Temperature Changes
in the Earth
Atmosphere System
T
“ he sun s energy is not evenly distributed over the
earth. Tropical regions receive more energy than
polar regions. This energy imbalance drives our
atmosphere into the dynamic patterns we experience
as wind and weather.
TEMPERATURE vs HEAT
TEMPERATURE
TEMPERATURE of the air (or a
substance) is a measure of its
average kinetic energy;
a measure of the average speed of the
atoms and molecules.
Higher temperature = faster avg speed
HEAT and its TRANSFER
The atmosphere HAS internal
energy – the total energy stored
in its molecules.
HEAT is energy in the process of
being transferred from one
object to another because of the
temperature difference between
them.
HEAT and its TRANSFER
After heat is transferred, it is stored
as internal energy.
In the atmosphere, the modes by
which heat is transferred are:
conduction, convection, and
radiation.
Latent heat – The hidden warmth
Latent heat is the
heat energy
required to
change a
substance, such
as water, from
one state to
another.
Heat energy is absorbed from the environment
Sublimation
Melting Evaporation
Evaporation
SOLID Freezing LIQUID Condensation
Deposition VAPOR
Heat energy is released to the environment
Heat absorbed & released
Conduction
The an fe of hea f om molec le o
molec le i hin a b ance
The transfer of heat by the mass
movement of a fluid (such as water and
air) is called convection.
A thermal is a rising bubble of air THERMAL
that carries heat energy upward
by convection.
Con ec ion happen na all in he a mo phe e.
On a arm, nn da cer ain area of he ear h rface ab orb
more heat from the sun than others. The air near the surface is
heated unevenly. Air molecules adjacent to these hot surfaces
bounce against them, thereby gaining some extra energy by
conduction. The heated air expands and becomes less dense than
the surrounding cooler air. The expanded warm air is buoyed
upward and rises. In this manner, large bubbles of warm air rise
and transfer heat energy upward. Cooler, heavier air flows toward
the surface to replace the rising air. This cooler air becomes
heated in turn, rises, and the cycle is repeated. In meteorology, this
vertical exchange of heat is called convection,and the rising air
bubbles are known as thermals.
The rising air expands and gradually spreads outward. It then
slowly begins to sink. Near the surface, it moves back into the
heated region, replacing the rising air.
In this way, a convective circulation, or hermal cell, is produced in
the atmosphere.
In a convective circulation the warm, rising air cools.
In our atmosphere, any air that rises will expand and cool, and any
air that sinks is compressed and warms.
Temperature Variations
Diurnal
Annual
Horizontal
Vertical
DIURNAL
VARIATION
Sunrise Sunset
ANNUAL
VARIATION
HORIZONTAL
VARIATION
VERTICAL VARIATION
►Vertical Movement – rising or falling
Isolated Heating and Isolated Cooling
Topographic Lifting
Cold Front
Warm Front
Thank you..
HUMIDITY
Humidity refers to the amount of water
vapor in the air
For the meteorologist:
H2O vapor – most important gas
Water phase changes – mechanism for heat
transfer
Biological importance:
Influence plant water potential & T rate
Affect G & Devt of phytopathogens
Human & animal adaptation
PHYSICAL REVIEW
RECALL:
Dal n La f Pa ial P e e
PiV = ( i)RT
i = no. of moles
R = univ. gas constant = 8.314 kJ/kg mol-K
For moist air (dry air + H2O vapor)
e.g. Atmosphere:
P = Pd + Pw
Pd = partial P of dry air (d.a)
Pw = partial P of water vapor (w.v)
Consider: MOIST AIR w/ pressure P, temp T,
volume V and total mass m
Density of moist air, m
ρa
V
Pw VM w
Mass of H2O vapor, mw
RT
Pd VM d
Mass of dry air, md
RT
MW = molec. wt. of water = 18.016 g/mol
Md = molec. wt. of d. a = 28.966 g/mol
Total mass, m = mw + md
Pw VM w Pd VM d
m
RT RT
V(Pw M w PdMd )
m
RT
Mw
Substitute 0.622 and Pd P Pw
Md
Then the density of moist air,
M d (P 0.378Pw)
ρa
RT
Measures of humidity
mw
1. Specific humidity, q
m
0.622Pw
q ; kg w. v per kg moist air
P - 0.378Pw
2. Absolute humidity,
mw
V
Pw M w
χ ; kg w. v per m3 moist air
RT
Measures of humidity
mw
3. Mixing Ratio, W
md
0.622Pw
W
Pd
Since, Pd = P Pw and Pw <<<< P
Hence,
0.622Pw
W ; kg w.v per kg d. a
P
Concept of Saturation
Wa e m lec le a he
surface of the water are
evaporating (changing
from liquid into vapor) &
condensing (changing
from vapor into liquid).
Since more molecules are
evaporating than
condensing, net
e a a i n i cc ing.
Concept of Saturation
When the number of water
molecules escaping from
the liquid (evaporating)
balances those returning
(condensing), the air above
the liquid is saturated with
water vapor.
State of dynamic equilibrium
Actual vapor pressure indicates the
ai al a e a c n en .
Saturation vapor pressure indicates
how much water vapor is necessary
to make the air saturated at any
given temperature.
or: it is the pressure that the water
vapor molecules would exert if
the air were saturated with vapor
at a given temperature.
For a given
temperature,
there is a
definite
saturation
vapor pressure
(es). 17.27T
es increases es 0.6108e T 237.3
exponentially
with T.
es = a n
vapor P, kPa
T = temp, C
SATURATION-BASED MEASURES of HUMIDITY
ea
[Link] humidity, RH x 100
es
ea = actual vapor P; same as Pw
es = saturation vapor
2. Vapor pressure deficit (es ea)
drying power of the air
3. Dewpoint temperature (Td)
T to w/c air is cooled at constant P
& vapor content in order for saturation to
occur.
T at w/c the air is about to condense
Humidity variation
Thank you..