1. Badger Breathers Nov 2000 1 Weather and Breathing Edward J. Hopkins Dept. of Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison Badger Breathers – 14 Nov 2000

2. Badger Breathers Nov 2000 2 Surface Weather Map from Today

3. Badger Breathers Nov 2000 3 Background u The Atmosphere u Pressure Changes u Temperature Changes u Humidity u Other Constituents

4. Badger Breathers Nov 2000 4 Earth-Rise (Apollo Mission)

5. Badger Breathers Nov 2000 5

6. 6 Background The Atmosphere u What It Is –An envelope surrounding the earth. – Approximately 60 miles deep. –Contains gases, clouds (droplets & ice crystals) and other particles (aerosols).

7. Badger Breathers Nov 2000 7

8. 8 Air Pressure u What it is

9. Badger Breathers Nov 2000 9 Air Pressure u How we measure –With a barometer –To get Inches of mercury

10. Badger Breathers Nov 2000 10 Air Pressure u Why a problem –Partial pressure exerted by Oxygen affects availability of oxygen for our lungs -- and how we breathe. –Reduced pressure and availability of oxygen occurs in mountains or on airplanes.

11. Badger Breathers Nov 2000 11 Percentage of Available Oxygen as compared with Sea Level

12. Badger Breathers Nov 2000 12 Temperature u What we measure u How we measure

13. Badger Breathers Nov 2000 13 Maximum-Minimum Thermometers

14. Badger Breathers Nov 2000 14 Current Temperatures ( o F) & Isotherms

15. Badger Breathers Nov 2000 15 Temperature u Why A problem? –Temperature Changes –Wind-Chill

16. Badger Breathers Nov 2000 16 Wind-Chill Equivalent Temperature

17. Badger Breathers Nov 2000 17 Current Wind-Chill Equivalent Temperatures ( o F)

18. Badger Breathers Nov 2000 18 Temperature u Why a problem –May also have a problem when related to humidity...

19. Badger Breathers Nov 2000 19 Humidity u What it is –An amount of water vapor in the air. u How we describe and measure –Many ways –Relative humidity, dewpoint, wet- bulb temperature, apparent temperature.

20. Badger Breathers Nov 2000 20 Sling Psychrometer

21. Badger Breathers Nov 2000 21 Humidity u Problem with humidity –Could be problem with evaporation – too humid means little evaporation and lungs remain wet. u Note contradiction in popular notion

22. Badger Breathers Nov 2000 22 Apparent Temperature - Heat Index

23. Badger Breathers Nov 2000 23 Other Problem Atmospheric Constituents u Air Pollutants –Especially Ozone u Pollens –Grass, Weed and Trees u Molds

24. Badger Breathers Nov 2000 24 Tomorrow’s 6 AM Forecast