NATS 101 Intro to Weather and Climate Section 06: 12:30PM TTh ILC 150 Dr. E. Robert Kursinski TA: Nathan Johnson Please turn off cell phones

Who Am I? Professor Department of Atmospheric Science Joint Faculty Appointment Dept. of Planetary Sciences Worked for many years at NASA JPL in So. Cal. Research Specialty Remote Sensing, Water cycle, Planetary atmospheres Ph.D. in Planetary Sciences M.S. in Electrical Engineering B.S. in Physics, Minor in Music Theory Lecture 1-Nats 101

Vital Statistics Office Hours: Dr. Kursinski W 2:00-3:00 pm PAS Bldg, Rm 580 and by Appointment Mr. Johnson MWF 1:00-2:00 pm PAS Bldg, Rm 526 and by Appointment Required Text: Essentials of Meteorology-An Invitation to the Atmosphere, 4rd Ed. by C. Donald Ahrens Picture Link Publisher Download, Save $ Recommended Text: Study Guide for Essentials of Meteorology, 4rd Ed. by C. Donald Ahrens Link Required Material: Thirty (30) 4''x 6'' index cards. Lecture 1-Nats 101

Course Description Introduction to the science of weather processes and climate change: atmospheric structure and composition, energy balance, clouds and precipitation, wind systems, weather fronts, cyclones, weather forecasting, thunderstorms and lightning, hurricanes, monsoons, ozone hole, air pollution, climate and global warming and optical phenomena. The new Global Climate Change lecture series website is up: http://cos.arizona.edu/climate/ Lecture 1-Nats 101

Course Description Emphasis will be given to phenomena that have strong impacts on human activities. The fundamental importance of physics, chemistry and mathematics will be noted. Atmospheric Science is a branch of Applied Physics Lecture 1-Nats 101

Attendance Policy Attendance is mandatory, and will be tallied throughout the term. After three unexcused absences prior to week 9, I will submit to the Office of Curriculum and Registration an administrative drop from the course and assign a grade in accordance with UA policy. http://catalog.arizona.edu/2006-07/policies/classatten.htm Lecture 1-Nats 101

Student Behavior UA Code of Academic Integrity, Code of Conduct and Student Code of Conduct are enforced in this course. Every student is responsible for learning these codes and abiding by them. http://w3.arizona.edu/~studpubs/policies/ppmainpg.html Students can submit complaints online at http://web.arizona.edu/~dos/uapolicies/ Lecture 1-Nats 101

Grading Policy Final grade will be based on scores from closed book/closed notes quizzes and final exam. Quizzes will consist of multiple choice questions and short answer questions. Quizzes will cover new material presented through the end of the previous lecture day. Extra credit questions given on some quizzes. Extra credit impromptu “pop” quizzes given. Lecture 1-Nats 101

Therefore, no make-up quizzes. Grading Policy There will be seven quizzes during the term. Dates for the quizzes are listed on the home page. Students who arrive late on quiz days will be not allowed to take the quiz after the first student turns in her/his quiz. No Exceptions The lowest score among the seven quizzes will be excluded from the course grade. Therefore, no make-up quizzes. Lecture 1-Nats 101

Grading Policy If your final exam score exceeds the average of your 6 best quizzes, the quizzes will comprise 60% of your term grade and the final 40%. Otherwise, the quizzes will comprise 75% of your term grade and the final 25%. CARROT: If your average is 90% or higher on all 7 quizzes, you will earn an exemption from the final and will receive an "A'' for the course. No Extra Credit Projects. No Exceptions. So Plan Accordingly! Lecture 1-Nats 101

Final Examination Section 06 (12:30 am TTh): ILC 150 Thursday Dec. 14, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm The final will consist of approximately 60 multiple choice questions and short answer questions. A number of questions will be taken verbatim from the old quizzes. Lecture 1-Nats 101

Course Grading Course Grading Scale B 80.0-89.99% C 65.0-79.99% A 90% or higher B 80.0-89.99% C 65.0-79.99% D 55.0-64.99% E < 55.0% Lecture 1-Nats 101

