Lecture 2: What is Weather? 1.According to Environment Canada ...
Lecture 2: What is Weather? 1.According to Environment Canada, what was the top weather story of 2009?2.What climate change processes might you expect to witness during yourlifetime? Which ones do you think take too long for you to experience? 1.Lack of a summer... “summer of discontent” 2.Climate change processes I am guessing we can witness droughts,tornadoes, hurricanes etc. And as for climate changes that take long to experience would be like longterm changes such as global warming and ice age.both answers from ELM Lecture 3: Earth’s Atmosphere 1.The thermosphere has extremely high temperature, but a person exposed toit would rapidly freeze. Explain this apparent contradiction.2.Does the equivalent of Northern Lights occur in the southern hemisphere?1. The difference between temperature and heat. While it has a hightemperature, the air is so thin that it cannot transfer that heat into a body.Not enough molecules to bump into, even if each is very high energy (thetemperature). So your body would radiate heat faster than the surroundingair could replace it, and you freeze. 2. Auroras can be spotted throughout the world and on other planets but it ismost visible closer to the poles due to the longer periods of darkness and themagnetic field.both answers from ELM Lecture 4: Atmospheric Pressure and Density 1.Pressurized cans of shaving cream advise users not to expose the product toexcessive heat? What might happen if the advice is not followed? Will thispotential problem remain throughout life of the product?2.At standard pressure of 1013.2 mb is also known as one atmosphere (1ATM).Look at next figure and determine at approximately what levels you wouldrecord a pressure of 0.5 ATM and 0.1 ATM. 1.Pressurized cans: it will exposed, internal pressure increasing due to heat; a year or two or five down the road is this still going to be a problem? If thereare no leaks it will remain the same. However if there is a leak over timethere is a reduction in gas content and thus a higher applied pressurerequired for it to explode2.Standard pressure is 1013.2 mb = 1 ATM. What is the pressure of 0.5 ATM inmb = 506.5 mb. What is the pressure of 0.1 ATM in mb = 101 mb Lecture 5: Global Energy Balance
1.Would you expect the northern and southern hemispheres to have sameaverage albedo? What factors might cause the two hemispheres to reflectdifferent percentages of insolation back to space?2.Which would have the greatest effect on the earth’s greenhouse effect:removing all of the CO2 from the atmosphere or removing all of the watervapour? Explain why you chose your answer. 1.More landmass in northern hemisphere than southern hemisphere. Sonorthern hemisphere has more opportunity for snow in the winter and thusmore albedo. Though there is more water in southern hemisphere there isnot a great availability of land for snow to be on. 2. Removing CO 2 or H 2 O↑. More water vapour in the atmosphere than CO 2 but CO 2 has a higher greenhouse gas potential. Methane is 250 times that of CO 2 . Lecture 6: Variations in Temperature 1.Suppose that the earth’s axis were tilted at 40° to the plane of the ecliptic,instead of 23.5°. How would the seasons change in Hamilton? What would bethe global effect of the change?2.An orchard farmer hears a weather forecast for overnight low temperaturesto hover just above freezing point of 0°C, but with wind chill temperaturesexpected to drop significantly lower. Will the wind chill increase thepossibility of frost damage? Why or why not? 1.More tilt would mean more dramatic seasons in Hamilton. The radiationbalance between seasonal changes would be even greater 2.Yes the farmer should be concerned because the wind chill factor willdamage crops.
Lecture 7: Atmospheric Moisture 1.How can frozen clothes “dry” outside in subfreezing weather? What is takingplace?2.A crowded classroom is filled with students. In what way does the presence of the students affect the dew point and relative humidity in the room?1. Freezing clothes will still dry in subfreezing weather due to sublimationbecause the water is going from solid to gas. FROM ELM: The process that istaking place here is called sublimation, where the dry ice turns from a solid into a gas state. Water does the same but at a much slower rate… hence why clothes dry faster in warm weather compared to freezing weather. 2. A classroom full of students will create a higher dew point FROM ELM: because there is more humidity coming from heat released from people'sbody and also from their breath. From the table in the lecture notes, weassume that temperature increases, SH stays the same therefore relativehumidity will fall. Lecture 8: Adiabatic Process 1.What time of year will unstable conditions be most common over thecontinental US and Canada? 2.Is the stability of the air more likely to change rapidly near the surface oraloft? At what time of day are major changes in the ELR most likely? 1.ELR – what are the two parameters you will be trying to measure with the air parcel? MALR & DALR. When looking at unstable conditions how do they come into play.a.Higher temperatures required to create unstable conditions > ELR ishighb.Therefore summer is the time of year that unstable conditions aremost commonc.Thunderstorms are a result 2.Stability is more likely to change rapidly near the surface due to daytimeheating. Lecture 9: Clouds 1.Why are advection fogs rare over tropical water?2.In many regions, the orographic effect causes precipitation to increase withelevation. Can you think of any reason why this might not be true all the wayup to the top of Mt Everest?
