MADISON’S CURRENT WEATHER
Madison Weather at
Madison Weather at 1000 AM CDT WED JUN 18 2003
Updated twice an hour at :05 and :25
Sky/Weather: MOSUNNY
Temperature: 79 F (26 C)
Dew Point: 63 F (17 C)
Relative Humidity: 57%
Wind: W7 MPH
Barometer: 29.89F (1012.2 mb)
Current Surface Weather Map
with Isobars (“iso” = equal & “bar” = weight), Fronts & Radar
Isobars
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Current Surface Weather Map
with Isobars (“iso” = equal & “bar” = weight), Fronts & Radar
Isobars
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Clouds
Current Visible Satellite Image
Current Visible Satellite Image
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Current Temperatures (°F) & Isotherms
(“iso” = equal +”therm” = temperature)
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Yesterday’s Surface Weather Map
with Isobars (“iso” = equal & “bar” = weight), Fronts & Radar
Isobars
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Current Surface Weather Map
with Isobars (“iso” = equal & “bar” = weight), Fronts & Radar
Isobars
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Tomorrow AM Forecast Map
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ATM OCN 100 – Summer 2004
LECTURE 2A
PHYSICAL & CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
of EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE
 A.
PRACTICAL QUESTIONS
– What makes Planet Earth special?
– How has the atmosphere evolved?
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Earth-Rise (Apollo Mission)
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SUNRISE FROM SPACE
From STS-52 (JSC-NASA)
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B. PRESENT EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE
 Background
– Early Greek Thought
 The
4 Elements: Earth, Air, Water, Fire.
– “Modern” Chemistry (since 18th century)
 Element
 Compound
 Mixture
 Chemical
Composition
– Air is a mixture
– With the following gases:
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Atmospheric Gases isolated by 18th
Century Chemists
Nitrogen
(N2)
D. Rutherford 1772
Oxygen
(O2)
J. Priestley & A. Lavoisier 1774
Carbon
Dioxide (CO2)
J. Black 1756
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See Table 2.1 Moran (2002)
FRACTIONAL VOLUMETRIC
COMPOSITION OF DRY AIR in
HOMOSPHERE
O2
21%
Ar
CO2
0.03% 0.93%
N2 78%
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B. PRESENT EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE (con’t.)
 Vertical
Variations of Atmospheric
Composition
– Criterion
 Chemical
– Divisions
 HOMOSPHERE
 HETEROSPHERE
–
Where ...
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VERTICAL COMPOSITION VARIATIONS (con’t.)
 HOMOSPHERE
–
–
–
“Homo” = same (percentage composition);
Turbulent mixing;
Below 80 km altitude.
 HETEROSPHERE
–
–
–
“Hetero” = different (composition);
Fractional diffusion (by molecular weight);
Above 80 km altitude.
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CONSTITUENTS OF AIR
in the HOMOSPHERE
(Below 80 km)
 Principal
Permanent Gases of “Dry Air”
 Principal Variable gases
 Anthropogenic Gases
 Aerosols
– Liquids or solids suspended in Atmosphere
 Clouds
– Liquid droplets or ice crystals in Atmosphere
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PRINCIPAL FIXED GASES
in the “Dry” Homosphere
 Nitrogen (N2)
– Importance in Food Chain (Nitrogen Fixation)
 Oxygen (O2)
– Critical Importance for Life (Respiration)
 Argon (Ar)
– Unknown Importance
 Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
– Critical Importance for Life (Photosynthesis)
(also Asphyxiation)
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See Table 2.1 Moran (2002)
FRACTIONAL VOLUMETRIC
COMPOSITION OF DRY AIR in
HOMOSPHERE
O2
21%
Ar
CO2
0.03% 0.93%
N2 78%
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PRINCIPAL VARIABLE GASES
in the Homosphere
 Water
Vapor (H2O) < 4% by volume
 Carbon Dioxide (CO2) 360 ppm = 0.036%
 Methane (CH4) < 1700 ppb = 0.00017%
 Ozone (O3) < 8 ppm = 0.0008%
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Recent Atmospheric CO2 Concentrations
See Fig. 3.24, Moran (2002)
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Mauna Loa Observatory, HI
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Ozone
A
paradox
– Good and Bad
 Natural production & destruction
where…
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Ozone Formation
Figure 3.18 Moran (2002)
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Ozone Destruction (Natural)
Figure 3.18 Moran (2002)
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Ozone
A
paradox
 Natural production & destruction
 Location in Atmosphere
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VERTICAL OZONE PROFILE
ALTITUDE [km]
US STANDARD ATMOSPHERE 1976
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
8 ppmv = 0.0008%
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
MIXING RATIO [PPMV]
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ANTHROPOGENIC SUBSTANCES
 Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
 Volatile
–
Organic Compounds
(Hydrocarbons)
 Oxides
of nitrogen (NO, NO2)
 Oxides of carbon (CO, CO2)
 Sulfur compounds (H2S, SO2, SO3)
 Suspended particulates
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AEROSOLS
 What
they are
– Suspended solid particles or liquid
droplets in atmosphere.
