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Department of Physics, University of Florida

MET 1010: Introduction to Weather

Class Notes 

Instructor: Konstantin Matchev
Office: NPB 2055
Tel: 392 5709   
e-mail: matchev@phys.ufl.edu
Date Lecture Notes Reading Material
Monday 08/25 Lecture 1a,Lecture 1b Introductions & course policies. Demonstration of the class web page. Chapter 1. Origin of the atmosphere. The early atmosphere: three stages of development.
Wednesday 08/27 Lecture 2 Slides on 1pass. Planets of the Solar system. Review of last lecture. Sample quiz questions. Chapter 1. Chemical composition and vertical structure of the atmosphere. Permanent and variable gases. Important gas components: nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor, carbon dioxide, ozone, etc. Mass, weight, density, pressure. Atmospheric pressure.
Friday 08/29 Lecture 3 Finish Chapter 1. Atmospheric layers: 1. according to temperature; 2. according to mixing. Overview of the planets in the solar system. Difference between weather and climate. Satellite images. Isobars, isotherms, streamlines. History of meteorology.
Monday 09/01 Labor day - no class.
Wednesday 09/03 No class.
Friday 09/05 Lecture 4 Chapter 2. Energy and work. Kinetic energy. Potential energy. Energy conservation. Radiant energy. Thermal energy. Temperature. Temperature scales. Heat. Heat capacity and specific heat. Phase transitions.
Monday 09/08 Lecture 5 Continue Chapter 2: Phase transitions. Latent heat. Methods for heat transfer in the atmosphere. Conduction, convection, radiation. Advection, thermals. Basic characteristics of radiation. Black body radiation. Stefan-Boltzmann law. Wien's law. Radiation from the Sun (Earth).
Wednesday 09/10 Lecture 6 Finish Chapter 2. Review: black body radiation, Stefan-Boltzmann law, Wien's law. Radiation from the Sun (Earth). Radiative equilibrium. Selective absorbers/emitters. Absorption and emission by the different atmospheric gases. Greenhouse effect. Greenhouse gases. Incoming solar radiation: absorption, scattering and reflection. The energy balance on Earth. (Skip the very last section: Solar particles and the aurora.)
Friday 09/12 Lecture 7 Review: The energy balance on Earth. Chapter 3: Seasons. Earth's rotation around the Sun. Inclination of the Earth's axis. Insolation at different latitudes. Summer and winter in the Northern hemisphere. Seasons in the Southern hemisphere. Energy balance at different latitutes. Videoclips: Earth's orbit and seasons, Solar flux, Solar insolation, Seasonal variations on Earth.
Monday 09/15 Lecture 8 Finish Chapter 3. Local seasonal variations. Daily temperature variations: daytime warming, nighttime cooling. Radiation inversion. The controls of temperature. Daily, monthly and yearly temperatures. Wind-chill index. Videoclip: Snow season in the Northern Hemisphere.
Wednesday 09/17 Lecture 9 Chapter 4. Phase changes. The hydrological cycle. Evaporation, condensation, saturation, supersaturation. Evaporation and condensation. Humidity: absolute and specific. Water (mass) mixing ratio. Specific humidity at different latitudes. Vapor pressure.
Friday 09/19 Lecture 10 Finish Chapter 4. Saturation vapor pressure and its temeperature dependence. Relative humidity, dependence on the temperature and the latitude. Dew point. Frost point. Comparing humidities: California vs. Florida. Relative humidity in the home. Heat index. Active figure: Saturation vapor pressure, relative humidity and dew point.
Monday 09/22 Lecture 10 Finish Chapter 4. Saturation vapor pressure and its temeperature dependence. Relative humidity, dependence on the temperature and the latitude. Dew point. Frost point. Comparing humidities: California vs. Florida. Relative humidity in the home. Heat index. Active figure: Saturation vapor pressure, relative humidity and dew point.
Wednesday 09/24 Lecture 11 Begin Chapter 5. Condensation nuclei. Dew, frozen dew, frost. Haze (dry and wet). Fog. Radiation fog. Advection fog. Upslope fog. Evaporation fog. Foggy weather.
Friday 09/26 Lecture 12 Finish Chapter 5. Clouds. Composition. Classification. The four primary cloud groups. Examples: cirrus clouds; comparison of cirrocumulus, altocumulus and stratocumulus clouds; comparison of cirrostratus, altostratus and stratus clouds; cumulonimbus cloud. Clouds forming over topography: cap, lenticular, banner clouds. Satellite observations. Geostationary satellites and polar-orbiting satellites.