1.Advection fogs are rare over tropical water because the waters are warm and thus warm air coming along it won’t cause fog2.Orographic effect is not present at the top of Mt Everest due to the freezingtemperatures and the low moisture content at those altitudes. Lecture 10: Precipitation 1.How might the warming of the atmosphere change how rainfall forms in themiddle latitudes?2.Why is a warm, tropical cumulus cloud more likely to produce precipitationthan a cold, stratus cloud? 1.Higher temperatures therefore higher moisture content in atmosphere as aresult more moisture available for precipitation and high rainfall.2.The cumulus cloud is rising higher and thus greater instability, and higher moisture content. Lecture 11: Snow and Ice 1.In general, rivers freeze over later and clear earlier than lakes in the samearea. What is the cause of this?2.Both the Arctic and the Canadian Prairies have a relatively low snow cover. Isthe cause for this the same in both regions? 1.There’s more movement in the flow of water in the river > a mechanicalimpediment to forming ice and run off in the spring increases flow to allowbreak up of ice2.Continuous snow in the arctic; where as in the prairies have a rain shadowdue to the Orographic effect of the Rockies. Both areas however have lowvegetation cover. Arctic has a lower temperature and thus moisture content and precipitation are low but snow lasts longe
Lecture 12: Hydrologic Cycle 1.During a storm event, how does interflow differ from overland flow?2.What is the difference between a 100-year flood and a 500-year flood? 1.Interflow is the flow of water just below the surface from percolation and theoverland is the rain travelling on the surface. Interflow moves slower thanoverland. When at paved areas no interflow.2.A probability, based on historical records of discharge > the likelihood that ariver will peak. Lecture 13: Water Balance 1.What effect does a large ST have on a location as compared with anotherlocation that has the same P and PE totals but a lower ST?2.How do impervious surfaces such as parking lots impact the water balanceterms?
1.There will be different vegetation and more loss of water at the lower ST location2.They prevent percolation and there is less potential for recharge of soilstorage so the importance of ST will be reduced. Lecture 14: Winds and Pressure 1.Pilots often use the expression “high to low, look out below”. In terms of upper-level temperature and pressure, explain what this can mean.2.The pilot of a small plane wants to fly at constant height about the ground.Can the pilot fly at a constant pressure level (e.g. 500mb) to achieve this?Why or why not? 1.With the change in temp from high to low pressure ....???2.It depends on the travel distance. Pressure altitude changes over distance particularly as latitude increases. Lecture 15: Major Wind Systems 1.Why are surface winds that blow over the ocean closer to being geostrophicthan those that blow over land?2.Why is that, on the equator, winds may blow either counterclockwise orclockwise with respect to an area of low pressure? 1.Geostrophic is perpendicular to isobar > PGF = CF and because you don’t have FF over the oceans 2. Because CF is negligible FROM ELM: The wind direction of a low pressure areawill be anticlockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in theSouthern Hemisphere which is caused by the coriolis effect. The equator onthe other hand, the coriolis force is absent (meaning its zero). And sincethere is no deflecting force, the wind can blow either clockwise or counter clockwise around an area of low pressure, depending upon how the flowinitially responds to the pressure gradient force. Lecture 16: Atmospheric Circulation
1.Which of the belts depicted in the three-cell model is likely to exhibit thegreatest temperature gradients2.What effect would continents have on the circulation of air in the one-cellmodel? 1.?2.It creates a differential leading between land and ocean, creates a frictionalsurface and creates obstacles (like mountains) Lecture 17: Oceanic Circulation
1.Why do ocean water surface temp patterns change slowly when compared toatmospheric patterns?2.CF deflects moving water to the right in the NH and the left in SH. Why doesupwelling tend to occur along the western margins 1.Due to the differences in heat capacity between water and air 2.LUC: “ Look at the wind patterns of subtropical high pressure belts…” FROMELM: Refer to figure 8.2 as you read the description of surface currents in theworld's major oceans. In the Northern Hemisphere the water under thewesterlies moves 45° to the right of the westerlies, away from an ocean'swestern shore or boundary, and along the 40°-50°N latitudes until it reachesits eastern shore or boundary. The water under the trade winds moves 45° tothe right of the trades, away from an ocean's eastern