Expectations Every student is expected to: Complete all of the assigned reading before the lecture (unless you hear otherwise). Devote a minimum of 2 hours outside of class studying, reading, etc. for every hour of classroom lecture. Unit Credit Definition Attend class daily, arrive on time, leave when class is dismissed (courtesy to peer students). Lecture 1-Nats 101

Instructor and students all show: The Golden Rule Instructor and students all show: Mutual Respect! Lecture 1-Nats 101

Literacy Requirements Although the writing requirement for this course is negligible, there is a science literacy requirement: Use scientific notation for writing numbers (especially rather large or small ones). Specify units of physical quantities (e.g. meters for elevation, etc.). Attempt to quantify physical relationships. Lecture 1-Nats 101

Announcements Course Homepage…is now functional http://www.atmo.arizona.edu/ Click Students and Courses Click Course Links Click NATS101 – Kursinski User Name: nats101-6 (if established) Password: fall2006 (if established) Lecture 1-Nats 101

Class Format: Lecture Days 2-4 minutes - Interesting weather discussion 2-3 minutes - Review/Summary/Clean-up From Prior Lecture, Optional 60-65 minutes - New Material Lecture, Demos, Discussion 2-3 minutes - Wrap-up and Summary Lecture 1-Nats 101

Class Format: Quiz Days 2-3 minutes - Review/Summary/Clean-up From Prior Lecture, Optional 30 minutes - Lecture 10 minutes - Last Minute Questions Passing Out Quiz Materials 30 minutes - Quiz Lecture 1-Nats 101

Class LISTSERV NATS101-06@listserv.arizona.edu Use for any questions, comments, discussions that are general interest to the class. kursinski@atmo.arizona.edu is reserved for personal requests not of general interest. To subscribe go to http://listserv.arizona.edu/ and click the link “Subscribe to a list” http://listserv.arizona.edu/Subscribe.html Follow straightforward instructions Lecture 1-Nats 101

LISTSERV You can subscribe by sending an email to listserv@listserv.arizona.edu with the following as the only line in the body of the message. subscribe xxxxxx Firstname Lastname Substitute the list you want to join for xxxxxx, i.e. kursinski@listserv.arizona.edu . Substitute your first name for Firstname Substitute your last name for Lastname Lecture 1-Nats 101

Importance of Atmosphere Necessary for a wide spectrum of features Oceans Clouds, Rain, Fresh Water Erosion by Water and Wind Life, Life on Land Blue Skies, Red Sunsets, Twilight Sound Lecture 1-Nats 101

Importance of Atmosphere Point 1- Offers Protection Consider surface temperatures Without atmosphere? 0oF global average, large diurnal swings Similar to the Moon’s Climate With atmosphere… 60oF global average, moderate diurnal swings Lecture 1-Nats 101

Importance of Atmosphere Point 2 - Offers Protection Consider Surface Radiation Shields against harmful UV radiation Lecture 1-Nats 101

Importance of Atmosphere Consider Survival Time Without Food  few weeks Without Water  few days Without Air  few minutes Lecture 1-Nats 101

To Understand the Atmosphere Examine its interfaces with land/ocean with space Earth Atmosphere 13,000 km Sun Is a very thin skin 99% below 50 km (31 miles) 50% below 5.5 km (3.4 miles) Atmosphere Picture Space Energy Flow Solar Input = Output to Space Lecture 1-Nats 101

Note “thinness” of atmosphere in light blue NASA photo gallery Lecture 1-Nats 101

Example of Ocean-Atmosphere Coupling: El Nino-La Nina Lecture 1-Nats 101

Lecture 1-Nats 101 http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/2005/ann/ann05.html

Lecture 1-Nats 101

Local Weather and Climate: The North American Monsoon Tucson gets half of its rainfall during the summer Sonora, Mexico gets most of its rainfall during the summer During summer, high pressure sets up to the east/northeast of Arizona which brings moisture in from the south The monsoon is still going: Thunderstorms yesterday For a monsoon overview and daily forecast, see: http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/twc/monsoon/monsoon.php http://www.atmo.arizona.edu/products/models/forecasts/forecast.html Lecture 1-Nats 101

