Atmospheric temperature

Review of last lecture

Earths energy balance at the top of the

atmosphere and at the surface. What percentage of
solar energy is absorbed by the surface?
Atmospheric influences on radiation (3 ways)
What cause the greenhouse effect? What are the
major greenhouse gases? Why is methane
important?
The three types of atmospheric scattering. What
causes the blue sky? Why causes the reddishorange sunsets?
Sensible heat flux (dry flux from warm to cold
regions) and latent heat flux (wet flux from wet to
dry regions). Both proportional to surface wind
speed

Atmospheric Thickness

No defined top to the atmosphere

The atmosphere is very shallowand is
less than 2% of the Earths thickness

Over 90% of
atmosphere in
the lowest 16km
& is where nearly
all weather occurs

Temperature Basics

Temperature measure of average kinetic energy

(motion) of individual molecules in matter
Three temperature scales (units): Kelvin (K), Celsius (C),
Fahrenheit (F)
All scales are relative
degrees F = 95 degrees C + 32
degrees K = degrees C + 273.15

Temperature Layers
Due to Solar
winds,
Cosmic rays

Due to
ozone
absorption
of sunlight

Decreasing
rate w/
height
(Lapse
rate):
6.5 oC/km

Due to
surface
heating
(Longwave,
Latent heat,
Sensible heat)

Sub-layers in troposphere

Definition of the boundary layer: "that part of the

troposphere that is directly influenced by the presence of
the earth's surface and responds to surface forcings (friction
and heating) with a time scale of about an hour or less.
About 1 km deep. Often associated with turbulence.

Space shuttle Endeavour straddles

mesosphere and stratosphere

An artists view

Video
Weather: Wind

Horizontal distribution of
temperature

Isotherms maps, connect lines of equal temperature

Seasonal variation of surface air

temperature

Principal Controls on Temperature

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Latitudinal variations in net radiation

Land-Water Contrasts
Atmospheric Circulation
Ocean Currents
Altitude
Local Effects

Controls on temperature
1. Latitudinal Variations in Net Radiation
tropic-to-tropic energy surplus
poles energy deficits
~ 38o N/S balance
imbalance of net radiation at surface
Equator/Tropics vs. high latitudes
drives global circulation
agents: wind, ocean currents,
weather systems

Daily/Seasonal Radiation
Patterns
insolation peak vs. temperature
daily lag
seasonal lag
Lag is function of type of surface, wetness, wind, etc

Seasonal variation of surface

radiation

Seasonal variation of surface energy

budget

Storage change = net radiation - latent heat

flux - sensible heat flux

Seasonal
Temp
Distributio
T decreases poleward
ns T gradient in winter
larger

isotherms shift seasonally

NH steeper T gradient
T over land > water in summer

Controls on temperature
2. Land-water contrasts
Surface influences heating:
Heat Capacity water > land (water takes longer heat/cool)
Mixing fluids can be physically mixed
Transparency greater penetration (distributed over greater volume)
Evaporation consumes large amount of energy big over water

Temperature Ranges (Summer minus Winter)

Large over land, small over ocean

Controls on temperature
3. Atmospheric circulation
large scale circulation patterns resulted from pressure differences (gradients)
generates winds move warm/cold air around affects temperature
influences cloud cover

Controls on temperature
4. Ocean currents

Infrared Satellite image of the Gulf Stream

Red/orange = 25-29oC
Yellow/green = 17-24oC
Blue = 10-16oC
Purple = 2-9oC

Controls on temperature
5. Altitude
Temperature decreases with increasing altitude
ground acts as heat source

Controls on temperature
6. Local effects

slope orientation: North vs Southfacing slopes temperature/moisture

regimes vegetation
forested vs
open fields

Summary

Thickness of the atmosphere: less than 2% of Earths

thickness
Definition of temperature. 3 units.
Vertical distribution of temperature: 4 layers, what
separate them?
Horizontal distribution of temperature. 6 factors.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Latitudinal variations in net radiation

Land-Water Contrasts
Atmospheric Circulation
Ocean Currents
Altitude
Local Effects