Notes for Meteorology 356

October 18, 2004

 

Joshua Bricker

Sarah Rombawa

 

 

Assignments:

 

For the week of October 18, 2004:  pg. 248-253; 267-269; 292-293; Section VI (296-307); Section VIII (319-381); 335-365

 

Housekeeping:

 

-reviewed class websites

 

Started class by entering to Construct your own weather map. 

-       focused on low/cyclone and counterclockwise flow of air

-       plotted temps and found pattern of warmer isobars of temp from Texas to Canadian border.

-       saw a relationship between temp patterns and low

-       created diagram demonstrating the Coriolis ÒeffectÓ

-       important to know whether the map is at sea level or not.

o      low pressure systems the air parcels move into the low from high pressures, but coriolis ÒeffectÓ pulls it sideways in a counter clockwise turn.

o      high pressure systems – the air parcels move from high to low pressures, but coriolis ÒeffectÓ pull is sideways in a clockwise and outward motion.

o      coriolis Òeffect gets bigger and bigger the faster the motion.

o      winds are faster where isobars are closer together.

 

Rules governing winds in relation to pressure systems Northern Hemisphere based upon actual observation.

 

-       A. Surface Pressure Systems Only

o      Air flows counter clockwise and inward with respect to Low Pressure areas and clockwise and outward with respect to High Pressure areas.

o      Air flows fastest the Greater the Pressure Difference across an area (the closer the isobars).

-       B.  Pressure Systems At All Levels Except the Surface

o      Air flows parallel to the isobars (or height contours), counter clockwise around Low pressure and clockwise around High pressure areas.

o      Air flows fastest the Greater the Pressure (or height) difference across an area ( the closer the isobars or height contours).

Maps Used to Show ÒCoriolis EffectÓ

 

-       Looked at National Weather Service Map of San Francisco, which talked about the watches and warnings issued such as the flood and mud flow warnings in Sonoma and Marin County. 

-       Issue was a product of recent fire killing vegetation, which is needed to prevent instability in the soil. 

-       Looked at Computer forcast for tomorrow morning.

 

ÒCoriolis EffectÓ on Upwelling

 

-       Coriolis effect = wind that blows over ocean during upwelling pushes ocean water south.  However, coriolis effect pulls surface ocean water outward towards open ocean. 

 

example: current sustained wind speed =        6 mph

                                          1/3 of 6 mph =    + 2 mph

                                                                        8  mph = wind gust speed