Monday 09/29 Lecture 13 Chapter 19: Light, Color and Atmospheric Optics. White and colors. Scattering of light. White clouds and scattered light. Blue skies and hazy days. Skies on other planets. The color of the sun. Blue moon. Reflection and refraction of light. True and apparent position of stars. Twinkling. The timing of the sunset and sunrise. Twilight. Flattening of the sun and the moon. Green flashes. For fun, check out these nice pictures. Skip the sections: "The Mirage: Seeing Is Not Believing", "Halos, Sundogs and Sun Pillars", "Rainbows", "Coronas, Glories and Heiligenschein".
Wednesday 10/01 FIRST MIDTERM EXAM. The exam will cover the following chapters:
Chapter 1: "The Earth and Its Atmosphere"
Chapter 2: "Energy: Warming the Earth and the Atmosphere"
Chapter 3: "Seasonal and Daily Temperatures"
Chapter 4: "Atmospheric Moisture"
Chapter 5: "Condensation: Dew, Fog, and Clouds"
Chapter 19: "Light, Color, and Atmospheric Optics"

The following is a list of the (sub)sections not covered on the exam.
Chapter 1: Storms of All Sizes; A Look at a Weather Map.
Chapter 2: Solar Particles and the Aurora.
Chapter 3: Protecting Crops from the Cold; The Use of Temperature Data; Measuring Air Temperature.
Chapter 4: Measuring Humidity.
Chapter 5: Determining Sky Conditions.
Chapter 19: The Mirage: Seeing Is Not Believing, Halos, Sundogs and Sun Pillars, Rainbows, Coronas, Glories and Heiligenschein
Friday 10/03 Lecture 15 Begin Chapter 6. Mechanical equilibrium. Stable, unstable or neutral equilibrium. Adiabatic cooling/heating of air during vertical motion. Adiabatic lapse rates: dry and moist. Environmental lapse rate. Absolutely stable atmosphere. Absolutely unstable atmosphere. Conditionally unstable atmosphere. Neutral stability. Air stability during the day - afternoon thunderstorms.
Monday 10/06 Lecture 16 Finish Chapter 6. Air stability during the day. Cloud formation. Convection and clouds. Condensation level. Formation of convective clouds. Topography and clouds. Orographic uplift. Wave clouds. Active figure on cloud formation.
Wednesday 10/08 Lecture 17 Begin Chapter 7. How do cloud droplets grow larger? Equilibrium vapor pressure. Curvature effect. Cloud condensation nuclei. Solute effect. Collision and coalescence process. Terminal velocity. Droplet growth in warm clouds. Ice-crystal (Bergeron) process. Cold clouds. Supercooling of the cloud droplets. Ice nuclei.
Friday 10/10 Lecture 18 Finish Chapter 7. Precipitation types. Rain, drizzle, showers, virga. Rainfall intensity. Snow, snow flurries, snow squalls, blizzard. Fallstreaks. Snowflakes. Sleet, rime, freezing rain, hail. Active figures on snow, sleet, freezing rain and rain and hail.
Monday 10/13 Lecture 19 Begin Chapter 8. Atmospheric pressure. A simple atmospheric model. Daily pressure variations. Pressure measurements: mercury barometer. Altitude corrections. Sea-level pressure chart. Isobaric charts. Flying on a constant pressure surface. Active figure on atmospheric pressure.
Wednesday 10/15 Lecture 20 Continue Chapter 8: forces in the atmosphere. Newton's laws of motion: first and second. Forces in the atmosphere. Pressure gradient. Pressure gradient force. Coriolis force.
Friday 10/17 Lecture 21 Finish Chapter 8: winds in the atmosphere. Centripetal force. Geostrophic winds: direction and speed. Gradient winds: cyclones and anticyclones. Winds aloft in the Southern hemisphere. Surface winds, the effect of friction. Vertical air motion, convergences and divergences. Hydrostatic equilibrium.
Monday 10/20 Lecture 22 Chapter 9: Wind: small scale and local systems. Scales of motion. Friction and turbulence. Eddies: big and small. The force of the wind. Examples of microscale winds: dunes, snow rollers, wind-sculptured trees. Determining wind direction and speed. Prevailing wind and wind rose. Wind measurements: anemometer and wind vane. Thermal circulations. Sea and land breezes. Valley and mountain breezes. Monsoons. Desert winds. Dust devils. Active figure on dust devils.
Wednesday 10/22 Lecture 23 Chapter 10: General circulation of the atmosphere. Single cell model: assumptions, predictions. Hadley cell. Three cell model: assumptions, predictions. Ferrel and polar cells. Converging/diverging regions. Semi-permanent and seasonal highs and lows. Active figure: three-cell model.
Friday 10/24 Homecoming - no class.
Monday 10/27 Lecture 24 Finish Chapter 10. Global circulation effects on local climate: comparison of Los Angeles CA and Atlanta GA. Seasonal effects on the global circulation. The general circulation and precipitation patterns. Average wind flow and pressure patterns aloft. Jet streams: subtropical and polar jets (Note: jet streams will not be covered on the exams). Atmosphere-ocean interactions. Global wind patterns and surface ocean currents. Ekman spiral. Upwelling.
