Class Notes, Metrology 302.01

February 4, 2004

April Coffey & Christina Bolaris

Reading Assignments: Williams: Preface, Introduction Chapter 1
Zebrowski, Preface, Chapter 1 (point of view, definition of "disaster")

• Class texts are now all restricted to 2 hour reserve (with no overnight) at Library
• Student note taking starts Week of 1 February 2004

Housekeeping: same weather map as last class

storm definitions are crucial,

Note: These symbols are used by meteorologist to determine the weather patterns between stations.

Definitions:

Remote Sensing - helps us fill in the observation between the sights.

Severe Thunderstorms - Winds are 50 knots or greater (that is 57 miles per hour), Hail is =3/4 inch in diameter or larger and Tornadoes

Weather Map Symbols:

A few days ago, San Francisco, according to the map was having "Bad Weather". The four points in a diamond formation pictograph are an indication that there is heavy rainfall.

One of the problem meteorologists has:

The observation point maps the clouds, but the problem lies in telling how the

pattern has changed due to the space between the weather points.

Solution: The Remote Sensing helps us fill in the observation between the sights.

So, we use a real case. The LINK: Definition of Severe Thunderstorms.

Were presented with what the definition of severe thunderstorms means.(See above)

The purpose of knowing this is for our own safety!

THE HAZARD TO HUMAN LIFE AND PROPERTY, is what we want to prevent.

. .

Government Agency:

National Weather Service- Storm Prediction Center located in Norman Oklahoma.

All the public knowledge is listed in the LINK: Storm Prediction Center.

A picture of a major tornado will be presented live and uninterrupted, and every five minutes it will change.

If you are a Liberal Studies Major, the LINK: Education Links will show some graphics that you can show elementary students.

Four agencies all work together in common goals for giving us the weather reports. They are different from one another, but work collaboratively to give us the proper information.

-The Department of Geological Sciences

-The U.S Government

-Storm Prediction Center

-The Oklahoma Forecast Center.

FYI:

In the movie "Twister" the jargon used was "incredibly stupid" for the fact that they obstructed all the facts. It was all made up to appear to be "sexy".

Understanding Links:

LINK: THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER- brings connective outlooks for the forecast.

. When you check the link, three images are presented, Today, Tomorrow, and Next Day.

Convective Outlooks

LINK: Current Outlook

The date will be presented with the Greenwich time-Know the calculations. Subtract 8 hours from the time given to get our Pacific Standard Time.

Next Link:

LINK: Categorical Graphics

The arrows colored brown and green are interpreted. Pretend you are on the tail end of the arrow and walk up to the head, and point to the right. This area means that portion will have thunderstorms in general.

Green Arrows- In this area some thunderstorms will be severe, but the chance is slight.!

We return back to the class website and continue on to the elements shown on the weather map.

Solid vs. Gas:

LINK: Solid vs. Gas

What you find in the earth atmosphere is interacting with light to determine the instruments that show us clouds.

Description of image: The box on the left is named Solids- The box on the right is named Water Vapor. -To understand what makes a Solid, visualize a red brick. All the molecules packed inside are like little balls pressed up against each other without any space. Therefore there is more matter per cubic inch.

-To understand the Water Vapor- Know that the molecules present in the atmosphere are able to go into two~ forms. Liquid and solid.

Liquid: is condensation

Solids: are water molecules compacted.

Between gas and solid objects, clouds can be formed.

How Water Vapor Condenses:

This is conceptual, not textual. Taken from a chemist, the concept is located in: LINK: Conceptual Temperature and Condensation

The professor discusses temperature as follows.

1) Water Vapor molecules above absolute zero are vibrating. This is what makes temperature.

2) A natural attraction occurs and liquid is presented. But two things are happening at the same time:

a) two molecules vibrating

b) they stick together, and you have water

c) you heat it up

d) and the reverse happens

Reverse Condensation is Evaporation.

We know that without the temperature, the consistency to make clouds wouldn't be present. Without cooling, there is no lead to condensations and therefore no clouds.

Dew Point Temperature:

LINK: Weather Map Symbols

The number on the bottom left of the weather station pictograph in any given city is the Dew Point Temperature.

Knowing this number tells us that the temperature been cooled to the point where water condenses. And this number is only discovered by calculation. We can not do this by the eye or by sensation. We know that Dew Point Condensation makes Fog (which can happen anytime, but usually done over night) and all observations are done on the ground and not at 2600 feet in the air. Therefore when applying this information to the weather map given, we see an example of San Francisco having a Dew Point of 46 degrees, and through calculation, the temperature would have to be cooled 3 degrees to have condensation.

Concepts Related to Dew Point Atmosphere:

ALL gases can become liquid in the course of cooling.

In our atmosphere, we know that nitrogen (which is negative 150 degrees) can be made into liquid.

Carbon Dioxide- Dry Ice can ultimately do the same.

Relative Humidity knows that the temperature and dew point is 100% the same if, and only if we see clouds.

We can take notice that the numbers on our hand out map for the temperature and dew point can be the same (Missouri), and observe that the highest number in relative humidity are going to determine where clouds are going to be formed.

LINK: Still Images -Schematic

This shows how the satellite works. Like a camera, we are given visible images. Light from the sun is deflected on clouds.

Visual Energy:

Interesting piece of information: The three primary colors of light are Red, Green and Blue. All of these mixed together make the color white! These are different from your regular primary colors. Returning back to the satellite image that loops, showing the clouds, it is discussed that the sun is a vital part to see these images because anything greater that absolute zero will emit energy.

Note: This same visual will be presented on Monday to discuss the clouds.

But before class is over we are shown one more link to see the infrared image for the same thing.

In centigrade degrees from 40 to 20 to 10 to 0 and down to the negative numbers on a scale, we see the bars of colors move from black to white to red. The more Red in an image means the temperature is cooler. This gives a visual of the "Red Storm like Clouds.

Very important: Come to the satellite visual loop (animation) sometime during the weekend and compare the regular visual and the infrared loop together

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