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Atmosphere 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen
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Water Vapor up to 4% by volume leaves atmosphere as dew, rain or snow
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Density of Air Warm air is less dense than cold air Humid air is less dense than dry air
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Air Movement Air near sealevel is packed by pressure As air rises - expands and cools As air descends- compresses and warms
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Fig. 7-2a, p. 149
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Figure 6.6
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Precipitation Warm air can hold more water vapor than cool air As air rises, it cools and water vapor may condense into clouds and eventually precipitation
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Atmospheric Circulation Wind = mass movement of air wind patterns caused by variations in solar heating and earth’s rotation
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Figure 6.2 albedo = % reflected back Ice has a high albedo
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Figure 6.1
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Uneven Solar Heating & Atmospheric Circulation Air is warmed in the tropics and rises Air is cooled near the poles and falls
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Figure 6.7
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Figure 6.8 Fictional, non-spinning earth with sun rotating around the earth
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Influence of the rotation of the earth…
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Fig. 7-9, p. 152
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Figure 6.9
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Figure 6.10a
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Figure 6.10b
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Coriolis Effect The eastward rotation of the earth deflects any moving object away from its initial course the deflection is clockwise in the Northern hemisphere the deflection is counterclockwise in the Southern hemisphere
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p. 153
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Figure 6.11
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Wind Patterns At bands between cells air is moving vertically winds are weak and erratic doldrums or intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) at equator 0 o –ascending air (rising) Subtropical high pressure belt at 30 o –descending air (falling), very dry
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Wind Patterns Within cells air moves horizontally from high to low pressure areas produces strong dependable winds –Trade winds (between 0 and 30 o ) –Westerlies (between 30 and 60 o ) –polar easterlies (between 60 and 90 o )
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Table 6.2
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Actual Atmospheric Circulation 6 cell model is a representation of average flow local details of circulation vary due to different surface conditions
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Fig. 7-13, p. 156
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