Introduction to meteorology: UIUC Web site

For this homework assignment, use the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Atmospheric Sciences web page and your textbook.

Atmospheric pressure

  1. What instrument is used to measure atmospheric pressure?
  2. What is the preferred (by meteorologists) unit of measure of pressure?
  3. Under standard conditions at sea level, how much force does the atmosphere exert?

Pressure Gradient Force

  1. What is responsible for triggering the initial movement of air?

Coriolis Force

  1. What is responsible for the Coriolis force?
  2. In what direction is moving air deflected by the Coriolis force in the Northern Hemisphere?
  3. In what direction is it deflected in the Southern Hemisphere?
  4. Is the Coriolis force uniform at all latitudes? Explain.

Sea Breezes

  1. When do sea breezes occur, night or day?
  2. Briefly explain what causes sea breezes.

Land Breezes

  1. When do land breezes occur, night or day?
  2. Briefly explain what causes land breezes.

Air Masses and Fronts

Air Masses

  1. What is a good working definition of an air mass?
  2. Where do continental polar air masses, that affect us, originate?

Cold Front

  1. How is a cold front defined? How is it symbolized on meteorological charts?
  2. Which is more dense, cold air or warm air?
  3. Which is drier, warm air or cold air?

Warm Front

  1. How is a warm front defined? How is it symbolized?
  2. From what direction do warm fronts usually approach us?
  3. What kinds of clouds and weather changes are usually associated with the passing of (a) a warm front? (b) a cold front?

Stationary Front

  1. What is a stationary front, and how is it symbolized?

Hydrologic Cycle

  1. What percentages of the earth’s total water are found in the oceans, the land masses, and the air, respectively?
  2. How much water falls as precipitation in one year compared to the amount of water that is contained within the atmosphere at any given time?

Go through all parts of the section on hydrologic cycle. Be particularly familiar with the summary of the hydrologic cycle.

  1. What is the distinction between "transpiration" and "evaporation"?

Clouds and Precipitation

  1. Where do most warm, moist air mass that affect us originate?
  2. What is a cyclone?

Cloud Types

  1. What is a cloud? What two basic mechanisms are responsible for the formation of vertically developed clouds?
  2. Huge amounts of energy are released in clouds with vertical development. What is the immediate source of that energy?

Mid-latitude Cyclones

  1. In North America, in what direction (clockwise or counterclockwise) does air circulate around a center of low pressure? Relate your answer to the Coriolis effect.
  2. What does "convergence" mean in atmospheric science?
  3. Describe the wind direction. Pressure, and weather conditions that are usually associated with (a) low-pressure centers and (b) high-pressure centers?
  4. Identify the four major factors that influence the climate of a region and explain how each does its influencing.

Greenhouse Effect and Ozone Layer

 

33. Please distinguish between the greenhouse effect and the ozone layer. Why is each important to the health of the planet?