Lecture Description
Air is able to hold a limited amount of water vapor, and that amount depends on the temperature of the air. When this saturation vapor pressure is exceeded, liquid water begins to condense and clouds form. There are several different types of clouds, some which rain and others which do not, and each with characteristics specific to it. Vortices are a particular type of cloud phenomenon in which there is a low pressure anomaly in the center of the cloud with rotating air around it, forming funnel clouds as seen in tornados. The low pressure allows liquid water to condense and form the funnel shaped cloud. Haze is another specific type of cloud in which liquid water condenses onto pollution particles in the air.
Course Index
- Introduction to Atmospheres
- Retaining an Atmosphere
- The Perfect Gas Law
- Vertical Structure of the Atmosphere; Residence Time
- Earth Systems Analysis (Tank Experiment)
- Greenhouse Effect, Habitability
- Hydrostatic Balance
- Horizontal Transport
- Water in the Atmosphere I
- Water in the Atmosphere II
- Clouds and Precipitation (Cloud Chamber Experiment)
- Circulation of the Atmosphere (Exam I review)
- Global Climate and the Coriolis Force
- Coriolis Force and Storms
- Convective Storms
- Frontal Cyclones
- Seasons and Climate
- Seasons and Climate Classification
- Ocean Bathymetry and Water Properties
- Ocean Bathymetry and Water Properties
- Ocean Water Density and Atmospheric Forcing
- Ocean Currents
- Ocean Currents and Productivity
- El Niño
- Ice in the Climate System
- Ice and Climate Change
- Isotope Evidence for Climate Change
- Global Warming
- Global Warming II
- Global Warming III
- Climate Sensitivity and Human Population
- The Two Ozone Problems
- The Ozone Layer
- Energy Resources, Renewable Energy
- Renewable Energy
- Review and Overview
- Lab - Quinnipiac River Field Trip
Course Description
This course explores the physical processes that control Earth's atmosphere, ocean, and climate. Quantitative methods for constructing mass and energy budgets. Topics include clouds, rain, severe storms, regional climate, the ozone layer, air pollution, ocean currents and productivity, the seasons, El Niño, the history of Earth's climate, global warming, energy, and water resources.