Climate Notes

This page is to be used with the Climate topic of the Meteorology event.

Climate Notes

 * 1) Climate
 * average weather
 * described quanitativly
 * abnorms means extremes
 * data processed at NOAA's National Climate Data Center

Climatic norm

 * average value of climatic events
 * 1935 first climatic norm
 * 30 years from 1901-1930
 * current based on 1971-2000
 * climatic annomolies
 * deviations from climatic norm

Climate controls

 * 1) latitude
 * 2) elevation
 * 3) topography
 * 4) proximity to water
 * 5) ocean circulation

Climate patterns

 * temperature
 * heat equator
 * 10* north of equator
 * in northern hemisphere
 * precipitation
 * ITCZ
 * intertropical convergence zone
 * poleward shift=summer rains
 * equatorial shift= dry winter

Climate classification

 * 2 groups
 * Meteorological
 * generic classification
 * Environmental
 * based mainly on vegetation
 * Koppen System
 * Wladimir Koppen
 * Similar zones located near same latitude
 * temperature
 * Precipitation
 * 6 types
 * Tropical
 * Dry
 * Subtropical
 * Snow forest
 * Polar
 * Highland

Climate record

 * based on historical docs
 * geological/biological history

Lessons of climatic past

 * Climate variable over time
 * variables non uniform
 * May Be long term
 * Abrupt
 * impacts society
 * Causes
 * No simple solutions
 * Plate tectonics
 * Earth orbit
 * El Nino/La Nina
 * volcanic eruptions

Solar variability

 * 1%change could be damaging
 * sunspots
 * Spot on face of sun
 * last a few days
 * Max/min
 * more=warmer
 * less=cooler
 * Maunder Minimum
 * 1645-1715
 * few sunspots
 * Sporer Minimum
 * 1400-1510
 * before Maunder Minimum
 * minimums during Little ice age

Earths Orbit

 * Milankovitch Cycles
 * regular variants in precession and tilt
 * perihelion=closer to sun
 * aphelion= farther from sun
 * tilt on axis changes from 24.5-21.1 every 41000 years

Radiation equations
Stefan-Boltzmann law: As temperature increases, more total radiation is emitted each second.
 * $$E \propto T^4$$

Wien's Law
 * $$\lambda_\mathrm{max} = \frac{\mathrm{constant}}{T}$$

this shows the radiation of the earth


 * $$\lambda_\mathrm{\odot max} = \frac{3000 \mathrm{\; \mu m \cdot K}}{300 \mathrm{\; K}} = 10 \mathrm{\; \mu m}$$

this shows the radiation of the sun

Adaptations

 * 1) Plants
 * many types of adaptations
 * Hardy Rock colinizers
 * lichen
 * Desert
 * Trunks can hold lots of water
 * Winds
 * branches bent
 * grows with wind
 * coastal
 * large roots
 * mangroves
 * 1) Animals
 * lots of adaptations
 * blubber
 * long ears
 * camouflage
 * burrowing
 * 1) humans
 * sweat
 * dressing for cold
 * intelligence
 * building
 * migrating