The Global Atmosphere

By the end of the session

You should be able to answer these questions:

What is the atmosphere made of?
Why does the earth have seasons?
Why different parts of the earth heat up more
than others?
How does the air circulate on a global scale?
Why is the Sahara Desert situated where it is?
 The Global Atmosphere
A gaseous envelope retained by gravitational
attraction

Very thin - 99% of mass within 30km of surface

Composed of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen

Divide into layers

 Infrequent collisions
Particles can escape
600 - 800
km

No Turbulence
Light gases rise

100 km

Well mixed by turbulence

 Exosphere
600 - 800
km

Heterosphere

100 km Turbopause
Homosphere
 Ht(Km)
100
Aurora Thermosphere
90
80 Mesopause
70
60 Noctilucent clouds Mesosphere
50 Stratopause
40
Nacreous clouds
30 Stratosphere
20
10 Tropopause
Troposphere
160 180 200 220 240 260 280 300
Temperature(K)
 Tropical Tropopause: High and cold
16-18 km

Temperate Tropopause
10-14 km

Polar Tropopause: Low and warm

6-8 km

-60 -40 -20 0 20 40

Temperature(C)
 Global Circulation

Why do we have global circulation?

 Global Circulation

Why do we have global circulation?

Differential
heating of the
Earth ...

caused by?
 Global temperature variations
NORTHERN NORTHERN
HEMISPHERE HEMISPHERE
SUMMER WINTER

N N

THE SUNS
ENERGY

S S

EARTHS ORBIT AROUND THE SUN

 Amount of heat per unit area

N
Solar energy
B

Equa
tor
A
Solar energy

The Suns energy is more concentrated per unit

area at A than it is at B
 Interaction with atmosphere

Air A

B
Earth

The distance A is greater than the distance B

Reflectivity of Earths surface
 When water changes state

Water vapour, 0 - 4% of the atmosphere

Why is it important?
Water is constantly changing state in the
atmosphere.
To change state it takes energy in (solid to
liquid to gas) or gives energy out (gas to
liquid to solid).
This is LATENT HEAT (hidden heat)
 The Earths energy balance
Annual Balance point around 37 Latitude
Radiation

Emitted
Absorbed

Pole Tropics Equator

 What if.
...there was no circulation?
Air circulation in a non-rotating earth

Warm air rises at

the equator and
moves towards
the poles where
it sinks. The
Equator
colder air moves
back towards the
equator to
replace the warm
air.
Three cell circulation model

Polar Cell

Ferrel cell

60
William Ferrel (1856)
Hadley
Cell
George Hadley 30
(1686-1768)
Three cell circulation model

Polar Cell

Ferrel cell

60
Hadley
Cell
30
Global semi-permanent pressure
systems
Polar Cell

High pressure Ferrel cell

Low pressure

Hadley
High pressure Cell

Low pressure
Prevailing surface wind flows?

60

30
The Coriolis force

Click on image to play

Earths angular velocity

The Earth rotates through

360 in 24 hours
Earths angular velocity is
7.27x10-5 s-1
 At the equator ...

Radius of rotation is 6370km

Distance travelled in one day
40000km
6370k Tangential velocity 460ms-1
m

v=46
0 ms -1
 At 30N ...

Radius of rotation is 5520km

Distance travelled 35000km
5520k
m
Tangential velocity of 400ms-1

v=40
0 ms -1
The Coriolis force
Parcel on equator is moving
east at 460ms-1 due to spin of
Earth

Parcel moves north

At 30N parcels are moving at
400ms-1

Parcel appears to be deflected

to the RIGHT OF ITS MOTION
By 30 north or south the wind
is westerly
Prevailing surface wind flows?

60

30
Prevailing surface wind flows

60

30
Prevailing surface wind flows

60
westerlies

30
NE trade winds
The ITCZ

60

30
The polar front

60

30
Upper air flow: jet streams

Polar Front Jet

Sub-
60 tropical
jet

30

Tropical or equatorial
easterly jet
 Climate Zones
Latitude Planetary-scale Pressure and Winds
system Weather
90-70N Polar anticyclones High-Cold, dry Polar northeasterlies
70-40N Subpolar cyclones Low-Change-able, Westerlies
wet
40-20N Subtropical High-Dry Northeast trades
anticyclones
20-0 Inter tropical Low-Hot, showery None
convergence zone
(ITCZ)
20-40S Subtropical High-Dry Southeast trades
anticyclones
40-70S Subpolar cyclones Low-Change-able, Westerlies
wet
70-90S Polar anticyclones High-Cold, dry Polar southeasterlies
 A simple world rainfall model

60N

30N

0
30S

30S
 A simple world rainfall model

60N

30N

0
30S

30S
Todays forecast: Showers and thunderstorms
 A simple world rainfall model

60N

30N

0
30S

30S
Annual forecast: 9 months dry 3 months wet
 A simple world rainfall model

60N

30N

0
30S

30S
Daily forecast: Dry, hot and sunny
 A simple world rainfall model

60N

30N

0
30S

30S
Wine growers forecast: Sunny summers, wet winter
 A simple world rainfall model

60N

30N

0
30S

30S
Todays forecast: Changeable!!
 A simple world rainfall model

60N

30N

0
30S

30S
Todays forecast: Rather cold, usually dry
 By the end of the session

You should be able to answer these questions:

What is the atmosphere made of?
Why does the earth have seasons?
Why different parts of the earth heat up more
than others?
How does the air circulate on a global scale?
Why is the Sahara Desert situated where it is?
Any questions?