Transcript same temperature

EVSC 1300
Earth’s Weather and Climate
Scales of Motion
Scales of Motion
Increasing
size
Increasing
duration
Scales of Motion
Increasing
size
Increasing
duration
Mercury Barometer
ANEROID BAROMETER
Aneroid
Barograph or Recording Barometer
Barograph Trace
Charlottesville
Jan. 5–10, 2009
Sea-level pressure
variations
Station
pressure
vs.
Sea-level
pressure
Correction
for
elevation
Earth’s atmosphere is thin relative to the size of the planet.
Air Column
D
E
N
S
E
TWO BAROMETERS
SAME
TEMPERATURE
High Pressure
Barometer
Air Column
L
E
S
S
D
E
N
S
E
Low Pressure
Barometer
At same temperature, dense air has higher pressure than less dense air
Reference Level
Warming or cooling air can induce pressure changes
Pressure change can produce air motion—wind!
Same temperature at both locations
Cold vs. Warm Air Parcels
Cold air is denser that warm air (at the same pressure)
Surface Air
Temperature
Variations
SOURCE
(to atmosphere)
N2
O2
•Denitrification by anaerobic
bacteria in decaying
plants/animals
•Respiration
•Combustion
•Fixed by soil bacteria
•Fixed by ocean phytoplankton
•Lightning
•Aerobic bacterial processes
•Combustion
•Respiration (oxidation: food to energy)
•Ocean phytoplankton
•Photosynthesis
6 CO2 + 6 H2O
CO2
SINK
(removal from atmosphere)
Vis. light
C6H12O6 + 6 O2
•Photosynthesis
•Fixation by ocean phytoplankton
•Dissolved directly into ocean surface
STORAGE: limestone sediments, marine shells, fossil fuels
SOURCE
(to atmosphere)
CH4
N2O
O3
SINK
(removal from atmosphere)
•Anaerobic processes
(wetlands, rice paddies)
•Bovine flatulence
•Termites
•Biomass burning
•Bacteria in soils/oceans
(nitrification)
•Combustion (cars, biomass)
•Fertilizers
O2 + O
O3
•Interaction with hydroxyl in atmosphere
•Soils
CH4 + OH
CH3 + H2O
•Stratospheric photochemistry
(converted to NOx)
O3 + uv
O2 + O
Also chlorine, bromine, NOx
H2O
•Evaporation from open water
•Sublimation (from ice)
•Transpiration (through plants)
•Condensation onto surfaces
•Precipitation
•Deposition
Average
vertical
temperature
structure
of atmosphere
Tropopause is higher over equator and lower over poles