Lecture Notes for Chapter 9 - The Atmosphere in Motion: Air Pressure, Forces, and Winds - Survey of Meteorology at Lyndon State College



Chapter 9 - The Atmosphere in Motion: Air
Pressure, Forces, and Winds
 
       
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Index of Lecture Notes

introduction - what generates wind?
horizontal versus vertical pressure changes
pressure defined (again)
ideal gas law
pressure changes due to changes in density
pressure changes at the surface due to temperature changes in columns
of air
pressure changes aloft due to temperature changes in columns of
air

the resultant air movement
how to measure pressure- barometer

aneroid barometer
altimeter and barographs
measuring pressure at the surface - mean sea level pressure
chart
error due to changing elevation
reducing pressure to sea level
representing pressure aloft - tropopause height variation with
latitude
pressure variation on a constant height surface

example of a 5 km MSL chart
isobaric charts

example of a 500 mb chart
approximate heights of the common isobaric charts
troughs and ridges on isobaric charts
relationship between ridges/troughs aloft and surface
highs/lows
what generates wind - Newton's Second Law
forces defined
the pressure gradient

large and small pressure gradients
the pressure gradient force

pressure gradient force around lows and highs
example of determination of the pressure gradient force on a surface
chart
pressure gradient force and winds aloft - N-S pressure
gradient
introduction to the coriolis force
introduction
to the coriolis force, cont

parcel aloft initially at rest
parcel position at a later time
parcel position at an even later time
final parcel position and movement due to balance of pressure
gradient force and coriolis force
force balance and definition of geostrophic flow
geostrophic winds - introduction
strength of the geostrophic winds
strength of the geostrophic winds, continued
introduction to gradient flow

the centrifugal force
force balance with gradient flow
effect of friction on winds
difference in flow at surface and aloft
frictional effect on winds near surface highs and lows

associated weather near highs and lows
measuring winds
wind direction
Review Questions
CH 9 HOMEWORK:  NOTES
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