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The name and code letter for 6 major Koppen climate changes
A: Tropical humid
B:Dry
C: Mild Mid- latitude (subtropical)
D: severe mid- latitude (continental)
E: Polar
H: Highland
How do highland climates different from the surrounding lowlands?
more precipitation, colder temp, stronger winds, possible rain
What changes in atmospheric composition can alter the climate?
How can plate tectonics change the climate?
Changes latitude, ocean currents, volcanic outgassing, mountain building
The earth’s three orbital cycles
Eccentricity(path around the sun), obiquity (axis tilt), Precession (axis wobble)
positive climate feedback
more snow cover
negative climate feedback
less precipitation
What conditions are needed for an ice age?
wet winters, cool summers, large land mass near the pole, trigger mechanism
How are ice age conditions met?
small axis tilt, summers at aphelion, plate tectonics
! What can trigger an ice age?
Low CO2 concentrations, low insolation, abrupt ocean current change, volcanic activity, nuclear winter
Areas of uncertainty of global warming
-missing carbon
-sulfate haze cooling effect
-ground warming faster than air
-chicken little effect
-co2 and methane increase with temperature
! 5 anticipated effects of global warming
1.sea level will rise 12 to 40 inches
2. wetter Sahara and polar regions
3.changes in many ocean currents
4.ice free arctic ocean in the summer
5.drier amazon and southern africa
Limitations to Wx forecasts (three C’s)
Complexity, chaos, confidence
persistence forecasting method
conditions are unlikely to change, middle of an air mass, stationary front
analogue forecasting method
similar patterns from the past
climatological forecasting method
based on long term average conditions,
trend forecasting method
based on current speed and direction
dynamical forecasting method
based on thermodynamic equations, using 3d grid of atmosphere
statistical forecasting method
for individual Wx elements, used as probability, MOS
ensemble forecasting method
computer generated maps, human guidance
how does wind influence air pollution?
dilutes, transports, concentrates at barriers
how does precipitation influence air pollution
it can clear the air
how does topography influence air pollution
it can trap pollution (LA), inhibit dilution, convert inversions from cold air drainage (Denver)
how does stability influence air pollution?
when its unstable there’s lots of vertical mixing, when its stable there is no mixing
four types of temperature inversions
radiation, advection, “cold air” drainage, subsidence
radiation inversion
when the ground cools quickly at night; clear sky, long night, dry air, calm wind
advection inversion
cold air blowing near the ground, from the N, produces our first hard freeze
subsidence inversion
from subsidence (sinking) air aloft
! types of air pollution
particulates, carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), volatile organic compounds (VOC), oxides of nitrogen (NOx)
particulates
Sources: industry, agriculture
effects: respiratory problems, heart disease
carbon monoxide (CO)
sources: incomplete burning
effects: suffocation
sulfur dioxide (SO2)
sources: coal burning, volcano, sea spray
effects: sulfuric acid rain
volatile organic compounds (VOC)
sources: trees, evaporation, incomplete burning
effects: flammable, noxious, carcinogenic
oxides of nitrogen (NOx)
sources: soil, bacteria, fossil fuel burning
effects: same as NO and NO2
primary pollutants from wildfires
carbon monoxide, small dangerous particles
primary pollutants from transportation
nitrogen oxides, VOCS, carbon monoxide
primary pollutants from power generation and industry
nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, dangerous small particles
primary pollutants that can make acid rain
so2, no2
NWS
National weather service
WMO
World meteorological organization
AQI
air quality index
example of photochemical smog
ozone
NOAA
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
MOS
model output statistics
Note 
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