Introduction to Climate and Environmental Physics

Introduction to Climate and Environmental PhysicsHS 2014Lecture IIIChristoph Raible, Markus Leuenberger, Fortunat Joos and Thomas Stocker

Open questions of the last lectureScript is online available of the webpage (http://www.climate.unibe.ch/?L1=courses&L2=crcclmumw) You need the following login:user:kup pw: cep2014 Open questions of the last lectureDeclination

with b = 360/365(d-81)

EquinoxOpen questions of the last lectureOzone effect: Why negative RF?

Temperature dependency of the saturation water vapor pressure (red) and the water vapor density in air in equilibrium (blue).

Temperature dependency of the saturation water vapor pressure (red) and the water vapor density in air in equilibrium (blue).

5Vertical temperature structure of the atmosphere

Radiation

Net total (W/m2) top of Atmosphere

Geopotential hieght at 500 hPaMean annual geopotential height at the 500 hPa level (thickness of the air column from the bottom to a pressure of 500 hPa) (top left) and the mean annual wind speed in the free troposphere at the same pressure level (top right). Annual standard deviation of the geopotential height at the 500 hPa level (bottom left) and the geopotential height at the 500 hPa level (colors) and the surface pressure (contours) for the 26th of October 2008. (bottom right) (from NCEP/NCAR reanalysis project and GFS model of the American Weather Service).8Latitudinal structure of the typical circulation zones in the atmosphere

from NASA Earth observatory

Wind speed at 500 hPaMean annual geopotential height at the 500 hPa level (thickness of the air column from the bottom to a pressure of 500 hPa) (top left) and the mean annual wind speed in the free troposphere at the same pressure level (top right). Annual standard deviation of the geopotential height at the 500 hPa level (bottom left) and the geopotential height at the 500 hPa level (colors) and the surface pressure (contours) for the 26th of October 2008. (bottom right) (from NCEP/NCAR reanalysis project and GFS model of the American Weather Service).10

SLP for 26th Oct. 2008Standard deviation of Z500Mean annual geopotential height at the 500 hPa level (thickness of the air column from the bottom to a pressure of 500 hPa) (top left) and the mean annual wind speed in the free troposphere at the same pressure level (top right). Annual standard deviation of the geopotential height at the 500 hPa level (bottom left) and the geopotential height at the 500 hPa level (colors) and the surface pressure (contours) for the 26th of October 2008. (bottom right) (from NCEP/NCAR reanalysis project and GFS model of the American Weather Service).11Latitudinal structure of the typical circulation zones in the atmosphere

from NASA Earth observatoryCoriolis force

Nordhemisphaere Ablenkung nach rechts Suedhemisphaere Ablenkung nach linksBeschleunigtes Bezugssystem13Coriolis force

Nordhemisphaere Ablenkung nach rechts Suedhemisphaere Ablenkung nach links14Coriolis force

Nordhemisphaere Ablenkung nach rechts Suedhemisphaere Ablenkung nach links

Blau Coriolis Gruen CenrifugalGrau total resultierend

15Coriolis force

Nordhemisphaere Ablenkung nach rechts Suedhemisphaere Ablenkung nach links16Storm Ulli 2012-01-03-14UTC

Atmospheric Ekman spiral matching the geostrophic flow caused by the horizontal pressure gradients in the free troposphere

Atmospheric Ekman spiral matching the geostrophic flow caused by the horizontal pressure gradients in the free troposphere19Concept of the thermal wind

Conceptual view of the cyclogenesis in middle latitudes

. Conceptual view of the cyclogenesis in middle latitudes. Figure from Roedel (1994).

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