1. Introduction
1.1 Overview and Logistics
goals; personnel;
evaluation; reading assignments
web site: www.atmos.washington.edu/2002Q2/101
1.2 Weather and environmental problems
Greenhouse warming, acid
rain, ozone hole
1.3 History of Meteorology
weather vs. climate
1.4 Evolution of the Earth's Atmosphere
phase I: H and He
phase II: volcanic out gassing
and photosynthesis
phase III (today): permanent
and variable (trace) gases
2. Energy, Heat and Temperature
2.1 Forms of Energy
2.2 Kinetic Energy, Heat and Temperature
2.3 Temperature Scales
2.4 More on Heat
specific heat
latent heat and "phase"
changes
2.5 Energy transfer mechanisms
conduction,
convection and radiation
3. Radiation
3.1 everything emits radiation
3.2 radiation travels in waves
3.3 the spectrum of EM waves
3.4 Spectrum of the Sun and Earth
3.5 Absorbers and Emitters
Kirchhoff's Law
3.6 Blackbodies
Stefan Boltzman E ~ T^4
Wein's Law wavelength = 2987/T
3.8 Radiative Equilibrium
Energy In = Energy Out
Temperature Constant
3.9 Greenhouse Effect
The Selective Absorbers:
water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane ...
4. Vertical Structure of the Atmosphere
4.1 Temperature profile
4.2 Troposphere
Where the weather is; Lapse Rate
4.3 Stratosphere
Where the Ozone is (and Ozone Hole)
4.4 Mesosphere
4.5 Thermosphere
4.6 Exosphere
4.7 Composition of Atmosphere w/
height
4.8 Aurora Borealis and Australis
4.9 Ozone Hole (guest lecture)
5. Periodic Temperature Cycles: Seasonal and Diurnal
5.1 The Seasonal Cycle: Earth's Orbit, Earth's Tilt and Atmospheric
Path Length
Insolation at top of atmosphere
North-south distribution of surface
insolation
Net radiation balance vs. latitude:
annual average
5.2 Diurnal Cycle of Temperature
5.3 Annual Cycle of Temperature
5.4 Maritime vs. Continental
5.5 Odds and Ends
5.6 Summary of Temperature Controls
6 Tools: Density, Pressure and Ideal Gas Law
6.1 Density
6.2 Air Pressure
6.3 Density and Pressure Distributions
6.4 Pressure Units
6.5 The Barometer
6.6 Air Moving Vertically
6.7 The Ideal Gas Law
7. Humidity
7.1 Definitions
7.2 Vapor Pressure
7.3 Saturation Vapor Pressure
7.4 Relative Humidity
7.5 Dew Point
7.6 Evaporative Cooling
8. Stability and Cloud Development
8.1 The Basics
An adiabatic process-- the dry
and moist adiabatic lapse rates
8.2 From Seattle to Spokane
* Rain
* Cloud Base
* Descent
* Cool, Moist
* Hot, Dry
Clear
Clear
8.3 Stability
Stable
Neutral
Unstable
Conditionally Stable
8.4 Lifting Mechanisms
8.5 Cloud Types
8.6 Growth of Raindrops
Cloud Condensation Nuclei
Curvature effects
Collision and Coalescence
8.7 Snow and Ice
9. Optics
9.1 Bending of Light
Reflection
Scattering
Refraction
Diffraction
9.2 Scattering/Reflection
White Clouds, Blue Sky, Crepuscular
Rays, Red Sunsets, Black Sky
Refraction: Twinkling Stars
(scintillation) and shimmering objects, Mirages, Halos, Sun Dogs, Rainbows,
Sun Pillars
Diffraction: Corona, Glory
10. Dynamical Forces and Circulation
10.1 Vertical Pressure Gradient and Gravity
Hydrostatic
Balance
Surface Pressure
vs. Sea Level Pressure
10.2 Horizontal Pressure Gradients
Drive Circulation's:
e.g., the Land and Sea Breezes
10.3 Coriolis Force/Effect
10.4 Geostrophic Balance and the Geostrophic Wind
10.5 Maps of the height of the 500 mb surface
10.6 Where are the Jets in the atmosphere?
10.7 Flow around a Low and High
Centripetal Force
10.8 The Near Surface Wind: impact of friction
Flow into a
surface Low (out of a surface High)
11. General Circulation
11.1 The Driver: Insolation Gradients
11.2 Circulation on a non rotating Earth: the Hadley Circulation
11.3 Circulation on a rotating Earth: the Three Cell Model
The Tropics
The Mid latitudes
The Poles
11.4 Comparison of the throttle Model to the Climate of Earth
The surface pressure
in Winter and Summer
Global Precipitation
Patterns
11.5 Actual vs. Idealized Sea Level Pressure
11.6 Actual vs. Idealized Sea Level Precipitation
11.7 Miscellaneous
12. Air Masses and Fronts
12.1 Air Masses
12.2 Fronts
What are they? How
do we locate them?
Stationary Front
Cold Front
Warm Front
Warm Occluded Front
13. The Mid latitude Cyclone
13.1 Life Cycle of a Mid latitude Cyclone
13.2 Vertical Structure of a Mid latitude Cyclone
Upper
level divergence as the key to growth
13.3 Regions of Cyclogenesis (storm growth) for U.S.
14. Forecasting
14.1 History
14.2 Types of weather forecasts
Climatology,
persistence, trend, analog
14.3 Numerical weather forecasts
History,
limits of predictability
14.4 Seasonal forecasts and future climate forecasts
Seasonal
forecasts vs. weather forecasts, e.g., El Nino and hurricane
Future
climate forecasts vs. weather forecasts, e.g., increasing Greenhouse Gases
15. Hurricanes
15.1 The fuel
15.2 The anatomy
15.3 Where they are found
15.4 Seasonal forecasts
16. Weather phenomena unique to Puget Sound
16.1 Marine Push
16.2 Sound Breeze
16.3 Puget Sound Convergence Zone
16.4 Rain Shadow
16.5 Pass Wind Storms (Katabatic Winds)
16.6 Puget Sound Wind Storms (Channel
Winds)
16.7 Good link: www.komotv.com/weather/faq/faq.asp
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