EAS100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Partial Pressure, Stratopause, Dew Point

• School: University of Alberta
• Department: Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
• Course: EAS100
• Professor: Virginia Garcia Millan

Document Summary

Outline: weather systems (air masses, fronts, clouds and storms) Only about 5% of the volume of the earth! ~ 500 km merges with vacuum of space. Extends from top of troposphere to ~50 km. Temperature increases upward due to absorption of solar uv energy by ozone. Scarce molecules so total heat content very low. Carbon dioxide, water vapour, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone. Different gases absorb different parts of sun"s energy spectrum. Absorbed energy is converted to heat within atmosphere. Water can exist in the atmosphere in 3 phases. Air at sea level has an average pressure of 101 kpa. If the air has 1% water vapour molecules. Dry air in contact with water or ice. Rh changes when water vapour amount or temperature changes. As air masses rise, pressure falls, and expansion occurs. Temperature decreases at -1 c per 100 m (10 c/km) Energy is continuously redistributed through circulation: atmospheric and oceanic. Expansion generates a region of low pressure.