boundary, and alongthe 10°-20° latitudes until it reaches its western boundary. When NorthernHemisphere water moving with the trade winds accumulates at the land boundary on the west side of an ocean, the water flows north to the latitudeof the westerlies, and then eastward across the ocean. Water accumulatingat the land boundary on the east side of a northern ocean flows south toward the region from which the water moves westward under the trade winds. InSouthern Hemisphere oceans the east-west currents are deflected 45° to theleft of the trade winds and the westerlies. Water accumulating on the easternside of a Southern Hemisphere ocean moves north, and water on the westernside of a southern ocean moves south. In each hemisphere this producescontinuous flow and a series of interconnecting surface currents moving in acircular path centered on 30° latitude. The rotation is clockwise in theNorthern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.These circular-motion current systems are known as gyres. In the moresouthern latitudes there is no land between the Atlantic, Pacific, and IndianOceans; here the surface currents, driven by the westerlies, continue around the earth in a circumpolar flow around Antarctica. (Chapter 8.1 from http://210.34.8.4/course/hykxdl/textbook/chap8.html) Lecture 18: Air Masses and Fronts 1.Continental air polar air masses can migrate into Florida during the winter butnot into northern India. Why not?2.Warm fronts are extremely rare over southern California. Why? 1.Source regions: northern India is bounded by the Himalayas and is inland. 2.
You need a warm and a cold air mass to produce a warm front. Cold air masses rarely occur around southern California.
Lecture 19: Midlatitude Storms 1.Why can’t systems similar to midlatitude cyclones develop over the tropics?2.Are Rossby waves likely to have greater representation in the SH or NH, why?1.There is minimal CF at the equator. Also occlusion fronts are needed (needwarm and cold front and there aren’t any cold fronts over the equator)2.They have a greater representation in the NH because it is covered by moreland and thus mountains and also a larger PGF Lecture 20: Thunderstorms and Tornadoes 1.Why is the incidence of thunderstorms much lower near the Pacific coast thanat the Atlantic Coast.? 1.Less convection by pacific coast. Mid latitude process requires a moisturedifference. Less frequency of cold fronts at the pacific coast > less occluded fronts Lecture 21: Hurricanes 1.If two hurricanes pass just to the west of Cuba over a 2-week period, whatreasons might one have for expecting the second one to be weaker than thefirst one? 1.Less latent heat (in the air) to drive the second hurricane. Also the first hurricane cools the surface water as it goes through so less latent heat (inthe water). Lecture 22: Global Climate 1.Why is there a contrast in climate types on either side of the RockyMountains, but not on either side of the Appalachian Mountains? 1.The Appalachian Mountains don’t have significant height to cause a contrast in climate. (Minimal Orographic effect) Lecture 23: Climates of the World 1.Caribou migrate of 1000km between their summering and wintering ranges.Given that the picture below was taken in November, in which direction arethey headed? What does the distance they travel tell you about the seasonshifts over the tundra
1.Would you expect the northern and southern hemispheres to have sameaverage albedo? What factors might cause the two hemispheres to reflectdifferent percentages of insolation back to space?2.Which would have the greatest effect on the earth’s greenhouse effect:removing all of the CO2 from the atmosphere or removing all of the watervapour? Explain why you chose your answer. 1.More landmass in northern hemisphere than southern hemisphere. Sonorthern hemisphere has more opportunity for snow in the winter and thusmore albedo. Though there is more water in southern hemisphere there isnot a great availability of land for snow to be on. 2. Removing CO 2 or H 2 O↑. More water vapour in the atmosphere than CO 2 but CO 2 has a higher greenhouse gas potential. Methane is 250 times that of CO 2 . Lecture 6: Variations in Temperature 1.Suppose that the earth’s axis were tilted at 40° to the plane of the ecliptic,instead of 23.5°. How would the seasons change in Hamilton? What would bethe global effect of the change?2.An orchard farmer hears a weather forecast for overnight low temperaturesto hover just above freezing point of 0°C, but with wind chill temperaturesexpected to drop significantly lower. Will the wind chill increase thepossibility of frost damage? Why or why not? 1.More tilt would mean more dramatic seasons in Hamilton. The radiationbalance between seasonal changes would be even greater 2.Yes the farmer should be concerned because the wind chill factor willdamage crops.
