Welcome to the discussion for AOSC 200 Weather

1
Welcome to the discussion for AOSC 200 Weather
Climate

• TA Martina Ricko
• Office CSS2347
• Email mricko_at_umd.edu

Office Hours Tues.Thur. 1-2pm By Appointment
2
My Schedule

• Available by email (mricko_at_umd.edu)
• Office Hours
• Tues.Thur. 1-2pm By Appointment
• Wednesday 2 4pm AOSC 200 discussions

3
Todays Schedule

• The syllabus Exam hints
• Overview of the projects
• The normal class schedule
• Overview of Forecasts
• Review of lectures 1 2
• Your questions

4

• Any questions on the syllabus?
• Yes, you need to be here for discussion section.
  Participation is half of your project grade!
• Exam hints
• Only the material covered in the lecture will be
  tested on the exams
• You are encouraged to use labeled diagrams to
  answer the essay questions, when possible.
• There is a practice exam for the 1st midterm on
  Dr. Hudsons web page

5
The Projects

• You will be divided into groups of 6
• Each group will produce a PowerPoint poster
• We will give a 5min presentation on the due date.
• You will be graded on
• the quality of your poster
• Content Layout
• and your participation in your group
• Based on in class project time
• Explanation on the due date
• An anonymous assessment by the group members

6
Normal Class Schedule

• 10 15 minutes Review 2 previous lectures
• 10 15 minutes Answer your questions
• 20 30 minutes Group meeting time
• at least one person in each group should bring a
  laptop
• Use this time to organize, make group decisions
  and share findings. Research on the topic should
  be done outside of class

7
Forecasts

• http//www.atmos.umd.edu/charles/forecastchecklis
  t2.htm
• Current Weather
• Satellite images visible, water vapor IR
• Surface maps radar analysis
• Upper levels of the Atmosphere
• 850mb near surface temperature winds
• 700mb vertical velocity steering winds
• 500mb rotation troughs and ridges
• 300mb Jet stream
• Skew-T vertical profile of temperature humidity
  and wind
• Forecast
• Models
• eta short range, 48 hours
• GFS medium range, 14 days
• Meteograms model summaries
• Temperature Dew Point
• Precipitation, weather conditions and winds

8
Review Lectures 1 2

• Weather
• Instantaneous description of what the atmosphere
  is doing at a particular time and place
• Climate
• Description of what weather is usually like in a
  region (large or small). Not just the average
  weather, but a description of what the extremes
  are like too.

9
Review Lectures 1 2 (cont.)

• Atmospheric composition
• Two most common gases?
• N2 (78)
• O2 (21)
• 3rd most common? Ar, Argon (0.93 )
• Trace gasses?
• CO2, carbon dioxide (0.038 )
• CH4, Methane (0.00017 )
• O3, Ozone (0.000004 )
• Chlorofluorocarbons (0.00000002 )
• Water vapor (0 to 4 )

10
Atmospheric Evolution

• Earths early atmosphere Hydrogen (H), Helium
  (He), Methane (CH4) and Ammonia (NH3)
• Volcanoes emitted water vapor (H2O), carbon
  dioxide (CO2) and molecular nitrogen (N2).
• 3 billion years ago, blue-green algae produced
  Oxygen (O2) as a by-product of photosynthesis
• O2 reacts to produce Ozone (O3) in the upper
  atmosphere, which protects us from harmful
  Ultraviolet radiation.

11
(No Transcript)
12
Hydrological Cycle
13
Aerosols

• Particles suspended in the atmosphere
• Can change the amount of solar radiation that
  reaches the surface
• Water drops can form around them
• Primary Sources
• Sea Salt Spray
• Wind Erosion
• Volcanoes
• Fires
• Human activity

14
Atmospheric Pressure

• Weight of atmosphere above a point
• Surface Pressure normally between 950 and 1050 mb
• Pressure decreases as altitude increases
• Pressure is a function of temperature and density

15
(No Transcript)
16
(No Transcript)
17
(No Transcript)