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ATM OCN 100 - Summer 2001 LECTURE 1B OBSERVATIONS of EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE (con’t.) A. Introduction Practical Questions B. The Planet Earth & Earth Systems

B. THE PLANET EARTH & EARTH SYSTEMS Uniqueness of Planet Earth Water Planet The planet with life Components of Planet Earth System Lithosphere Atmosphere Hydrosphere Cryosphere Biosphere

From Geog. 101 UW-Stevens Point Interactions within System Weathering Hydrological cycle From Geog. 101 UW-Stevens Point

C. SURVEY of PLANET EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE Importance of Earth's atmosphere Moderates temperature of planet; Shields life from harsh space environment; Provides life with water, oxygen, etc. Overall Dimensions of Earth's atmosphere About 100 km (62 mi) thick; Compare with 6370 km (3950 mi) earth radius; but ....

SUNRISE FROM SPACE From STS-47 (JSC-NASA) http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/images/pao/STS47/10064973.jpg

C. SURVEY OF PLANET EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE (con’t) Importance of Earth's atmosphere Overall Dimensions of Earth's atmosphere Comparison with other components of Earth System

ESTIMATED MASSES of EARTH SYSTEM COMPONENTS [Source: J.Y. Wang, 1975]

D. WEATHER-CLIMATE ELEMENTS What we need to Know Weight (mass), Energy, Constituents, Motion. Observed Weather-Climate Elements AIR PRESSURE AIR TEMPERATURE ATMOSPHERIC HUMIDITY PRECIPITATION CLOUD TYPE, AMOUNT WINDS (SPEED & DIRECTION)

MADISON’S CURRENT WEATHER Madison Weather at 1000 AM CDT TUE JUN 18 2002 Updated twice an hour at :05 and :25 Sky/Weather: SUNNY Temperature: 70 F (21 C) Dew Point: 57 F (13 C) Relative Humidity: 63% Wind: SE9 MPH Barometer: 30.04S (1017.2 mb) http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/localweather/

E. PROBING THE ATMOSPHERE Surface vs. Aloft Locations Problems Surface Weather Station Human observer, Thermometers, barometers, rain gauges, wind instruments, etc.

Traditional Surface Weather Station

Automated Weather Station (ASOS)

NWS & FAA Automatic Weather Stations

Automated Weather Buoy

First Order Stations & Cooperative Observer Network (National Climate Data Center, 2001) http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/images/normals/clim81fig1.jpg

E. PROBING THE ATMOSPHERE (con’t.) Other Observation Tools/Platforms Need for Rugged instruments Remote sensing

Weather Kites

Aircraft Observations

Radiosonde

Radiosonde (con’t.)

Radiosonde (con’t.)

RADIOSONDE LOCATIONS

Stratospheric Balloons http://www.ucar.edu/imagelibrary/200-299.html

Meteorological Rockets (Rocketsondes) http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/historic/nws/wea01165.htm

Weather Radar See Pg. 344-351 Moran & Morgan (1997)

Principles of Weather Radar (in reflectivity mode)

Weather Radar (con’t.)

Weather Radar (con’t.)

Principles of Weather Radar (in velocity or Doppler mode) See Fig. 14 Principles of Weather Radar (in velocity or Doppler mode) See Fig. 14.18 Moran & Morgan (1997)

NWS DOPPLER RADAR SITES

Current Radar Reflectivity http://140.90.165.34/iwin/images/ref.gif

Weather Satellites and the Space Science & Engineering Center (SSEC)

See Fig. 16.2 – Moran & Morgan (1997)

Early GOES Satellite

Geosynchronous Satellite Imaging Field of View

ATS-III in 1968

Recent GOES Satellite

GOES-11 in 2000

Nighttime lights from DMSP Satellites

Visible vs. IR Images

Current Visible Satellite Image Clouds

Current Infrared Satellite Image

Current Water Vapor Satellite Image

Man Computer Data Acquisition System (McIDAS) at SSEC/UW-Madison

See Fig. 16.1 – Moran & Morgan (1997)

TIROS in 1960s

Polar Orbiting (POES) Satellite GFSC-NASA http://poes.gsfc.nasa.gov/

MODIS in 2000 (Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer)

MODIS

Wind Profiler (FSL) See Pg. 352 Moran & Morgan (1997)

Wind Profiler Network (FSL)

F. VISUALIZING THE WEATHER: THE SURFACE WEATHER MAP Meaning of synoptic weather analysis synoptic: “syn” = same + “optic” = to see Goal of synoptic weather analysis Requirements for synoptic weather analysis Same time of observation Uniform instruments & observation techniques

MAP of TIME ZONES U.S. Naval Observatory, 1996

F. THE SURFACE WEATHER MAP (con’t.) Historical perspective First weather map in 1819 of 1783 Storm; Early U.S. Weather maps in 1870’s.

Surface weather map Sep. 1872

Surface weather map June 2002 http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/sfc/namussfc12wbg.gif

F. THE SURFACE WEATHER MAP (con’t.) Interpretation of modern surface weather maps where...

Sample Modern Weather Map Figure I.3, Moran & Morgan (1997)

ON THE SURFACE WEATHER MAP Pressure systems Isobars (“iso” + “bar”) Highs & Lows Winds Circulation around Highs & Lows The “Hand-twist Model”

Flow around High Pressure Fig. 9.17 Moran & Morgan (1997)

Air Converging Aloft Fig. 9.20 Moran & Morgan (1997)

Flow around Low Pressure Fig. 9.18 Moran & Morgan (1997)

Air Diverging Aloft Fig. 9.21 Moran & Morgan (1997)

ON THE SURFACE WEATHER MAP Pressure systems Winds Clouds Mainly around lows Temperature Patterns Isotherms (“iso” + “therms”) Fronts Cold fronts, warm fronts & stationary fronts

Warm Front

Cold Front

Stationary Fronts

Current Surface Weather Map with Isobars (“iso” = equal & “bar” = weight), Fronts and Radar http://maps.weather.com/images/maps/current/curwx_720x486.jpg

Current Visible Satellite Image Clouds http://www.comet.ucar.edu/dstreme/sat/sat_vis.gif Current Visible Satellite Image

Current Temperatures (°F) & Isotherms (“iso” = equal +”therm” = temperature) http://maps.weather.com/images/maps/current/acttemp_720x486.jpg

Current Surface Weather Map with Isobars (“iso” = equal & “bar” = weight), Fronts and Radar http://maps.weather.com/images/maps/current/curwx_720x486.jpg

Rule of Thumb! Weather Systems move: From West to East in midlatitudes From East to West in tropics

Yesterday’s Surface Weather Map with Isobars (“iso” = equal & “bar” = weight), Fronts and Radar http://maps.weather.com/images/maps/current/curwx_720x486.jpg

Current Surface Weather Map with Isobars (“iso” = equal & “bar” = weight), Fronts and Radar http://maps.weather.com/images/maps/current/curwx_720x486.jpg

Tomorrow AM Forecast Map http://maps.weather.com/images/maps/forecast/amfcst_720x486.jpg