Lecture 7: Atmospheric Moisture 1.How can frozen clothes “dry” outside in subfreezing weather? What is takingplace?2.A crowded classroom is filled with students. In what way does the presence of the students affect the dew point and relative humidity in the room?1. Freezing clothes will still dry in subfreezing weather due to sublimationbecause the water is going from solid to gas. FROM ELM: The process that istaking place here is called sublimation, where the dry ice turns from a solid into a gas state. Water does the same but at a much slower rate… hence why clothes dry faster in warm weather compared to freezing weather. 2. A classroom full of students will create a higher dew point FROM ELM: because there is more humidity coming from heat released from people'sbody and also from their breath. From the table in the lecture notes, weassume that temperature increases, SH stays the same therefore relativehumidity will fall. Lecture 8: Adiabatic Process 1.What time of year will unstable conditions be most common over thecontinental US and Canada? 2.Is the stability of the air more likely to change rapidly near the surface oraloft? At what time of day are major changes in the ELR most likely? 1.ELR – what are the two parameters you will be trying to measure with the air parcel? MALR & DALR. When looking at unstable conditions how do they come into play.a.Higher temperatures required to create unstable conditions > ELR ishighb.Therefore summer is the time of year that unstable conditions aremost commonc.Thunderstorms are a result 2.Stability is more likely to change rapidly near the surface due to daytimeheating. Lecture 9: Clouds 1.Why are advection fogs rare over tropical water?2.In many regions, the orographic effect causes precipitation to increase withelevation. Can you think of any reason why this might not be true all the wayup to the top of Mt Everest?
1.Advection fogs are rare over tropical water because the waters are warm and thus warm air coming along it won’t cause fog2.Orographic effect is not present at the top of Mt Everest due to the freezingtemperatures and the low moisture content at those altitudes. Lecture 10: Precipitation 1.How might the warming of the atmosphere change how rainfall forms in themiddle latitudes?2.Why is a warm, tropical cumulus cloud more likely to produce precipitationthan a cold, stratus cloud? 1.Higher temperatures therefore higher moisture content in atmosphere as aresult more moisture available for precipitation and high rainfall.2.The cumulus cloud is rising higher and thus greater instability, and higher moisture content. Lecture 11: Snow and Ice 1.In general, rivers freeze over later and clear earlier than lakes in the samearea. What is the cause of this?2.Both the Arctic and the Canadian Prairies have a relatively low snow cover. Isthe cause for this the same in both regions? 1.There’s more movement in the flow of water in the river > a mechanicalimpediment to forming ice and run off in the spring increases flow to allowbreak up of ice2.Continuous snow in the arctic; where as in the prairies have a rain shadowdue to the Orographic effect of the Rockies. Both areas however have lowvegetation cover. Arctic has a lower temperature and thus moisture content and precipitation are low but snow lasts longe
Lecture 12: Hydrologic Cycle 1.During a storm event, how does interflow differ from overland flow?2.What is the difference between a 100-year flood and a 500-year flood? 1.Interflow is the flow of water just below the surface from percolation and theoverland is the rain travelling on the surface. Interflow moves slower thanoverland. When at paved areas no interflow.2.A probability, based on historical records of discharge > the likelihood that ariver will peak. Lecture 13: Water Balance 1.What effect does a large ST have on a location as compared with anotherlocation that has the same P and PE totals but a lower ST?2.How do impervious surfaces such as parking lots impact the water balanceterms?
