1. Air Environment1 Air Environment Module 3 Aviation Weather Ted Spitzmiller

2. Planned Flight Air Environment2

3. Completed Flight Log Air Environment3

4. 4 WEATHER SYSTEMS 1.Air Circulation 2.Weather Elements 3.Moisture & Clouds 4.Weather Systems & Changes Significance of italics—immediate recall Location in your book (x)

5. Air Environment5 Look for these words Coriolis force Jet stream Radiation Revolution Rotation Autumnal (fall) equinox Winter solstice Vernal (spring ) equinox Summer solstice

6. Air Environment6 Source of Weather Sun heats the earth by radiation (1) Sun Earth 15% absorbed by atmosphere 35 % scattered or reflected 50% absorbed by the Earth

7. Air Environment7 Constant Circulation (3) Heated air rises Heating at equator causes unequal pressure areas Air cooling at poles descends Three distinct patterns separated by jet stream Earth tilt causes “movement” of polar jet towards south in winter Trade winds doldrums Prevailing westerlies ????

8. Jetstream Air Environment8 Three distinct patterns separated by jet stream Earth tilt causes “movement” of polar jet towards south in winter

9. Air Environment9 Earth’s Seasons Varies Circulation (3) Earths Axis tilted 23.5 degrees Seasons dependent on –(Spring/Summer/Fall/Winter) Days and nights of equal length on spring and fall equinox Mean distance from Earth to Sun. 149,597,870,691 km or 92.956×10^6 mi (93 million miles) 91 million miles during the Northern Hemisphere winter 94.5 million miles during Northern Hemisphere summer, ii Equator rays Sun Equator rays

10. Air Environment10 Earth’s Atmosphere Ionosphere >100k Stratosphere > 35k Troposphere < 35k (lower in winter) –weather<18k –500 mb (1/2 the atmospheric pressure)

11. Air Environment11 Weather Elements (9) Wind Temperature Pressure Moisture

12. Air Environment12 Important Terms atmospheric pressure Beaufort Scale heat temperature wind

13. Air Environment13 Atmospheric Pressure (13) Weight of air (gravity) @ sea level –14.7 lbs\sq –29.92 inches mercury (hg) –761 mm –1013.2 mb Barometer is used to measure air pressure (13) Varies with altitude of reporting station — corrected to SL Aneroid barograph provides a permanent recording of pressure (13)

14. Air Environment14 Types of Pressure Systems Low < 29.92” generally poor WX air cools as it rises (as a bowl fills up) High > 29.92” generally good WX descending and warming

15. Air Environment15 Wind Pressure gradients Local wind systems –Land and sea breezes –Mountain breezes The Beaufort Scale can be used on land or sea and is used for estimating wind velocity (10)

16. Air Environment16 Beaufort Scale

17. Air Environment17 Reporting Surface Weather-Chart

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19. Air Environment19 29.92 = 1013.2 High Pressure Pattern

20. Air Environment20 Low Pressure Pattern 29.92 = 1013.2

21. Air Environment21 Atmospheric Circulation Around Pressure Systems Earths rotation –Equatorial 1000 mph, poles 0 mph Coriolis and surface friction effect deflects air to right (record) –An object in northern hemisphere is deflected to the right by coriolis force Cyclonic vs anti—cyclonic (counter—clockwise and clockwise)

22. Air Environment22 Pressure Variations Trough — elongated low extending from central low Ridge — elongated high usually extending from central high

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24. Air Environment24 Temperature (12) Heat is the total energy of all molecules within a substance (12) –Water boils at 212° F (100 C °) and freezes at 32° F (0 ° C) (12) –Absolute zero 459 degrees F, or -273 C, or 0 Kelvin Standard 59 degrees @ sea level (15 C) @ 29.92 ” hg  F = (1.8 x C) +32  C = (F/1.8 ) – 32  F = 9/5 C +32 What is the F equiv of 15° C STD lapse rate –3½ degrees F per 1000 feet (unsaturated air) (2 ° C) Temp and wind produce a wind chill factor (10) 9 * 15 = 135 = 27 + 32 = 59° 5 1 5

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27. Air Environment27 Moisture and Clouds 3 (19) Condensation Dew point Fog Precipitation Saturation Relative humidity

28. Air Environment28 Moisture – Humidity (19) Relative humidity — % capable of holding (example...) –Air holding all the moisture it can is said to be saturated (19) Dew point — temp @ given pressure air must be cooled to become saturated (19) Example… bathroom shower Saturation affects stability of air

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30. Air Environment30 Clouds (20) Visible moisture condensed on dust –Hygroscopic nucleii Classifications –Stratiform — cool, dry, stable, smooth, poor visibility, drizzle –Cumuliform — moist, warm, unstable, turbulent, good visibility, rain –Cirrus—very high thin wispy clouds

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32. Air Environment32 Fog (19) Radiation Advection Upslope Evaporative

33. Air Environment33 Weather Systems and Changes 4 (27) air mass front hurricane thunderstorm tornado

34. Air Environment34 Air Mass Characteristics - Temp Pressure Moisture (27)

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37. Air Environment37 Atmospheric Stability Air tends to flow horizontally May be displaced — lifted –Terrain –Thermals –Air mass differences Lapse rate and saturation determines stability –unsaturated = normally stable –saturated and cool = normally stable –saturated and warm = normally unstable Stable air resists displacement Unstable air readily moves vertically

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39. Air Environment39 Fronts (28)

40. Air Environment40 Cold Front (28) Cumulus clouds, local heavy rain, good visibility

41. Air Environment41 Warm Front Stratified clouds, steady rain, low visibility

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43. Air Environment43 Frontal characteristics Cold — fast/slow, cumulus, good visibility Warm — slow, status, poor visibility Stationary Occluded Frontal passage — wind shift

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49. Air Environment49 Cirro-Stratus

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52. Air Environment52 Thunderstorms (29) Air mass & frontal Requirements –Lifting –Moisture –Unstable air Stages (29) –Cumulus – building –Mature –Dissipation

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57. Air Environment57 Tornados (30) Precautions (31) GO to a basement Stay away from windows

58. Air Environment58 Mountain Waves Lenticular Lee side turbulence

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61. Air Environment61 Jetstream

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63. Air Environment63 Icing Rime clear

64. Air Environment64 Turbulence Light Moderate Severe

65. Tracking Your Weather Record –temperature, –wind direction and velocity –pressure Same time every day Seven consecutive days http://www.airnav.com/airport/KABQ Air Environment65

66. Air Environment66 F, MPH, mbars

67. Air Environment67 Charting your own weather

68. Air Environment68 Lapse rate Adiabatic lapse rate non—standard—inversion –Temp changes take place without adding or removing heat from outside the parcel or air Dry adiabatic lapse rate is the cooling of unsaturated air at 5 1/2 ° per l000’ increase in altitude Moist adiabatic lapse rate varies from 2 to 5 degrees. If greater than std lapse rate air keeps rising — unstable Less than std — inhibits rising — stable stagnate poor vis

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70. Air Environment70 CumulusStratus MoistureHeavy Localized RainLight to moderate Wide Spread VisibilityGoodPoor TurbulenceYesNo