Solar
energy as radiation is nearly 150 million kilometers separate the sun and earth
and it drives earth’s weather. Earth’s atmosphere is 99% atmospheric gases,
including water vapor, extend only 30 kilometers (km) above earth’s surface. Atmosphere
gases include nitrogen, oxygen, argon, water vapor, and carbon dioxide are
invisible. Variable and increasing gases; nitrogen and oxygen concentrations
experience little change but carbon dioxide methane and oxides of nitrogen are
greenhouse gases experiencing increasing in concentrations C02 have raised more
than 18%. Atmospheric Greenhouse affects the warming of the atmosphere by
absorbing and emitting infrared radiation and allowing shortwave infrared
radiation to pass through. The main gases responsible for the greenhouse effect
are water vapor and carbon dioxide. Aerosols are human and natural activities
displace tiny soil salt and ash particles as suspended aerosols. Pollution are
sulfur and nitrogen oxides, and hydrocarbons are emitted as pollution. Lapse
rate is the rate at which air temperature decreases with height. In average
lapse rate in the lower atmosphere is about 6.5 degrees (*) per 1 km or 3.6 *f
per 1000ft. Urban heat island effect occurs when a metropolitan area is warmer
than the surrounding rural areas. UHI effect is caused primarily by
modification of land surfaces in developments that use materials that retain
heat. The cloud triangle: Clouds can be defined by: Their shape & form: The
cloud base altitude: If they are precipitating. Air pressure: Warm air-expanding
or rising: Air-leaves behind L pressure: Cold air-sinking air=leaves an H
pressure. Wind movement uneven heat of the earth’s surface causes some areas to
be warmer than others. Warm always
follows cold to share its warmth- when this happens in the atmosphere, wind
happens. Pressure, wind and weather, the winds are horizontal flows of air;
winds blow from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure. Pressure
describes the tendency of the air to rise or to sink at any given place or
time. Humidity measure of the amount of water vapor stuck between molecules in
the air and the airs ability to hold water depends on the air temperature. Relative
humidity amount of water vapor (%) compared to the amount the air can hold and 100%=
air is saturated.
