfer
of thermal energy by
collision between particles
in matter. Can be a solid
liquid or gas.
 Convection-the transfer of
thermal energy in a fluid
by the movement of
warmer and cooler fluid
from place to place. Only
fluids such as liquid and
gas
 Radiation-the transfer of
energy by electromagnetic
waves. Can travel through
empty space.
What Happens to Solar
Radiation?
 What happens to the solar
 About 50 percent of the solar
radiation when it reaches
the Earth?
energy that strikes the top of
the atmosphere reaches
Earth’s surface and is
absorbed
 The greenhouse effect is the
heating of Earth’s surface and
atmosphere from solar
radiation being absorbed and
emitted by the atmosphere,
mainly by water vapor and
carbon dioxide.
Water in the Atmosphere
 Name some examples of
precipitation.
 Define humidity.
 Precipitation is any form
of water that falls from a
cloud.
 Humidity is a general
term for the amount of
water vapor in air.
Humidity
 What is meant by the
phrase the air is saturated?
 Define Relative Humidity
 Air is saturated when it
contains the maximum
quantity of water vapor
that it can hold at any
given temperature and
pressure.
 Relative humidity is a
ratio of the air’s actual
water-vapor content
compared with the
amount of water vapor air
can hold at that
temperature and pressure
Relative Humidity
 What happens to relative
humidity when you
lower the air
temperature?
 When the water-vapor
content of air remains
constant, lowering air
temperature causes an
increase in relative
humidity, and raising air
temperature causes a
decrease in relative
humidity.
Air Pressure
 What is air pressure?
 Air pressure is the
pressure exerted by the
weight of air.
 Air pressure is exerted in
all directions— down, up,
and sideways
Measuring Air Pressure
 What instrument is used
to measure air pressure?
 A barometer is a device
used for measuring air
pressure.
 When air pressure
increases, the mercury in
the tube rises. When air
pressure decreases, so
does the height of the
mercury column.
Air Pressure and Wind
 How are wind and air
pressure related?
 What is the energy
source of wind?
 Wind is the result of
horizontal differences in
air pressure. Air flows
from areas of higher
pressure to areas of lower
pressure.
 The unequal heating of
Earth’s surface generates
pressure differences.
Solar radiation is the
ultimate energy source for
most wind.
Factors that Control wind
What does the Coriolis
effect do to wind in the
northern hemisphere?
 Coriolis effect
describes how Earth’s
rotation affects moving
objects. In the Northern
Hemisphere, all freemoving objects or fluids,
including the wind, are
deflected to the right of
their path of motion. In
the Southern
Hemisphere, they are
deflected to the left.
Highs and Lows
 Compare and contrast
cyclones with
anticyclones.
 Cyclones are centers of
low pressure. Move
counter clockwise motion.
Associated with bad
weather
 Anticyclones are centers
of high pressure. Move
clockwise motion.
Associated with Fair
weather.