Atmo 170  Final Exam Study Outline
(refer to this semester's Study Guides for more details)
Final Exams:
Sect. 1 (8:00 am class) Wednesday, May 8, 8:00 - 10:00 am, CESL 102
Sect. 2 (9:00 am class) Thursday, May 9, 10:30 am - 12:30 pm, CESL 102
You can take the exam at either time.  If you take the exam with the other section (i.e. other than the section you're enrolled in) please let me know ahead of time.
                     
Review:
Wed., May 1, CESL 102 (i.e. during the normally scheduled class period on the last day of classes)
Tue.,  May 7, 1 - 3 pm, Chavez 400

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 (O3)  - key component of photochemical smog or Los Angeles type smog, summertime afternoon pollutant.  Particulate matter.  Scattering of light.
3. Stratospheric ozone: importance, natural production and destruction of ozone in the ozone layer, stratospheric ozone is 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.

Use this semester's Practice Quiz to test yourself on Topics 1 - 4
5. Ideal gas law: Two equations (which will be provided during the Final Exam)
P = N k T / V     &     P = ρ R T

Temperature and density usually change in a way that keeps pressure constant (Charles Law). Vertical forces on air parcels, free convection.  Archimedes law.

6. Station model notation, surface and upper level weather maps: Average and usual range of sea level pressure values, isobars and isotherms, winds around highs and lows.  Cyclones and anticyclones, convergence and divergence, rising and sinking air, pressure gradient and wind speed. Troughs and ridges on upper level charts, upper level winds blow parallel to the contour lines.
7. Fronts: symbols used for warm & cold fronts, crossectional structure
Use this semester's Quiz #1 to test yourself on Topics 1 - 7

8. Energy and temperature: temperature is a measure of average kinetic energy. Temperature scales. Delta T and Delta E relationship, specific heat
9. Energy transport: conduction, convection, latent heat (names of various phase changes, is energy absorbed or given off), electromagnetic radiation

10. Electromagnetic (EM) radiation: static electricity and electric fields, wavelength, frequency, and energy. EM spectrum -  UV, visible, and IR light.
11. Rules: governing the emission (kind and amount) of radiation.

12. Energy balance (radiative equilibrium): on the earth with and without an atmosphere. Selective absorption of radiation by earth's atmosphere. Greenhouse gases and the greenhouse effect. Effects of clouds on daytime and nighttime temperatures.

Use this semester's Quiz #2 to test yourself on Topics 8 - 12
13. Humidity: saturation, humidity variables - mixing ratio, saturation mixing ratio, relative humidity and dew point temperature. Rain shadow effect, heat index. Cloud condensation nuclei

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

15. Formation of precipitation: collision coalescence process and ice crystal process.
      Types of precipitation: rain, drizzle, snow, graupel, hail, sleet, freezing rain, virga.

16. Satellite photographs of clouds: How can satellites photograph clouds at night?  What do grey and white on visible and IR photographs of clouds represent?

Use Quiz #3 to test yourself on Topics 13 - 16

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: blow across the contour lines toward low pressure, northern and southern hemisphere, convergence and divergence, rising and sinking motions.

19. 3-cell model of the Earth's global circulation: ITCZ, equatorial low, horse latitudes, trade winds doldrums, prevailing westerlies subtropical high pressure

20. Thunderstorms: air mass (3-stage life cycle) and severe (tilted updraft).  Mesocyclone and wall cloud, hook echo on radar.  Gust front, shelf cloud, mammatus clouds, wind shear, microbursts, anvil clouds.
21. Tornadoes: general characteristics, life cycle, Fujita scale.
22. Lightning: thunderstorm charge structure, intracloud and negative cloud-to-ground lightning (stepped leader, return stroke, multiple strokes), lightning safety, distance to a lightning strike.
Use Quiz #4 to test yourself on Topics 17 - 21

23. 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 about 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 (copies of all 4 quizzes + practice quiz are available using the links above)
10 questions (at least) from this Spring 2016 Final Exam
5 questions about hurricanes taken from this list