Meteorology
Study of the Atmosphere
 Take
Before the Bell
out the webquest
 In your notes answer the many questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
What is air pressure
What is atmosphere?
What is meteorology?
Why is the sky blue?
Why is the sky red at sunset?
What is wind? How is it created?
What are the layers of the atmosphere?
What happens to temp as you go up through each
layer
Then write a meteorology term on the board
What is the Atmosphere?
 Layers
Earth.
of gasses/tiny particles that surround
Atmosphere Video
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6PSbU
l_68k
What is Meteorology?
 Study
of the Atmosphere (Ex- Why is sky red?)
What is Weather?
 Condition
of the atmosphere at a particular
time and place
 Temperature, air movements, moisture
What is in Air?
Atmospheric Composition (pie chart)
Air Pressure Definition




Force of air on the surface of the earth
Can look at it 2 ways:
 AP = (# of air molecules) / (Area)
 AP = (# of collisions) / (Area)
What does air pressure look like (click here)
What happened to this bottle?
How can we show Air Pressure
changes in real life?
 Everest
Beyond the Limit S1E6…the
death of mountaineer David Sharp…and
the realities of the Death Zone (I have on
Amazon).
 What does this clip have to do with air
pressure and air composition? Write down
your response.
What are 3 Ways to Change Air
Pressure?
 Lets
look at this simulation to see if we can
come up with an answer… (click here)
 3 Ways:



Change Volume
Change # of molecules
Change Temperature
While I check your webquest… Answer
these in your notes WITHOUT help!
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
What is air pressure? What are the 3 ways you can
change air pressure?
Why do you get “less” oxygen on top of a mountain
even though there is the same % here @ sealevel?
What separates the layers of the atmosphere?
What is convection?
What is the greenhouse effect? Explain fully!
What is ozone and what function does it serve?
What is weather?
List 5 things you could study as a meteorologist
What is a Barometer Do?
Barometer- Measures atmospheric pressure.
Mercurial Barometer- Looking at
this picture, tell me how it works!
 “Mercurial”
comes from the fact
that many used mercury as the
liquid in the barometer
 Air pressure pushes on liquid and
squeezes it up a certain height
(giving pressure)
Aneroid Barometer - How does
this thing work?
What Determines
Atmospheric Layers?
 Layers
in sky based on
different temperature (Usually
defined by altitude).
 There
is not an exact change
on a line between each layer,
but more of a gradual shift.
Troposphere

Closest to Earth, where all weather occurs
 Temperature drops by about 6.5oC/km due to increase
distance from heat absorbed by earth.
 Top of this layer is Tropopause, where temp is
constant
Stratosphere

Goes from top of troposphere to about 50 km.
 Most of the Ozone (03) is here.
 Temp increases due to absorption of sunlight by O3
molecules.
 Top is Stratopause where temp is constant
Mesosphere
 Goes
from top
of Stratosphere
to about 80km.
 Temp starts to
decrease again
and this is the
coldest layer
(up to -90oC).
 Top is
Mesopause Meteor Shower Time Lapse Video
Thermosphere
 Top
of Mesosphere to exosphere (550km)
 Increase b/c N and O atoms absorb solar
energy (like the O3 in the Stratosphere)
 Temp as much as 2000oC
Ionosphere (in Thermosphere)
 80-550
km
 Solar rays strike atoms in the layer, striping
electrons causing them to become ions
Northern Lights
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O-
wAYKBBSc
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OwAYKBBSc
What is the Exosphere?
 550km-outer
space (more than 1000km)
What is Solar Energy?
 All
of the waves of energy that come from
the sun (everything form EM Spectrum)
Electromagnetic Spectrum
Visible Wavelengths
What are the 4 things light can do…
 When
passing through the atmosphere?
What is Reflection vs Scattering
vs Absorption?
HW
 Why
does the sky sometimes appear blue,
othertimes red, and sometimes white?
 Explain Each…
What is Scattering?
•The shorter the
wavelength, the
more likely it is
to be scattered.
•Longer
wavelengths
pass through
more easily.
Why is sky Red during sunset?
 Annimation
 Youtube
Video
Why does the sky appear white
sometimes?
A
lot of moisture in atmosphere will cause
all particles to scatter, or if there is no
cloud cover and if the sun is overhead, the
sun will look whitish because all visible
light passes to your eye.
 But don’t look directly at the sun!
In your notes…
 Do
your Weather Chart…then…
 Describe what could happen to energy
waves as they travel to earth (many
things). List at least 5 scenarios.
 NOW in 3 mins!
 Thanks!
Absorption
 Any
solar energy that is NOT reflected is
absorbed.
All Energy Reaching Earth
 Energy
that reaches Earth is either reflected
or absorbed
 How much is reflected or absorbed
depends on surface
 The fraction that is reflected is called albedo
What is Albedo?
 This
determines the level of reflectivity of a
substance.
 The higher the Albedo number, the more
reflective a substance is.
 Examples:



