Meteorology: Weather vs. Climate

Meteorology

• Weather vs. Climate:
  • Weather: Short-term atmospheric conditions (temperature, humidity, precipitation)
  • Climate: Long-term average of weather patterns over time (usually 30 years).
• Imbalances in Heating:
  • Uneven heating of Earth's surface causing temperature and pressure differences.
  • These differences lead to wind and weather patterns.
• Air Masses:
  • Large bodies of air acquire characteristics of temperature and humidity from source regions.
  • Types: Maritime Tropical (mT) - warm and humid, Continental Tropical (cT) - warm and dry, Maritime Polar (mP) - cool and humid, Continental Polar (cP) - cold and dry, Continental Arctic (cA) - very cold and dry.
• Weather Systems:
  • Major Wind Systems: Trade Winds (east to west near the equator), Westerlies (west to east in mid-latitudes), Polar Easterlies (east to west near the poles).
  • Fronts: Cold Front (cold air displaces warm air, thunderstorms), Warm Front (warm air displaces cold air, steady rain), Stationary Front (two air masses meet without movement, prolonged precipitation), Occluded Front (cold front overtakes warm front, lifting warm air).
  • Pressure Systems: High-Pressure Systems (air sinks, clear, calm weather), Low-Pressure Systems (air rises, cloud formation and precipitation).
• Gathering Weather Data:
  • Accurate data is crucial for forecasts, disaster preparedness, and climate studies.
  • Instruments: Thermometers (temperature), Barometers (atmospheric pressure), Hygrometers (humidity), Anemometers (wind speed), Rain Gauges (precipitation), Weather Radar (precipitation detection), Satellites (comprehensive data on cloud cover, temperature, and atmospheric conditions).

Weather Analysis & Prediction

• Surface Weather Chart: Displays temperature, pressure, wind, and precipitation patterns.
• Forecasting Methods:
  • Digital Forecasting: Uses computer models to predict weather.
  • Analog Forecasting: Compares current weather patterns to historical data.
• Long-term Forecast Challenges: Complexity of atmospheric processes, limited data, and model inaccuracies.

Climate

• Climate Variation Factors: Latitude, altitude, proximity to water, ocean currents, and topography.
• Temperature Variations: Higher temperatures near the equator, lower temperatures near the poles, and variations with altitude and ocean currents.
• Climate Classification: Criteria for classifying climates (based on temperature, precipitation, and seasonal patterns) divides climates into tropical, dry, temperate, continental, and polar.
• Microclimates: Localized climate that differs from the surrounding region, often influenced by geographic features.
• Climate Changes: Long-term changes (ice ages) and short-term changes (El Niño). Natural causes (volcanic eruptions, solar radiation variations, natural greenhouse gas fluctuations) and human activities (deforestation, fossil fuel combustion, industrial processes).

Climate Change

• Greenhouse effect: Natural process where certain gases trap heat in the atmosphere, warming Earth.
• Global Warming: Increase in Earth's average temperature due to human activities (burning fossil fuels, deforestation).
• Human Impact on Climate: Human activities (emission of greenhouse gases, deforestation, and urbanization) contribute to climate change.

Additional Topics (from pages)

• Plate Tectonics: Evidence for continental drift (fit of continents, fossil distribution, rock formations, geological similarities), evidence of ancient climates (glacial deposits, coal deposits), rejection of continental drift (lack of plausible mechanism for movement).
• Volcanism: Plate tectonics and volcano formation (at convergent and divergent plate boundaries and hotspots), Zones of Volcanism (e.g., Ring of Fire, Mid-Atlantic Ridge), Parts of a Volcano (Magma chamber, vent, crater, and cone), Volcanic Landforms (Shield Volcanoes, Composite Volcanoes, Cinder Cone Volcanoes), Eruptions (Magma types, pressure and gases, ejected materials), Intrusive Activities (Magma solidification, Types of Intrusive Rock Bodies, Exposure of Intrusive Rocks).