1.There will be different vegetation and more loss of water at the lower ST location2.They prevent percolation and there is less potential for recharge of soilstorage so the importance of ST will be reduced. Lecture 14: Winds and Pressure 1.Pilots often use the expression “high to low, look out below”. In terms of upper-level temperature and pressure, explain what this can mean.2.The pilot of a small plane wants to fly at constant height about the ground.Can the pilot fly at a constant pressure level (e.g. 500mb) to achieve this?Why or why not? 1.With the change in temp from high to low pressure ....???2.It depends on the travel distance. Pressure altitude changes over distance particularly as latitude increases. Lecture 15: Major Wind Systems 1.Why are surface winds that blow over the ocean closer to being geostrophicthan those that blow over land?2.Why is that, on the equator, winds may blow either counterclockwise orclockwise with respect to an area of low pressure? 1.Geostrophic is perpendicular to isobar > PGF = CF and because you don’t have FF over the oceans 2. Because CF is negligible FROM ELM: The wind direction of a low pressure areawill be anticlockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in theSouthern Hemisphere which is caused by the coriolis effect. The equator onthe other hand, the coriolis force is absent (meaning its zero). And sincethere is no deflecting force, the wind can blow either clockwise or counter clockwise around an area of low pressure, depending upon how the flowinitially responds to the pressure gradient force. Lecture 16: Atmospheric Circulation
1.Which of the belts depicted in the three-cell model is likely to exhibit thegreatest temperature gradients2.What effect would continents have on the circulation of air in the one-cellmodel? 1.?2.It creates a differential leading between land and ocean, creates a frictionalsurface and creates obstacles (like mountains) Lecture 17: Oceanic Circulation
1.Why do ocean water surface temp patterns change slowly when compared toatmospheric patterns?2.CF deflects moving water to the right in the NH and the left in SH. Why doesupwelling tend to occur along the western margins 1.Due to the differences in heat capacity between water and air 2.LUC: “ Look at the wind patterns of subtropical high pressure belts…” FROMELM: Refer to figure 8.2 as you read the description of surface currents in theworld's major oceans. In the Northern Hemisphere the water under thewesterlies moves 45° to the right of the westerlies, away from an ocean'swestern shore or boundary, and along the 40°-50°N latitudes until it reachesits eastern shore or boundary. The water under the trade winds moves 45° tothe right of the trades, away from an ocean's eastern boundary, and alongthe 10°-20° latitudes until it reaches its western boundary. When NorthernHemisphere water moving with the trade winds accumulates at the land boundary on the west side of an ocean, the water flows north to the latitudeof the westerlies, and then eastward across the ocean. Water accumulatingat the land boundary on the east side of a northern ocean flows south toward the region from which the water moves westward under the trade winds. InSouthern Hemisphere oceans the east-west currents are deflected 45° to theleft of the trade winds and the westerlies. Water accumulating on the easternside of a Southern Hemisphere ocean moves north, and water on the westernside of a southern ocean moves south. In each hemisphere this producescontinuous flow and a series of interconnecting surface currents moving in acircular path centered on 30° latitude. The rotation is clockwise in theNorthern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.These circular-motion current systems are known as gyres. In the moresouthern latitudes there is no land between the Atlantic, Pacific, and IndianOceans; here the surface currents, driven by the westerlies, continue around the earth in a circumpolar flow around Antarctica. (Chapter 8.1 from http://210.34.8.4/course/hykxdl/textbook/chap8.html) Lecture 18: Air Masses and Fronts 1.Continental air polar air masses can migrate into Florida during the winter butnot into northern India. Why not?2.Warm fronts are extremely rare over southern California. Why? 1.Source regions: northern India is bounded by the Himalayas and is inland. 2.
You need a warm and a cold air mass to produce a warm front. Cold air masses rarely occur around southern California.
Lecture 19: Midlatitude Storms 1.Why can’t systems similar to midlatitude cyclones develop over the tropics?2.Are Rossby waves likely to have greater representation in the SH or NH, why?1.There is minimal CF at the equator. Also occlusion fronts are needed (needwarm and cold front and there aren’t any cold fronts over the equator)2.They have a greater representation in the NH because it is covered by moreland and thus mountains and also a larger PGF Lecture 20: Thunderstorms and Tornadoes 1.Why is the incidence of thunderstorms much lower near the Pacific coast thanat the Atlantic Coast.? 1.Less convection by pacific coast. Mid latitude process requires a moisturedifference. Less frequency of cold fronts at the pacific coast > less occluded fronts Lecture 21: Hurricanes 1.If two hurricanes pass just to the west of Cuba over a 2-week period, whatreasons might one have for expecting the second one to be weaker than thefirst one? 1.Less latent heat (in the air) to drive the second hurricane. Also the first hurricane cools the surface water as it goes through so less latent heat (inthe water). Lecture 22: Global Climate 1.Why is there a contrast in climate types on either side of the RockyMountains, but not on either side of the Appalachian Mountains? 1.The Appalachian Mountains don’t have significant height to cause a contrast in climate. (Minimal Orographic effect) Lecture 23: Climates of the World 1.Caribou migrate of 1000km between their summering and wintering ranges.Given that the picture below was taken in November, in which direction arethey headed? What does the distance they travel tell you about the seasonshifts over the tundra