 Sources
– Natural
– Human activity
Where….
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Aerosols from Wildfires
11 May 2000 (NOAA-15)
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Aerosols from Colorado Wildfires
10 June 2002 (SSEC - MODIS)
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Aerosols from Volcanoes
Mt. St. Helens, WA May 1980
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Volcanic Plume from Mt. Etna
23 July 2001 (NOAA-14)
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Aerosols-Dust from Mongolia
10 Apr 2001
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Aerosols from Blowing Dust
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Aerosols from Sea Spray (Calif. Coast)
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Aerosols from Natural Vegetation
in Great Smoky Mtn. Nat'l Park, NC-TN
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Aerosols from Urban Pollution
Madison (from Space Science & Eng. Center)
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Relative sizes of dust
– Coarse sand
2 mm
– Beach sand
0.5 mm
– Granulated sugar
0.4 mm
– Table salt
0.1 mm
– Typical Mideast particles
 Fine
sand
 Silt,
dust
– Talcum powder
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0.06 mm
0.05 mm or less
0.01 mm
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PRINCIPAL VARIABLE GASES
in the Heterosphere
(above 80 km)
 Diatomic
nitrogen (N2)
85 to 200 km
 Monatomic oxygen (O)
200 to 1100 km
 Helium (He)
1100 to 3500 km
 Atomic hydrogen (H) 3500 to 11,000 km
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C. ORIGIN & EVOLUTION
of Earth’s Atmosphere
 How
did our current atmosphere
evolve?
 General History of the Atmosphere
– 4.5 billion yr ago - Solar System
formed
– And then…
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Early Atmosphere
before 3 billion years BP
Outgassing of
H2O
CO2
CH4
NH3
Formation of Oceans
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Fossil algae 2 billion yrs old vs. living algae
Photosynthesis
Water + Carbon Dioxide + Sunlight ---> Sugar + Oxygen
6H2O + 6CO2 + Sunlight ---> C6H12O6 + 6O2
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C. ORIGIN & EVOLUTION of Earth’s Atmosphere
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ATMOSPHERIC ORIGIN & EVOLUTION (con’t)
 Rationale
Planet Earth is special because of
large amounts of O2;
– Atmosphere & Life Co-evolved.
 Human Intervention
– Humans could possibly affect
concentrations of some gases,
with following…
–
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Enhanced “Greenhouse Effect”
 Background
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Enhanced “Greenhouse Effect”
 Increases
in “Greenhouse Gases”
– CO2 and CH4
 Why
more CO2?
– Burning of fossil fuels
– Deforestation
– Changes in Sea Surface Temperature
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Global CO2 Emissions
Marland, et.al. 2001
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Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center
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CO2 measurements at Mauna Loa, HI
See Fig. 3.24 Moran (2002)
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CO2 measurements at South Pole
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Enhanced “Greenhouse Effect” (con’t.)
 Increases
in “Greenhouse Gases”
– CO2 and CH4
 Why
more CO2?
– Burning of fossil fuels
– Deforestation
– Changes in Sea Surface Temperature
 Potential
Implications
– Ice cap melting & coastal flooding
– Changes in agricultural areas
– Increases in diseases and pests
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See Fig. 3.25 Moran (2002)
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“Ozone Hole”
 Background
 Destruction
of Stratospheric Ozone
– From CFCs
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Destruction of ozone by CFCs.
See pg 49-51, Moran (2002)
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CFC & other Solvent Concentrations in
Atmosphere
(Source: NOAA/CMDL)
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Evolution of the “Ozone Hole”
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NASA TOMS Project
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Recent “Ozone Hole” Status NASA TOMS Project
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“Ozone Hole” Changes 1980-2002
(TOMS Project – NASA GSFC, 2003)
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“Ozone Hole”
(con’t.)
 Background
 Destruction
of Stratospheric Ozone
– From CFCs
 Potential Implications
– Increased skin cancer
– Increased cataracts
– Unknown changes to food chain
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D. ATMOSPHERES of OTHER PLANETS
 General
–
Composition Considerations:
Planetary Size
(influences planetary gravity)
–
Closeness to Sun
(influences temperature)
 Atmospheric
Composition of Planets
Inner Planets
– Outer Planets
–
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E. VARIATION OF CHARGED
PARTICLES WITH HEIGHT
 Composition
Ions: Charged Particles
 Location
– Ionosphere
– Magnetosphere
 Implications
– Radio Communications
– Aurora Borealis (Australis)
 The Reason - Active Sun
–
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Ionosphere
See pg. 35, Moran (2002)
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Magnetosphere
See Fig. 2.13 Moran (2002)
Northern Lights Planetarium
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MAGNETOSPHERE
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AURORA BOREALIS
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(from Univ. of Alaska)
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Aurora from Space Shuttle
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Atmosphere in Perspective (UCAR)
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