There are three ways the sun's heat and energy are transferred throughout the atmosphere: radiation, conduction and convection. The sun's radiation heats the surface of the earth and the resulting heat is transferred to the atmosphere primarily by convection. Conduction is a minor contributor to the overall process since the transfer of heat via the air is a slow, inefficient process. Convection is the vertical process that carries warm air up from the ground to be replaced by cooler air, which in turn is warmed, and cycles upward again. On a global scale, convection is responsible for the atmospheric circulation which redistributes heat from the warm equatorial regions to the poles. The Coriolis effect, the apparent curvature of winds and ocean currents due to the earth's rotation, causes the atmospheric circulation to be divided into three convective zones per hemisphere: Hadley cells (tropical), Ferrell cell (temperate) and the Polar cell (UXL Encyclopedia of Weather and Natural Disasters). These convection cells along with horizontal advection are responsible for global wind patterns. On a smaller, local scale, convection currents are linked to the development of deep convective clouds and local storm systems. Because precipitation is central to the earth's energy balance, circulation, and water cycle, atmospheric scientists have focused their efforts on understanding how pollution effects the development and intensity of convection currents, cloud cover, precipitation, and thunderstorms.
The development of cumulonimbus or thunderhead clouds is an example of a convective cell. In order for a thunderstorm to develop, the sun warms the earth's surface which likewise warms the air above it. As the air rises it is transf...
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...fication of rain from the tropics to the mid-latitudes." Nature Geoscience, (2012): Print.
Li, Zhanqing, Feng Niu, Jiwen Fan, Yangang Liu, Daniel Rosenfeld and Yanni Ding. "Long-term impacts of aerosols on the vertical development of clouds and precipitation." Nature Geoscience, 4. 12 (2011): 888--894. Print.
Morrison, H. and Grabowski, W. 2011. Cloud-system resolving model simulations of aerosol indirect effects on tropical deep convection and its thermodynamic environment. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 11 (20), pp. 10503--10523.
"Thunderstorms." Weather Almanac. Ed. Richard A. Wood. 11th ed. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2004. [107]-128. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 29 Dec. 2013.
"Weather: An Introduction." UXL Encyclopedia of Weather and Natural Disasters. Vol. 1: Weather Overview. Detroit: UXL, 2008. 1-55. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 29 Dec. 2013.
National Weather Service. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, 5 Jan. 2010. Web. 2 Feb. 2010. .
In this paper, I will discuss what tornadoes are and how they form, what different forms of tornadoes there are, what tornado watches and warning are and give examples of tornadoes in Oklahoma and what destruction they caused, also while providing information about the Doppler radar.
Flugel, Moritz and Ping Chang. "Does the Predictability of ENSO Depend on the Seasonal Cycle?". Journal of Atmospheric Sciences: vol. 55, No. 21, pp. 3230-3243.
May 4 began in much the same way as many other spring days in the Great Plains. Cool, dry air from the north clashed with warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico, creating the sort of unstable atmosphere that is so common to "Tornado Alley." An intense low pressure system moved in and stalled over the area during the morning hours, providing all the ingredients that meteorologists and storm chasing groups expect for severe weather. With an extremely volatile mix of conditions in place, the National Weather Service began to issue watches in anticipation of developing storm activity.
Glickman, Todd S. (ed.) (2000). Glossary of Meteorology (2nd ed.). American Meteorological Society. ISBN 978-1-878220-34-9.
...verage Weather History, Rainfall/ Precipitation, Sunshine." World Weather and Climate Graphs, Average Climate Charts, Guide to Precipitation, Temperatures, Best, Friendly, Holiday Climate. Web. 25 May 2010. .
First is a description of the greenhouse effect. The earth’s atmosphere has four layers, or zones, with each having distinct differences in temperature. The troposphere is the first layer surrounding the earth. Within this layer air is continually circulating and moving heat and moisture around the earth. The troposphere is denser than the other layers due to the fact that gravity keeps the majority of air molecules near the earth. This is about 75 percent of all the atmospheric mass. It is also the warmest layer (Cunningham & Cunningham, ...
NWS Internet Services Team. "Glossary - NOAA's National Weather Service."Glossary - NOAA's National Weather Service. National Weather Service, 25 June 2009. Web. 02 Mar. 2014.
Once upon a time high above the earth, fluffy white clouds drifted through the atmosphere. In the clouds lived a family Droplet of water, round and content with life. For as long as I could remember, I spent my days lying on my back, relaxing and soaking up the sun's warm rays. One day, I took my usual place in the sun but the light didn't seem to be as bright. In fact, as the day went on, it grew darker and darker, loud claps of thunder shook the cloud, and the Droplet felt as if he were getting so heavy he could hardly move. This is called precipitation.
A thunderstorm can produce some soothing sounds as it passes overhead. The light rain tapping at one’s window provides a comforting pattern for resting. The sound of thunder sounds like volleys of cannons being fired repeatedly in the distance. One knows the fire is hard at work by the crackling of the flames. One can hear the whistling wind sweeping the corners of your house repeatedly.
Web. The Web. The Web. March 26, 2014 Ncdc.noaa.gov. Web.
Climate change is evidenced through shifts in the weather patterns such as winds, humidity and temperatures over certain durations. Natural climate changes occur less frequently and they are triggered by factors related to geographical aspects as well as solar radiation. The earth’s movement on the orbit triggers changes in climate, causing some areas to have higher temperatures than usual, while others are significantly cold depending on the position of the earth on the orbit. The heat from the sun causes changes in the stratospheric ozone and it increases the amount of greenhouse gases. Heat from the oceanic crust also contributes to warming as a result of episodic hydrothermal venting (Liao & Sandeberg, 2012).
Tufty, Barbara; 1001 Questions Answered about Hurricanes, Tornadoes, and Other Natural Air Disasters; Dover Publications, Incorporated, August 1987
Global warming is an increase in the earth's temperature due to fossil fuels, industry, and agricultural processes caused by human, natural, and other gas emissions. This results in an increased evacuation of greenhouse gases. “Short-wave solar radiation sinks into the Earth's atmosphere and warms its surface while long-wave infrared radiation emitted by earth's surface is absorbed, and then re-emitted by trace gases.” (2)