Local: Recent Monsoon Rainfall Record water flow through the Sabino and Rillito Creeks on July 31 Rillito flow higher than Colorado river! See http://fpnew.ccit.arizona.edu/kkh/rillito.flood.jul.06.htm Lecture 1-Nats 101

Course Building Blocks Intro  1st week or so Energy  ~2 weeks Moisture  ~2 weeks Dynamics  ~3 weeks Above are interdependent Specific Topics  ~6 weeks Lecture 1-Nats 101

Atmospheric Composition Permanent Gases N2 and O2 are most abundant gases Percentages hold constant up to 80 km Ar, Ne, He, and Xe are chemically inert N2 and O2 are chemically active, removed & returned Ahrens, Table 1.1, 4th Ed. Lecture 1-Nats 101

N2 and O2 Balance between input (production) and output (destruction): Boiling point: 77 °K or -196°C or –320 °F O2 Boiling point: 90 °K or -183 °C or -297 °F Nitrogen makes up about 78% of the atmosphere by volume but the atmosphere of Mars contains less than 3% nitrogen. The element seemed so inert that Lavoisier named it azote, meaning "without life". However, its compounds are vital components of foods, fertilizers, and explosives. Nitrogen gas is colorless, odorless, and generally inert. As a liquid it is also colorless and odorless. It was known during the 18th century that air contains at least two gases, one of which supports combustion and life, and the other of which does not. Nitrogen was discovered by Daniel Rutherford in 1772, who called it noxious air, but Scheele, Cavendish, Priestley, and others at about the same time studied "burnt" or "dephlogisticated" air, as air without oxygen was then called. While about one fifth of the atmosphere is oxygen gas, the atmosphere of Mars contains only about 0.15% oxygen. Oxygen is the third most abundant element found in the sun, and it plays a part in the carbon-nitrogen cycle, one process responsible for stellar energy production. Oxygen in excited states is responsible for the bright red and yellow-green colors of the aurora. About two thirds of the human body, and nine tenths of water, is oxygen. The gas is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. Liquid and solid oxygen are pale blue (see picture above) and strongly paramagnetic (contains unpaired electrons). Oxygen is very reactive and oxides of most elements are known. It is essential for respiration of all plants and animals and for most types of combustion. Leonardo da Vinci suggested that air consists of at least two different gases. Before then, air was felt to be an element in its own right. He was also aware that one of these gases supported both flames and life. Oxygen was prepared by several workers before 1772 but these workers did not recognize it as an element. Joseph Priestley is generally credited with its discovery (who made oxygen by heating lead or mercury oxides), but Carl Wilhelm Scheele also reported it independently. The behavior of oxygen and nitrogen as components of air led to the advancement of the phlogiston theory of combustion, which influenced chemists for a century or so, and which delayed an understanding of the nature of air for many years. Ozone (O3) is another allotrope of oxygen. It is formed from electrical discharges or ultraviolet light acting on O2. It is an important component of the atmosphere (in total amounting to the equivalent of a layer about 3 mm thick at ordinary pressures and temperatures) which is vital in preventing harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun from reaching the earth's surface. Undiluted ozone is bluish in color. Liquid ozone is bluish-black, and solid ozone is violet-black. Balance between input (production) and output (destruction): Input:plant/animal decaying Output: soil bacteria; oceanic plankton-->nutrients Input:plant photosynthesis Output: organic matter decay chemical combination (oxidation) breathing Lecture 1-Nats 101

Atmospheric Composition Important Trace Gases Ahrens, Table 1.1, 3rd ed. Which of these is now wrong even in the 4th edition of Ahrens? Lecture 1-Nats 101

Carbon Dioxide CO2 Sources vegetative decay volcanic eruptions animal exhalation combustion of fossil fuels (CH4 + 2 O2 > 2 H2O + CO2) Sinks photosynthesis (oxygen production) dissolves in water phytoplankton absorption (limestone formation) Lecture 1-Nats 101

CO2 Trend “Keeling Curve” Some gases vary by season and over many years. The CO2 trend is the cause for concern about global warming. CO2 increases in northern spring, decreases in northern fall Lecture 1-Nats 101 See http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/globalchange/keeling_curve/01.html

