NS3310 – Physical Science Studies Atmosphere and Oceans

Heat and Temperature What will happen when I place a jar of warm water on top of a jar of cold water? What will happen when I place a jar of salty water on top of a jar of fresh water? Warm Water Cold Water Salt Water Fresh Water

Key Questions What is heat? What is thermal energy? What is temperature? Is there a difference? How does heat move around? Why do some things feel hot and others cold? How do substances change their state of matter? How is heat involved? What are the laws of thermodynamics? What is entropy?

Kinetic Energy of Molecules Solids Fluids –Liquids –Gases –Plasmas

Temperature Temperature measures the kinetic energy of molecules (this is external energy) Fahrenheit Celsius Kelvin (absolute zero)

Thermal Energy Thermal energy is the internal energy of a molecule Heat is a measure of the internal energy that has been absorbed or transferred from one body to another Heat is measured in calories (c) or British Thermal Units (BTUs)

Specific Heat and Latent Heat Specific heat changes the temperature of an object Latent heat changes the phase of the material For example: Ice to Water to Steam

Phase Transitions Latent Heat of Fusion / Melting Latent Heat of Vaporization / Condensation Relative Humidity

Heat Flow Radiation Conduction Convection

Thermodynamics The First Law of Thermodynamics –Applied Law of Energy Conservation W = J(Q H – Q L ) The Second Law of Thermodynamics –Heat always flows from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration Entropy

Perpetual Motion Machine? Perpetual Motion Machines Free Energy Other Scams

Why Should We Worry About Pseudoscience?

Key Concepts Thermal energy is the internal and external energy of atoms. Heat is the transfer of thermal of energy between atoms. Temperature is a measurement of the kinetic energy of molecules. Adding heat energy to substances makes their temperature rise (specific heat). To change the state of a substance requires even more heat (latent heat). Heat can be transferred by radiation, conduction and convection. Entropy describes the total energy of a system and tells us that we cannot get more energy out of a system than we put into it.

Float Your Boat You must build a boat from only one piece of construction paper. Your boat must be able to hold a cargo of marbles. The boat that can hold the most marbles wins

Earth’s Waters Where does earth’s water come from? Weather and Climate Water and the environment

Water’s Special Properties Polarity Surface Tension Density (specific gravity) Adhesion Specific Heat Capacity

Buoyancy Buoyancy is the upward force of water on an object completely or partially immersed. The force is equal to the weight of the water displaced. Archimedes Principle

Water in all its forms Oceans Lakes and Ponds Rivers and Streams Groundwater Glaciers

The Atmosphere Layers of the Atmosphere –Troposphere –Stratosphere –Ionosphere –Mesosphere –Thermosphere –Exosphere Composition of the Atmosphere –Nitrogen –Oxygen –Water Vapor –Carbon Dioxide

Water in the Atmosphere Humidity Dew Point Clouds –Cumulus –Stratus –Cirrus

Water Cycle

Groundwater Aquifers Artesian Wells Caves Karst Topography

Oceans Physical Oceanography Chemical Oceanography Geological Oceanography Biological Oceanography

Physical Oceanography Thermohaline Circulation –AABW –ABW –Coriolis Effect Currents Gyres

Ocean Waves Waves –The Water Isn’t Moving (how ocean waves work) –Refraction (why ocean waves break) Longshore Current Tides

Chemical Oceanography Salinity Heat Budget Residence Time

Biological Oceanography Plankton Nekton –Diurnal Migration –Match-Mismatch Hypothesis Benthos –Marine Snow Photic Zone Thermocline

Geological Oceanography Ocean Floor –Ocean Ridge System –Trenches –Seamounts Shorelines –Humid –Arid –Estuaries Sea Level –Sequence Stratigraphy

Ocean Floor Continental Shelf Continental Slope –Submarine Canyons –Deep Sea Fans Marginal Plateaus Continental Rise Abyssal Floor –Abyssal Plains –Abyssal Hills –Abyssal Rise –Seamounts

Ocean Floor Ocean Ridge System –Mid-Ocean Ridges –Rift Valleys Deep Sea Trenches –Subduction Zones –Back-Arc Basins –Clastic Wedges

Coastlines Siliciclastic Coasts –Humid –Sediment Supply Carbonate Coasts –Arid –Evaporation

Shoreline Features Wave Deposition –Beaches –Barrier Islands –Peninsulas –Spits –Bars –Hummocks Wave Erosion –Wave-Cut Notch –Sea-Cliffs –Wave-Cut Platforms –Sea-Stacks

Humid Coastlines Barrier Islands Estuaries –Bays –Lagoons Marshes –Salt Marsh –Brackish Marsh –Fresh Marsh Swamps Coastal Prairie

The Future of the Gulf Coast Global Warming Sea-Level Rise Barrier Island Migration Environmental Engineering

Key Concepts Most of the earth’s water is in the oceans. The water cycle describes the movement of water between the earth’s atmosphere and oceans Oceans are salty because of the weathering and erosion of rocks on land. Acids in water can form caves and Karst topography. The ocean floor is formed by the processes of plate tectonics. Coastal features differ in humid and arid regions, as do beaches. Humid coasts rely on sediment supply to balance wave and tidal erosion. The Gulf coast is starved of sediment and is therefore vulnerable to erosion and subsidence.

Today’s Weather

Weather Key Questions –What is weather? –What is climate? –What role does heat play in earth’s weather? –Can we predict the weather? –What are weather patterns? –How is weather distributed across the earth? –Is earth’s climate changing?

Remember Water Cycle Water in the Atmosphere –Humidity –Dew Point –Clouds Cumulus Stratus Cirrus

Air Masses Continental –Polar –Tropical Maritime –Polar –Tropical

Fronts

Weather Maps Isobars Weather Arrows

Air Pressure

Storms Thunder Storms Tornadoes Hurricanes

Global Wind Patterns

Ocean Currents

Climate

Key Concepts Weather is the pattern of temperature, precipitation and wind on the earth’s surface. Climate is weather over time. Weather changes daily and seasonally while climate changes over decades and centuries. The distribution of heat on the earth’s surface drives weather patterns. Changes in the weather can be predicted, but it is difficult since weather is chaotic.