1.
Composition of the atmosphere: N2, O2,
H2O, Ar, and CO2. H2O and CO2
are main greenhouse gases. Importance of water vapor. Carbon
dioxide cycle (how is CO2 added to and removed from the
atmosphere). Atmospheric evolution (what important
atmospheric gas didn't come from volcanoes?) 2. Air
Pollution:Carbon
monoxide (CO) - incomplete combustion, early morning and
wintertime pollutant. Surface inversion layers. Sulfur dioxide (SO2)
- London type smog, acid rain. Tropospheric ozone - key component
of photochemical smog or Los Angeles type smog, summertime
afternoon pollutant. 3.
Stratospheric ozone: natural production and destruction
of ozone in the ozone layer, destroyed by CFCs 4.
Mass, weight, density, pressure: gravity pulls downward
on a mass producing weight. Pressure is a measure of the weight of
the air above. Mercury barometer. Typical sea level pressure
values and units. Air pressure and air density (mass/volume) both
decrease with increasing altitude. 5. Layers in the atmosphere: troposphere, tropopause,
and stratosphere. Temperature inversion (stable air layer). 6. Ideal
gas law: How are P, N, V, T, and density related?
Temperature and density usually change in a way that keeps
pressure constant. Vertical forces on air parcels, free
convection. Archimedes law. 7. Surface weather maps:
Station model notation, average and usual range of sea level
pressure values, isobars and isotherms, winds around highs and
lows. Symbols used for cold & warm fronts. Cyclones and
anticyclones, convergence and divergence, rising and sinking air,
pressure gradient and wind speed. 8. Upper
level maps: ridges and troughs (warm and cold air
below). Winds blow parallel to the contours and from west to
east. 9.
Energy and temperature:temperature is a measure of average kinetic
energy. Temperature scales. Delta T and Delta E relationship,
specific heat 10. Energy transport: conduction,
convection, latent heat (names of various phase changes, is energy
absorbed or given off).
11.
Electromagnetic (EM) radiation: static electricity and
electric fields, wavelength, frequency, and energy. EM spectrum
- UV, visible, and IR light. 12. Rules:
governing the emission (kind and amount) of radiation.
13. Energy
balance: on the earth with and without an atmosphere.
Selective absorption of radiation by earth's atmosphere.
Greenhouse gases and greenhouse effect. Effects of clouds on
daytime and nighttime temperatures.
15.
Identifying and naming clouds: ten cloud types, key
words. Satellite photographs of clouds. 16. Formation of
precipitation: collision coalescence process and
ice crystal process. Types of precipitation: rain, drizzle,
snow, graupel, hail, sleet, freezing rain, virga. Radar.
17.
Newton's 1st law of motion: Forces
that
determine surface and upper level winds: PGF, Coriolis
force, friction. Rules for direction and strength. 18. Upper
level winds: winds blow parallel to contours. Northern
and southern hemispheres, net inward force needed for any kind of
spinning motion.. Surface winds: northern and
southern hemisphere, convergence and divergence, rising and
sinking motions.
19.
Thunderstorms: air mass (3-stage life cycle) and severe
(tilted updraft). Gust front, shelf cloud, mammatus clouds, wind
shear, microbursts, anvil clouds. 20.
Tornadoes: general characteristics, life cycle, Fujita
scale. Mesocyclone and wall cloud, hook echo on radar.
21. Lightning: thunderstorm charge structure,
intracloud and cloud-to-ground lightning (stepped leader, return
stroke, multiple strokes), lightning safety, distance to a
lightning strike.
22.
Hurricanes (typhoons and cyclones): Formation (where and
when). Eye, eye wall, spiral rain bands, low pressure &
converging winds at surface, high pressure & diverging winds
aloft. Stages of storm development. Storm surge and hurricane
damage, Saffir-Simpson scale.
Note:
The final exam usually consists of 50+ multiple choice, word
choice, fill-in-the-blank style questions (like those on this
semester's quizzes). The final will include:
15 questions (at least) from this semester's 5 quizzes (4
quizzes + practice quiz)
10 questions (at least) from the Fall 2003 final exam