Wednesday 10/29 SECOND MIDTERM EXAM. The exam will cover the following chapters:
Chapter 6: "Stability and Cloud Development"
Chapter 7: "Precipitation"
Chapter 8: "Air Pressure and Winds"
Chapter 9: "Wind: Small Scale and Local Systems"
Chapter 10: "Wind: Global Systems"

The following is a list of the (sub)sections not covered on the exam.
Chapter 6. (Skip the material on "subsidence inversions", namely Figs. 6.6, 6.12, 6.13 and 6.14.) Changing cloud forms.
Chapter 7. Cloud seeding and precipitation. Precipitaion in clouds. Snow grains and snow pellets. Doppler radar and precipitation.
Chapter 9. Local winds and water. Katabatic winds. Chinook (foehn) winds. Santa Ana winds. Other local winds of interest.
Chapter 10. Jet streams. The formation of the polar front jet and and the subtropical jet. Other jet streams. El Nino and the Southern Oscillation. Pacific Decadal Oscillation. North Atlantic Oscillation. Arctic Oscillation.
Friday 10/31 Lecture 26 Begin Chapter 11: Air Masses and Fronts. Air masses. Source regions. Classification. Air masses of North America. cP (continental polar) and cA (continental arctic) air masses. Lake effect snow. mP (maritime polar) air masses. mT (maritime tropical) air masses. cT (continental tropical) air masses.
Monday 11/03 Lecture 27 Finish Chapter 11: Air Masses and Fronts. Atmospheric fronts. Frontal surface (zone). The four major types of fronts. Cold fronts: characteristics and cloud and precipitation patterns. Warm fronts: characteristics and cloud and precipitation patterns. Ocluded fronts: warm versus cold occlusion. Stationary fronts. Frontolysis and frontogenesis. Skip sections: Upper-air fronts.
Wednesday 11/05 Lecture 28 Begin Chapter 12: Middle-Latitude Cyclones. Polar front theory. Stages of a developing wave cyclone. Families of cyclones. Cyclogenesis. Where do mid-latitude cyclones tend to form?
Friday 11/07 Lecture 29 Finish Chapter 12: Middle-Latitude Cyclones. Vertical structure of deep dynamic lows: favorable conditions for storm development. Upper-level waves and mid-latitude cyclones. Skip sections: Conveyor belt model of mid-latitude cyclones. A developing mid-latitude cyclone: the March storm of 1993. Vorticity, divergence, and developing mid-latitude cyclones. Earth vorticity, relative vorticity and absolute vorticity. Putting it all together: a monstrous snowstorm. Polar lows.
Monday 11/10 Lecture 30 Begin Chapter 13: Weather Forecasting. Acquisition of weather information. Watches, warnings and advisories. Forecasting methods. Numerical weather prediction. Why forecasts go awry. Navier-Stokes equations
Wednesday 11/12 Lecture 31 Finish Chapter 13: Weather Forecasting. Forecasting tools. Forecasting methods. Types of forecasts. Extended forecast. Outlook. Accuracy and skill in forecasting. Predicting the weather from local signs. Station model. Using surface maps to predict the weather. Skip sections: A forecast for six cities (Augusta GA, Washington DC, Chicago IL, Memphis TN, Dallas TX, Denver CO). A meteorologist makes a prediction. Help from the 500 mb chart. The computer provides assistance. A valid forecast. Assistance from a satellite. A day of rain and wind.
Friday 11/14 Lecture 32 Begin Chapter 14: Thunderstorms and Tornadoes. Thunderstorms. Ordinary cell thunderstorms: stages of their development. Active figure: stages of a thunderstorm. Multicell storms. Severe thunderstorms and the supercell. Squall lines and mesoscale convective complexes. Pre-frontal squall lines. Floods and flash floods. Thunderstorm climatology. Skip the sections on "Dryline thunderstorms" and "Gust fronts, microbursts and derechoes".
Monday 11/17 Lecture 33 Finish Chapter 14: Thunderstorms and Tornadoes. Lightning and thunder. Electrification of clouds. The lightning stroke. Active figure: life cycle of a lightning. Skip sections: Lightning detection and suppression. Tornado life cycle. Tornado outbreaks. Tornadic thunderstorms. Supercell tornadoes. Nonsupercell tornadoes.
Wednesday 11/19 Lecture 33 Finish Chapter 14. Thunder. Speed of sound. Active figure: life cycle of a lightning. Tornadoes. Tornado occurence. Fujita scale. Severe weather and Doppler radar. Waterspouts and landspouts. Active figure: formation of a waterspout. Skip sections: Lightning detection and suppression. Tornado life cycle. Tornado outbreaks. Tornadic thunderstorms. Supercell tornadoes. Nonsupercell tornadoes.