Snow albedo = 95 (95% reflected, 5% absorbed)
Forest albedo = 10 (10% reflected, 90% aborbed)
Grass albedo = 26 (26% reflected, 74% aborbed)
Other Reasons Temp Varies
Throughout the Planet
 Latitude
(hottest on the equator due to more
direct sunlight)
Other Reasons Temp Varies
Throughout the Planet
 Altitude
(Colder at higher elevations due to
less moisture and air molecules to absorb heat)
Other Reasons Temp Varies
Throughout the Planet
 Bodies
of Water (Water abosorbs heat well
and therefore areas around water have more
moderate temperature ranges)
Get out your Global Warming Article and as
I check it, answer these questions in your
notes…







Why are there different temperatures on Earth? (3
reasons)
What is the greenhouse effect? How does it work?
List the top 3 greenhouse gases…
What is the electromagnetic spectrum? How is it
arranged?
What is Albedo? What do the levels represent?
Why is sky blue during day, red at sunset?
What is Global Warming?
What is the Greenhouse Effect?

Trapping of
infrared heat by
gas molecules
reflecting infrared
heat in the
atmosphere back
to earth.
 These infrared
rays are reflected
back to earth
where the warm
earth’s surface
again.
Why is some energy reflected back?
So how does this relate to
Global Warming?
3 Views on Global Warming due to
increase in greenhouse effect.
 Nat
Geo
 Donald Trump (conservative)
 John Oliver’s Take (liberal)
 Past President of the United States
Explain the following scenario to help
understand how heat is transferred…
 Grab
the metal pole on your desk, touch
your desk top, and “feel” the temperature
of the air around you. List them from
coldest to warmest in
temperature…explain why they are in this
order.
 What does this have to do with temp
transfer?
3 Ways Heat Moves
Conduction: Heat transfer by
direct contact (most efficient)
Convection: heat transfer
by air current (or liquid)
Radiation: heat transfer by energy traveling
as electromagnetic wave (least efficient)
In your notes make a prediction.
 What
will happen if you hold a balloon of
Air and a balloon of water over a flame?
 WHY!
Let’s Try a Demonstration!
 Why
does one balloon pop in the flame
and the other does not? Explain in
scientific terms!
Answer these to help with
understanding wind…
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
If you blow up a balloon and let the air out…let
go…what happens? WHY!
Where on Earth would there be rising air?
Why?
What would the conditions be like in that area?
What would happen to that air eventually?
Why?
What would the conditions be like in that area?
So then what is wind?
Let’s discuss to air phenomenon…
 What
is wind
 Land/Sea Breeze
 Mountain/Valley Breeze
 Inversions
 Polluted
Inversion
air is trapped below by warmer air
above, so it can’t rise.
Answer these questions to get you ready to
understand Global Winds…
1.
2.
3.
4.
If you were in a traincar traveling parallel to another train at the
same speed and tried to jump directly (90degrees) across into
another train car directly across…what would happen? Why?
Same scenario, but the traincar you are in is moving
faster…what would happen if you jumped directly across the
moment you passed the other car?
Same scenario, but the traincar you are in is moving
slower…what would happen?
Where can you stand on Earth and be moving the fastest?
But of course it is not that simple…
What is wrong with this diagram…list at least 5 things…and
explain each one (meaning why is it happening)
But WHY are all the wind patterns
curved and not straight?
 Coriolis
Effect…
Let’s see what you know?
 Turn
to a blank page in your notes…
Where could this sunset be and
why is it not red?
Label Conduction, Radiation, Convection
What types of energy is blocked by
the ozone layer?
 What
is the
greenhouse effect
(diagram/label it)?
Explain yourself
please…
 What
is global
warming? How is it
different from the
greenhouse effect?
How does Conduction Work? Be
very specific and diagram/label it!
How does Convection work? Be
very specific, diagram/label it!
What is air pressure? How do we
change it in a closed system?
Wind questions…
 Where
does wind come from?
 Why is there a low pressure system on
(close to) the equator?
 Why don’t the winds just blow north to
south in the N. Hemisphere and south to
north in the S. Hemisphere?
Answer this…
 Explain
why if you were in a ship 5 miles north
of me and I aimed a cannon directly at your
boat and I shot a cannon ball at you, it would be
unlikely I would hit you without altering my
cannon direction?
Where does the jet stream get its
name and why is it called that?
How does a land and sea breeze
work? If a westerly wind is better
for surfing, when is usually the best
time of day to surf in NJ?
Think about it???
 If
you were sailing in the ocean what two
areas (Degrees and names needed!)
would you not want to be stuck?
Especially if you were a horse on a boat?