ATM OCN (Meteorology) 100
THERMODYNAMICS:
BEHAVIOR OF GASES IN THE ATMOSPHERE
Summer 2004
Lecture # 6 Scheduled for:
22 JUN 2004 (T)
Recommended Readings from Moran (2002):
pages 102-103; 124-126.
Today's Lecture Objectives:
- To qualitatively apply the gas law (equation of state) to atmospheric processes.
- To explain an adiabatic process as it pertains to motions in the atmosphere.
- To determine the temperature changes experienced by a vertically moving air parcel using the adiabatic process lapse rate.
- To identify the various lifting processes operating with the atmosphere.
- To explain how atmospheric stability influences vertical motion of air.
Outline:
A. INTRODUCTION
B. KINETIC THEORY OF MATTER
- Definitions
- Historical
- Assumptions for gases
- Variables describing the molecular state of a gas
- Molecular Diffusion
C. THE GAS LAWS
- Classical approach to Ideal Gas Law (or Equation of State)
- Atmospheric application of Ideal Gas Law
- Avogadro's Principle
- Dalton's Laws of Partial Pressures
- Atmospheric application of Dalton's Laws of Partial Pressures
D. THE THERMODYNAMIC LAWS
- Introduction
- First Law of Thermodynamics
- Atmospheric application of the First Law of Thermodynamics
- Adiabatic Processes
E. THE VERTICAL MOTION PROBLEM
- Response of an air parcel
- Specification of the parcel response - The adiabatic lapse rate
F. STATIC STABILITY
- Importance
- Stability - Instability Concept
- Response of the atmospheric environment
- Criteria for Static Stability (Instability) Determination
- Processes which change static stability (instability)
- Visual stability indicators
- Graphical Analysis: The Thermodynamic Diagram
Links to Other References:
- Educational resources for K-12 levels from NASA Glenn Research Center
Latest revision: 5 July 2004 (2120 UTC)
Produced by Edward J. Hopkins, Ph.D.
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI 53706
hopkins@meteor.wisc.edu
URL: aos100/lectures/s0406gas.html