NATS 101 Final Exam
Study Outline
Final Exam: Sect.
43
(MWF class): Wed., May 10, 2 pm - 4 pm, ILC 140
Sect. 48 (T Th class): Thu., May 11, 8 am - 10 am, ILC 150
Reviews:
Tue., May 9, 2 pm - 4 pm, EDUC 353
Wed., May 10, 11 am - 1 pm, FCS 101
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 air). Concern over changing CO2
concentration.
Air Pollution: Carbon monoxide
(CO) - incomplete combustion, early morning and wintertime pollutant.
Surface inversion layer. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) - London type smog, acid
rain. Tropospheric ozone - key component of photochemical smog or Los
Angeles type smog, summertime pollutant.
Stratospheric ozone: natural
production and destruction, CFCs, ozone hole.
Layers in the atmosphere:
troposphere, tropopause, and stratosphere. Temperature inversion
(stable air layer). Ozone layer.
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 reading and units. Air pressure and air density
(mass/volume) both decrease with increasing altitude.
Ideal gas law: How are P, N, V,
T, and density related? temperature and density usually change in a way
that keeps pressure constant.
Surface weather maps: Station
model notation, average and range of sea level pressure values, isobars
and isotherms, winds around highs and lows. Symbols used for cold,
warm, stationary, and occluded fronts. Cyclones and anticyclones,
convergence and divergence, rising and sinking air, pressure gradient
and wind speed.
Upper level maps: ridges and
troughs (warm and cold air below), height contours. Pressure decreases
rapidly with altitude in cold air, more slowly in warm air.
Energy and temperature:
temperature is a measure of average kinetic energy. Temperature scales.
Energy transport: conduction,
convection, latent heat (names of various phase changes, is energy
absorbed or given off). Vertical forces on air parcels, free
convection.
Controls of temperature: effects of latitude, land/ocean,
altitude on annual mean and range. Hottest and coldest locations
on earth.
Electromagnetic radiation:
static electricity and electric fields, wavelength, frequency, and
energy.
Electromagnetic spectrum -
UV, visible, and IR light.
Rules governing the emission
(kind and
amount) of radiation.
Radiative equilibrium: on 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.
Seasons: dates and orientation
of earth on the solstices and equinoxes. Factors affecting the arrival
of sunlight energy at the ground.
Humidity: saturation, humidity
variables - mixing ratio, saturation mixing ratio, relative humidity
and dew point temperature. Dew and frost. Cloud condensation nuclei
Cloud identification and classification:
ten cloud types, key words.
Formation of precipitation:
collision coalescence process and ice crystal process.
Types of precipitation: rain,
drizzle, snow, graupel, hail, sleet, freezing rain, virga.
Newton's 1st and 2nd laws of motion.
Forces that determine surface and
upper level winds: PGF, Coriolis force, friction. Rules for
direction and strength.
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.
Thermal circulations:
small-scale, land and sea breezes.
Global scale pressure and winds:
surface features in the 3-cell model.
Thunderstorms: air mass
(3-stage life cycle) and severe (tilted updraft). Gust front, shelf
cloud, mammatus cloud, wind shear, microburst, anvil cloud.
Tornadoes: general
characteristics, life cycle, Fujita scale. Mesocyclone and wall cloud,
hook echo on radar.
Lightning: thunderstorm charge
structure, intracloud and cloud-to-ground lightning (stepped leader,
return stroke, multiple strokes), lightning safety, distance to a
lightning strike.
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. Naming hurricanes.
Note:
The final exam usually consists of around 53 multiple choice, word
choice, fill-in-the-blank style questions (like those on this
semester's quizzes). The final will include:
10 questions from this semester's quizzes (4 quizzes + practice quiz)
10 questions from the Spring 1999 final exam (free copies available)
5 questions about hurricanes
5 questions from the material
covered on the last day of class
5 or 6 "essay style" questions
(you choose and answer 3)