SMS 100 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5: Attenuation Coefficient, Coriolis Force, Exponential Decay
2 Nov 2016
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I. Light in the sea
a. Transparent
i. See through
b. Mix vertically
i. Waters that are mixed vertically by way of the physical mixing processes,
which can include wind, waves, tides, and winter convection.
c. Light that is not reflected penetrates downward where it is attenuated (lost), by
a combination of absorption and scattering.
i. Reflection
ii. Absorption
iii. Scattering
iv. More blue and blue-green light penetrates at deeper depths
v. Red is attenuated the quickest
d. Exponential decay
i. Exponential loss of a part of something
ii. Example
1. Light in relation to the ocean surface
2. The deeper you get, the less light that is absorbed.
e. Bee’s law
i. Light values lost exponentially with depth.
ii. Attenuation coefficient= -k
iii. Iz= Io * -kz
1. Constant rate that something is decaying
iv. Diffuse attenuation coefficient
1. Extinction coefficient (-k)
f. Electromagnetic spectrum
i. Spans the range of wavelengths from cosmic waves (high) to radio waves
(low)
ii. Selective attenuation
1. The wavelength specific attenuation of light with depth in the
ocean.
g. Amadeo Avogrado
i. In 1811 determined that equal volumes of gases contain the same
number of molecules, no matter how tiny or small they are.
II. Density of Air and Atmospheric Pressure.
a. Air= 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% other stuff
i. Change of density in air
1. Temperature
2. Pressure: Proportional to elevation
3. Humidity
b. Amount of pressure that Earth exerts on something.
c. Dew point
i. Measure of how much water vapor is contained in a volume of air.
ii. Temperature at which air cannot hold any more water vapor.
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d. Latitudinal heat pump
i. Atmospheric circulation patterns and ocean currents transport heat from
the tropics and subtropics to higher latitudes
e. Convection cells
i. What the difference between air densities in two areas will produce.
f. Troposphere
i. Lower atmosphere
g. Coriolis effect or Coriolis force
i. Named for Gaspard-Gustave de Coriolis
1. Coriolis effect
a. The tendency of moving objects on the northern
hemisphere such as Earth, to be deflected to the right.
b. In the southern hemisphere to the left
c. Speed (mph)=1000(Cosine theta)
2. Coriolis force
a. Same concept as the effect, but in the context of a physical
force that deflects moving objects from rotating spheres.
h. Inertial oscillation
i. The curvature (circumference) of Earth will be larger at low latitudes and
smaller at high latitudes.
ii. Centrifugal force
1. Force pulling outward
iii. Centripetal force
1. Force pulling inward.
i. Northeast and Southeast trade winds
i. Winds that happen slightly north/south of the Equator
ii. Doldrums
1. The oceanic waters in the vicinity of the Intertropical Convergence
Zone, where air masses rise, creating an area of little horizontal
winds for use in sailing.
iii. Subtropical jet stream
1. At 30 degrees North and South
a. Blow directly to the east as high as 100 mph
iv. Horse latitudes
1. Where surface winds are weak.
2. 30-38 degrees North and 30-38 degrees South
v. Prevailing Westerlies
1. The surface winds associated with the Ferrel Cells in each
hemisphere.
2. Between 30-60 degrees North
vi. Polar jet stream
1. 60 degrees North and South
a. Flows west to east
b. The Northern one is faster.
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