H2O Vapor Variability Precipitable Water (mm) Some gases can vary spatially and daily Lecture 1-Nats 101

Aerosols 1 cm3 of air can contain as many as 200,000 non-gaseous particles. dust dirt (soil) ocean spray volcanic ash water pollen pollutants Lecture 1-Nats 101

Aerosols - Volcanic Ash Lecture 1-Nats 101 Fig. 1-4, p.6

Aerosols - Dust Particles Dust Storm on Interstate 10, between Phoenix and Tucson, AZ. Lecture 1-Nats 101

Aerosols Provide condensation nuclei for water vapor. Provide a surface area or catalyst needed for much atmospheric chemistry. Aerosols can deplete stratospheric ozone. They can also cool the planet by reflecting sunlight back to space. Lecture 1-Nats 101

Two Important Concepts Let’s introduce two new concepts... Density Pressure Lecture 1-Nats 101

What is Density? Density () = Mass (M) per unit Volume (V)  = M/V  = Greek letter “rho” Typical Units: kg/m3, gm/cm3 Mass = # molecules (mole)  molecular weight (gm/mole) Avogadro number (6.023x1023 molecules/mole) Lecture 1-Nats 101

Density Change Density () changes by altering either a) # molecules in a constant volume b) volume occupied by the same # molecules a b Lecture 1-Nats 101

What is Pressure? Pressure (p) = Force (F) per unit Area (A) Typical Units: pounds per square inch (psi), millibars (mb), inches Hg Average pressure at sea-level: 14.7 psi 1013 mb 29.92 in. Hg Lecture 1-Nats 101

(Note that pressure acts in all directions!) Can be thought of as weight of air above you. (Note that pressure acts in all directions!) So as elevation increases, pressure decreases. Top Higher elevation Less air above Lower pressure Lower elevation More air above Higher pressure Bottom Lecture 1-Nats 101

Density and Pressure Variation Key Points Both decrease rapidly with height Air is compressible, i.e. its density varies Ahrens, Fig. 1.5 Lecture 1-Nats 101

Why rapid change with height? Consider a spring with 10 kg bricks on top of it The spring compresses a little more with each addition of a brick. The spring is compressible. 10 kg Lecture 1-Nats 101

Why rapid change with height? Now consider several 10 kg springs piled on top of each other. Topmost spring compresses the least! Bottom spring compresses the most! The total mass above you decreases rapidly w/height.  mass  mass  mass  mass Lecture 1-Nats 101

Why rapid change with height? Finally, consider piled-up parcels of air, each with the same # molecules. The bottom parcel is squished the most. Its density is the highest. Density decreases most rapidly at bottom. Lecture 1-Nats 101

Why rapid change with height? Each parcel has the same mass (i.e. same number of molecules), so the height of a parcel represents the same change in pressure p. Thus, pressure must decrease most rapidly near the bottom. p p p p Lecture 1-Nats 101

A Thinning Atmosphere Top Lower density, Gradual drop Higher density Bottom Top Lower density, Gradual drop Higher density Rapid decrease NASA photo gallery Lecture 1-Nats 101

Pressure Decreases Exponentially with Height Logarithmic Decrease For each 16 km increase in altitude, pressure drops by factor of 10. 48 km - 1 mb 32 km - 10 mb 16 km - 100 mb 0 km - 1000 mb 1 mb 48 km 10 mb 32 km 100 mb 16 km Ahrens, Fig. 1.5 Lecture 1-Nats 101

Exponential Variation Logarithmic Decrease For each 5.5 km height increase, pressure drops by factor of 2. 16.5 km - 125 mb 11 km - 250 mb 5.5 km - 500 mb 0 km - 1000 mb Lecture 1-Nats 101

Reading Assignment Ahrens Pages 1-22; 425-426-427 (Appendix A: Units etc.), 431-432 (Appendix C: Weather chart symbols) Problems 1.2, 1.3, 1.10, 1.14, 1.17, 1.18, 1.20 (1.17  Chapter 1, Question 17) Don’t Forget the 4”x6” Index Cards Lecture 1-Nats 101