Meteorology

For Airborne
Scientists: SARP 2015
Nick Heath
SARP Mission Meteorologist
Florida State University

SARP 2011: Whole Air Group

Thats Dr. Fuelberg!

Thats me!

???

SARP Life Lesson #3: Dont disappoint Don

But if/when you mess up, learn from it do
better next time!

SARP 2011: Whole Air Group

Thats Dr. Fuelberg!

Thats me!

???

Why is
meteorology
important to
airborne science?

SEAC4RS 2013

DC-8 Forward Camera

What I hope you learn from these

lectures:
1

The basics of meteorology

MET concepts specific to SARP

A few project ideas along the way

The basics of meteorology

Layers of the atmosphere

~100 km (62 mi)

Atmos/space boundary

John Wayne to SARP: ~90 miles or 1.5

atmospheres!

Pressure weighs the air

above us

3
101

a
P
h
25

Pressure weighs the air

above us
Pressure = Force = Mass * Gravity
Area
Area

Commonly used units

Pascal = 1 N m-2
1 hectoPascal (hPa) = 1 millibar
(mb)

What causes the

wind to blow?

I cant change the direction of the

wind, but I can adjust my sails to
always reach my destination
Jimmy Dean
Planned Flight Track
M2
M5

WP1
M4

Actual Flight Track

M3

M6

WP2

WP3

M1

KEFD

DC8 817: SEAC4RS_130902_s10_dc8 v. 1c

What causes the

wind to blow?

Forces cause the wind to blow

Pressure Gradient
Force (PGF):
Air moves from high
to low pressure

Forces cause the wind to blow

Pressure Gradient
Force (PGF):
Air moves from high
to low pressure

Coriolis Force

http://www.s-cool.co.uk/a-level/geography/introduction-to-weather-andclimate/revise-it/atmospheric-circulation-and-motion

Proportional to the speed of the wind

Turns wind to right in N. Hem
Turns wind to left in S. Hem

PGF
Coriolis

Geostrophic Wind: Balance of the PGF and

the Coriolis force

Flow Around Highs and Lows: Include

Centripetal Acceleration Gradient Wind

http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/7n.html

How does this look on a weather map?

500 hPa Chart 18,000 ft or 5.5 km

Height Contours Replace Isobars

Things change at the surface:

New balance of forces!

Surface Map
Isobars = Lines of constant pressure

Hurricane Blanca

What weve discussed so far:

Pressure is the weight of the air above us
Pressure gradient force causes wind to blow
Coriolis force modifies wind direction: right in
N. Hem. and left in S. Hem.
Geostrophic Wind: Balance of PGF and
Coriolis
Friction modifies speed and direction near
the surface

Any questions so far?

Energy in our atmosphere

Thermodynamics and local thermally-driven circulations

X
Do not exchange energy or mass with environment

Parcels

Dry Adiabatic Processes

1st Law of Thermodynamics: dh = cp*dT *dp
Adiabatic: change of state without exchange of
energy or mass with environment dh = 0
Example: Parcel expands, does work, and T get
cooler

Lapse Rate (d): rate at which a rising parcel cools

Do some magic, and solve for dT/dz:
dT/dz = -g/cp = 9.8 C/km = dry adiabatic lapse rate

Rising air cools, sinking air warms

A parcel warmer than its environment is buoyant

and rises
A parcel cooler than its environment sinks

Stability: Classic Picture

unstable

stable

neutral

Hydrostatic Stability
Displace parcel upward (could go downward)
Will displacement be
Suppressed = Stable
Parcel cooler than environment
Enhanced = Unstable
Parcel warmer than environment
Neither = Neutral
Parcel moves only to where pushed

Putting it all together for SARP

Mountain/Valley Breezes
Sea/Land Breeze Circulations

LA Basin
Pacific
Ocean

Daytime: Valley Breeze

Night: Mountain Breeze

Lake Tahoe

Stability affects flow over mountains

http://www.firemodels.org/downloads/behaveplus/publications/FireWeather/
pms_425_Fire_Wx_ch_04.pdf

Yesterday Afternoon

Sea Breeze:
Thermally Direct Circulation

Land Breeze:
Thermally Direct Circulation

*Selected for AGU*

CMAQ O3 forecast
Saturday, 13 June 2015

Sea breeze helps export LA Basin pollution

Summary of thermodynamics
Parcel is blob of air that does not exchange
mass or energy with environment
Rising air expands and cools
Sinking air compresses and warms
Local, thermally-driven circulations important
to pollution transport

Thanks for listening!