Definitions

1
Definitions (from Glossary of Meteorology)
Weather a category of individual and combined
atmospheric phenomena which must be drawn upon to
describe the local atmospheric activity at the
time of observation.
Climate The statistical collective of an areas
weather conditions during a specified interval of
time (usually several decades).
Climatology The scientific study of climate.
In addition to the presentation of climatic data,
it includes the analysis of the causes of climate.
2
Precipitation (clouds)
Climate Average precipitation, average
cloudiness, typical humidity. Climatology Why
the observed averages occur, what are the effects
on temperature, pressure, and other atmospheric
features.
3
Temperature and Lapse Rate

• Temperature and Altitude
• The graph shows the Environmental Lapse Rate -
  the average change of temperature with increasing
  altitude.
• This graph would be different for any specific
  place and time
• Air temperature changes most rapidly nearer the
  earths surface (air warms and cools mainly by
  contact with the earth)

4
The lapse rates determine the layers of the
atmosphere
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The Standard Atmosphere is NOT an average of a
set of observed temperatures. It is artificially
designed to represent the typical lapse rates in
the various atmospheric layers. The Standard
Atmosphere is used to compare with the observed
conditions at any location. When no observations
are possible, the Standard Atmosphere may be used
as a realistic approximation.
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Wind Its direction can be crucial for
temperature and precipitation.
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Pressure Decreases in the vertical direction
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Pressure Changes in the horizontal create
weather systems (and winds and precipitation!)
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It all starts with the Sun
Next topic Radiation