Atmo 170  Final Exam Study Outline

Final Exam: Thu., Dec. 19, 8 - 10 am, ILC 150 (Sect. 2 class)
                      Thu., Dec. 19, 10:30 am - 12:30 pm, ILC 150 (Sect. 3 class)
                       Fri., Dec. 13, 8 - 10 am, Haury 129 (see the bottom of this page for more information about this exam)
                     
Review: Wed., Dec. 18, 8-10 am, Haury 129
                   
1. Composition of the atmosphere: N₂, O₂, H₂O, Ar, and CO₂. H₂O and CO₂ are main greenhouse gases. Importance of water vapor. How is CO₂ added to and removed from the atmosphere.  Greenhouse gases & climate change.  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 (O₃) - key component of photochemical smog or Los Angeles type smog, summer afternoon pollutant.  Particulate matter and scattering of light.  Clouds clean the air.
3. Stratospheric ozone: importance, 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 and stratosphere. Temperature inversion (stable air layer).
6. Ideal gas law: How are P, N, V, T, and density related? In the atmosphere 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 and 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.  Oceans moderate climate.
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 EM radiation by earth's atmosphere. Greenhouse gases and greenhouse effect. Effects of clouds on daytime and nighttime temperatures.

14. Humidity:: saturation, humidity variables - mixing ratio, saturation mixing ratio, relative humidity and dew point temperature. Rain shadow effect, heat index, Dew and frost. Cloud condensation nuclei

15. Identifying and naming clouds: ten cloud types, key words. 

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 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, anvil & mammatus clouds, wind shear, microburst.
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:
3 questions (at least) from each of this semester's 5 quizzes (practice quiz + 4 quizzes)
10 questions (at least) from the Fall 2003 final exam

The early, Dec. 13, exam has been set up as a convenience for students that are unable or would have difficulty remaining in town until Dec. 19.  Haury 129 can hold about 80 people.  I am therefore reserving 40 spots for students from the Sect. 2 class and 40 spots from the Sect. 3 class.  You must signup ahead of time in order to be able to take this earlier exam.  A 2 hour review is planned the day before the Dec. 19 exams.  A review will not be held before the Dec. 13 exam.