A. Pressure
1. Imagine a planet half as dense as Earth, but with the same size (radius/volume) and the same atmosphere as Earth. In this scenario, the force of gravity would be half as strong as on Earth. How would the average surface atmospheric pressure on this planet compare with that on Earth?
2. While hiking to the crater rim of Mt. St. Helens, you carry an altimeter - a device which measures the atmospheric pressure and uses that measurement to determine height above sea level. Before beginning, you set your altimeter at the ranger station such that it read the proper elevation. When you reach the summit 6 hours later, your altimeter reads an elevation of 3,550 m. Your map states (correctly) that the elevation is 3,700 m. Assuming your altimeter is in fine working order, what's going on? (hint: how do you think the altimeter uses pressure to calculate elevation?)
B. Heat Transfer:
1. Why wear synthetic materials like polypropylene, capilene, fleece, and a GoreTex raincoat, rather than all cotton clothes and a rubber raincoat while hiking in the mountains on a cool and rainy day? Explain your answer in terms of heat transfer mechanisms and the nature of these fabrics/materials.
2. How can an "emergency space blanket"--essentially a lightweight sheet of foil--offer you protection from the cold? Why do astronauts wear space suits that look like thin aluminum sheets? How can such a thin material keep them warm in outer space?
3. On what starts as a sunny day in the Rocky mountains, you notice that small clouds form above the ridges by mid-morning, and by early afternoon these clouds are much taller and threaten rain. Describe the development of the clouds in terms of energy (heat) transfer mechanisms. Suppose that a satellite is passing overhead and uses sensors to remotely sense the infrared (IR/heat) energy given off by the cloud. Describe what the satellite would 'see' as time passes by.
4. How do night vision goggles work?
C. Earth-Sun Energy Balance:
1. While humans have been burning fossil fuels and increasing the atmospheric concentrations of Greenhouse Gases, they have also increased atmospheric concentrations of other pollutants known as "sulfate aerosols" that are good reflectors of solar (visible) radiation. A major source of these materials is energy production (especially from coal). A variety of processes generally remove the aerosols from the atmosphere on the order of a week. What could increasing concentrations of sulfate aerosols do to global and regional climate? What might happen to regional and global climate if sulfate aerosols were elimated from the atmosphere by strict pollution controls?
D. The Seasons
1. Today there are distinct stocks of salmon that return to their rivers of origin in the fall, usually coinciding with the onset of the long rainy season in the Pacific Northwest. If the Earth's axis of rotation were to suddenly lose it's present tilt (changing to 0 degrees with respect to the vertical, rather than the current 23.5 degrees), what might happen to the spawning migration timing of today's fall-run salmon? (think about evolution over many decades into the future)
2. What would happen to the seasons if the orientation of the Earth's tilt with respect to the sun precessed, or rotated, in the same direction as the Earth's rotation (counterclockwise looking down on the North Pole)? Imagine that the axis rotates fully once a year, and on December 21 the orientation of the the axis is the same as it is at present.
E. Weather versus Climate
1. After graduation, you plan to get a lucrative job in Buffalo, NY. You have a fairly long commute, and you're worried about driving in the snow all winter. You already have chains for your tires, but they're illegal in New York State. Studded snow tires are normally used - but they were heavily discouraged in Seattle since they damage pavement. Explain the various merits of studded snow tires and chains in terms of both weather and climate, including an explanation as to why citizens of Buffalo and Seattle choose differently.