GG231 Chapter 9: Chapter 9 - Atmosphere and Severe Weather
Document Summary
Hurricane katrina: most anticipated disaster in american history, 3 reasons. 95% of new orleans is below sea level. Louisiana lost wetlands and barrier islands that lower magnitude: category 5 in the gulf of mexico. Category 3 hurricane when it hit mississippi delta. New orleans experienced category 1 or weak category 2: storm was tracked since its inception over the bahamas. Energy: atmospheric processes involve huge amounts of energy, expressed in terawatts tw (1 tw = 1 trillion w, 120 000 tw of energy absorbed by earth surface each year, types of energy. Heat energy energy of random motions of atoms and molecules: two types. Sensible heat heat that can be measured. Latent heat - heat that is absorbed or released when substance changes state: heat transfer. Conduction: transfer of heat through a substance through molecular interactions, moves from area of high heat to low heat.
