Review Outline for Exam #1

1. Introductory material

n Basic difference between weather and climate

n Life essential and non-life essential functions of the atmosphere

n Composition of the atmosphere

n Major components

n Important trace gases (and why important)

n Physically what is the meaning of temperature, pressure, and number density for a gas?

2. Vertical structure of the atmosphere

n Temperature (how and why it changes with altitude in the troposphere)

n Lowest three layers of the atmosphere based on temperature

n Number density (how and why it changes with altitude)

n Pressure (how and why it changes with altitude)

3. Effects of pressure and number density changes on human bodies

n Why is it difficult to breathe at high altitudes?

n Why do ears pop?

4. Kinetic model for gases and Ideal Gas Law

n Relationship between pressure, number density, and temperature of a gas

n Simple applications of the gas law

5. Weather maps, horizontal winds, cyclogenesis

n What is the main factor regulating wind speed?

n Basically what is the reason for the Coriolis force? What effect does it have on large-scale winds? Does it affect small-scale motions?

n Surface maps

n What is plotted on surface weather charts?

n Station pressure vs. sea level pressure

n Circulation of winds near surface high and low pressure areas

n Air masses, weather fronts, lifting of air near weather fronts

n Upper-air maps (mainly 500 mb maps)

n What is plotted on upper-air weather charts?

n Wind direction and relative speed based on pattern of height contours

n How are contour values plotted on upper-air maps related to the average air temperature in a vertical column?

n What are longwaves? Longwave pattern of troughs and ridges and expected weather conditions based on the pattern (Homework #2)

n 500 mb weather terminology

n Polar jet stream

n What is it? Where does it occur and why?

n Rising, sinking air motion

n What are divergence and convergence?

n Divergence and convergence near surface high and low pressure areas, and how it relates to rising, sinking motion

n Divergence and convergence in upper troposphere based on the 500 mb pattern, and how it relates to rising sinking motion

n Conditions under which surface low pressure areas intensify

6. Water

n Phases and phase changes

n Energy involved in phase changes and effect on the surrounding environment (particularly condensation and evaporation)

n Water vapor content of the air (Homework #3 calculations)

n What is meant by saturation?

n Saturation mixing ratio and dependence on temperature

n Relative humidity

n How do temperature changes affect relative humidity?

n Relationship to the net rate of evaporation

n Dewpoint temperature and explanation for dew and frost

7. Mechanisms of energy transfer (excluding radiation)

n Conduction

n Solids and liquids compared with gases

n What is meant by heat conductivity of a substance?

n How does heat conductivity affect our perception of whether an object feels warm or cold?

n Convection

n Dry convection

n Moist convection

8. Thermoregulation of the human body

n Body's responses to cold conditions

n Body's responses to hot conditions

n Hyperthermia and hypothermia definitions and how to help someone suffering from these conditions

n How do wind and relative humidity factor into the rate of heat loss from the human body? (Homework #3)

n Wind-chill equivalent temperature

n Heat index or apparent temperature index