Friday 11/21 Lecture 34 Chapter 15: Hurricanes. Tropical weather. Streamlines. Tropical waves. Anatomy of a hurricane. Hurricane movement. Comparison to mid-latitude storms and tornadoes. Destruction and warning. Storm surge and flooding. Saffir-Simpson scale. Naming hurricanes. Skip sections: Eastern Pacific hurricanes. North Atlantic hurricanes. Devastating hurricanes (but do read about the Saffir-Simpson scale in the last paragraph). Modifying hurricanes.
Monday 11/24 Lecture 25 Chapter 18. (This chapter will not be covered on the exams). A brief history of air pollution. Types and sources of air pollutants. Principal air pollutants: particulate matter, CO, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, volatile organic compounds. Air pollution: trends and patterns. Air Quality Index. Indoor air pollution - types of pollutants inside your home.
Wednesday 10/26 No class.
Friday 10/28 Thanksgiving - no class.
Monday 12/01 Lecture 37 Chapter 17. (This chapter will be covered on the final exam, but not on the third midterm). Global Climate. Main climate sizes. A world with many climates: climatic controls. Global temperatures. Global precipitation. Climatic classification: the ancient Greeks, the Koppen system. Major climatic types. Examples (concentrate only on those shown in class): tropical wet (Af); tropical wet-and-dry (Aw); arid (BW); semi-arid (BS); moist subtropical (C); moist continental (D) and polar (E). (Note: there is no need to memorize Table 17.1 (Koppen's climatic classification system). A copy of Table 17.1 will be provided on the exams.)
Wednesday 12/03 THIRD MIDTERM EXAM. The exam will cover the following chapters:
Chapter 11: "Air Masses and Fronts"
Chapter 12: "Middle-Latitude Cyclones"
Chapter 13: "Weather Forecasting"
Chapter 14: "Thunderstorms and Tornadoes"
Chapter 15: "Hurricanes"

The following is a list of the (sub)sections which will not be covered on the exam:
Chapter 11: Upper-air fronts.
Chapter 12: Conveyor belt model of mid-latitude cyclones. A developing mid-latitude cyclone: the March storm of 1993. Vorticity, divergence, and developing mid-latitude cyclones. Earth vorticity, relative vorticity and absolute vorticity. Putting it all together: a monstrous snowstorm. Polar lows.
Chapter 13: A forecast for six cities (Augusta GA, Washington DC, Chicago IL, Memphis TN, Dallas TX, Denver CO). A meteorologist makes a prediction. Help from the 500 mb chart. The computer provides assistance. A valid forecast. Assistance from a satellite. A day of rain and wind.
Chapter 14: Dryline thunderstorms. Gust fronts, microbursts and derechoes. Lightning detection and suppression. Tornado life cycle. Tornado outbreaks. Tornadic thunderstorms. Supercell tornadoes. Nonsupercell tornadoes.
Chapter 15: Eastern Pacific hurricanes. North Atlantic hurricanes. Devastating hurricanes (but do read about the Saffir-Simpson scale in the last paragraph). Modifying hurricanes.
Friday 12/05 Lecture 35 Chapter 16: Climate Change. The Earth's changing climate. Alpine glaciers. Determining past climates. Climate through the ages. Ice ages and interglacial periods. Temperature changes in the last 18,000 years. The ocean conveyor belt and climate change. Climate during the past 1,000 years. Temperature trend during the past 100-plus years.
Monday 12/08 Lecture 36 Chapter 16: Climate Change. Possible causes of climatic change. Climate change and feedback mechanisms: positive and negative feedback. Water vapor-greenhouse fedback. Snow-albedo feedback. Climate and plate tectonics. Climate change and variations in the Earth's orbit. Milankovitch theory. Variations in eccentricity. Variations in obliquity. Precession of the Earth's axis. Milankovitch cycles. Climate change and atmospheric particles. Aerosols in the troposphere. Volcanic eruptions and aerosols in the stratosphere. Climate change and variations in solar output. Global warming: the effect of greenhouse gases. The recent warming - climate models and recent temperature trends. Future warming - projections, questions and uncertainties. Skip the following (sub)sections: Radiative forcing agents. Questions and uncertainties about greenhouse gases. Clouds get in the way. Possible consequences of global warming. In perspective.
Wednesday 12/10 Q/A session.
Thursday 12/18 FINAL EXAM. The final exam is cumulative and will cover ALL chapters from the book EXCEPT Chapter 18 (Air Pollution). All chapters will be approximately equally weighted on the final exam.
Last updated 08/21/2008 by Konstantin Matchev