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Longitude
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Standard Time and Time Zones • Travelers going from one end of the
country to the other would have to keep
• If each town were to keep the time of its changing their watches if they wanted to
own meridian, there would be much keep their appointments. This is
difference in local time between one town impractical and very inconvenient.
and the other.
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Chaibagaan Time
• 150 years ago British colonialists
introduced “chaibagaan time” or “bagaan
time”, a time schedule observed by tea
planters, which was one hour ahead of IST.
• This was done to improve productivity by
optimizing the usage of daytime.
• After Independence, Assam, along with the
rest of India, has been following IST for the
past 66 years.
• The administration of the Indian state of
Assam now wants to change it’s time zone
back to Chaibagaan time to conserve
energy and improve productivity.
• Indian government didn’t accept to such a
proposal.
Latitude Longitude
• Parallels • Meridian
• Angular distance of a point from the center of • Angular distance along the equator
the earth • Prime meridian = longitude
• Equator = 0° Latitude • Longitudes are named east or west of prime
• Latitudes are named south and north of meridian
equator • All longitudes are equal in length
• Their length decreases from equator to poles • Prime meridian 0° and International Date
• Equator has the maximum length Line 180° E or 180° W are important
• Equator, Tropic of Cancer 23.5° N, Tropic of longitudes
Capricorn 23.5° S, Arctic circle 66.5° N, • Used to determine time and date at a
Antarctic circle 66.5° S, North Pole 90° N and location
South Pole 90° S are important latitudes
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a) 1 and 2 only
b) 1, 3 and 4 only
c) 1, 2 and 3 only
d) All
2. Which of the following is false?
a) Longitudes and Latitudes are useful to
determine time at a location. • Primarily two motions: Rotation and
b) Longitudes and Latitudes are useful to Revolution.
determine a location.
c) GMT is a reference time zone. All other
time zones make use of GMT to specify
time at a location.
d) Places to the east of Greenwich gain
time while those to the west lose.
3. Statements
1) A person travelling from Japan to USA
across International Date Line will gain
a day.
2) A person travelling from Hawaii to New
Zealand across International Date Line
will lose a day.
3) It is not continent for a country of
greater latitudinal extent but smaller
longitudinal extent to have multiple
time zones.
4) On a 24 hour clock, the time is 00:00 in Rotation of Earth
London. Then the time in Mumbai on a
12 hour clock will be 05:30 AM. • Earth rotates along its axis from west to
east.
Which of the above statements are false? • It takes approximately 24 hrs to complete
on rotation.
a) None
• Days and nights occur due to rotation of
b) 2 and 4 only
the earth.
c) 1, 2 and 3 only
• The circle that divides the day from night
d) 3 only
on the globe is called the circle of
illumination.
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Why are days always longer than • Because of the spherical (Geoid) shape of
nights at the equator? the earth and the position of the sun.
• Because the energy received per unit area
• If there was no atmosphere, there would be decreases from equator to poles.
no refraction and the daytime and • Because Equator receives direct sunlight
nighttime would be near equal at the while Poles receive slant or oblique rays of
equator, at least during equinoxes. the Sun.
Revolution
most important climatic element. The suspended particles, water vapour and
atmospheric pressure at sea level is 1034 other variable gases were excluded from
gm per square centimeter. the atmosphere, then the dry air is very
stable all over the earth up to an altitude
Role of Earth’s Atmosphere of about 80 kilometres.
• Nitrogen accounts for 78% of total • Water Vapour is one of the most variable
atmospheric volume. It is a relatively gaseous substances present in atmosphere Page
inert gas, and is an important constituent – constituting between 0.02% and 4% of | 11
of all organic compounds. The main the total volume (in cold dry and humid
function of nitrogen is to control tropical climates respectively). 90% of
combustion by diluting oxygen. It also moisture content in the atmosphere exists
indirectly helps in oxidation of different within 6 km of the surface of the earth.
kinds. Like carbon dioxide, water vapour plays a
significant role in the insulating action, of
Carbon Dioxide the atmosphere.
• It absorbs not only the long-wave
• The third important gas is Carbon Dioxide terrestrial radiation (infrared or heat
which constitutes only about 0.03% of the emitted by earth during nights), but also a
dry air and is a product of combustion. part of the incoming solar radiation.
Green plants, through photosynthesis, • Water vapour is the source of precipitation
absorb carbon dioxide from the and clouds. On condensation, it releases
atmosphere and use it to manufacture food latent heat of condensation —the
and keep other bio-physical processes ultimate driving force behind all storms.
going.
• Being an efficient absorber of heat, The moisture – carrying capacity of air is
carbon dioxide is considered to be of great directly proportional to the air temperature.
climatic significance. Carbon dioxide is
considered to be a very important factor in Solid Particles
the heat energy budget.
• With increased burning of fossil fuels – oil, • The Solid Particles present in the
coal and natural gas – the carbon dioxide atmosphere consist of sand particles (from
percentage in the atmosphere has been weathered rocks and also derived from
increasing at an alarming rate. volcanic ash), pollen grains, small
• More carbon dioxide in the atmosphere organisms, soot, ocean salts; the upper
means more heat absorption. This could layers of the atmosphere may even have
significantly raise the temperature at lower fragments of meteors which got burnt up
levels of the atmosphere thus inducing in the atmosphere. These solid particles
drastic climatic changes. perform the function of absorbing,
reflecting and scattering the radiation.
Ozone (03) • The solid particles are, consequently,
responsible for the orange and red
• Ozone (03) is another important gas in the colours at sunset and sunrise and for the
atmosphere, which is actually a type of length of dawn (the first appearance of light in
oxygen molecule consisting of three, the sky before sunrise) and twilight (the soft
instead of two, atoms. It forms less than glowing light from the sky when the sun is below the
0.00005% by volume of the atmosphere horizon, caused by the reflection of the sun's rays by
and is unevenly distributed. It is between the atmosphere. Dusk: the darker stage of twilight.).
20 km and 25 km altitude that the The blue colour of the sky is also due to
greatest concentrations of ozone are found. selective scattering by dust particles.
It is formed at higher altitudes and • Some of the dust particles are hygroscopic
transported downwards. (i.e. readily absorbing moisture from air) in
• Ozone plays a crucial role in blocking the character, and as such, act as nuclei of
harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. condensation. Thus, dust particles are an
• Other gases found in almost negligible important contributory factor in the
quantities in the atmosphere are argon, formation of clouds, fog and hailstones.
Methane
Structure of Atmosphere
Troposphere
• It is the atmospheric layer between the • The troposphere is the theatre for weather
earth’s surface and an altitude of 8 km at because all cyclones, anticyclones, storms
the poles and 18 km at the equator.
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Tropopause
Page
• Top most layer of troposphere. | 13
• It acts as a boundary between troposphere
and stratosphere.
• This layer is marked by constant
temperatures.
Stratosphere
Insolation
• Earth receives Sun’s radiation (heat) in the • Absorption of solar radiation takes place if
form of short waves (visible light + the obstructing particles happen to be
wavelengths below visible light – most of water vapour, ozone molecules, carbon
it is ultraviolet radiation) which are of dioxide molecules or clouds.
electromagnetic nature. The earth absorbs • Most of the light received by earth is
short wave radiation during daytime and scattered light.
reflects back the heat received into space Page
as long-wave radiation (mostly infrared Land-Sea Differential | 15
radiation) during night.
• Albedo of land is much greater than albedo
Ways of Transfer of Heat Energy of oceans and water bodies. Especially
snow covered areas reflect up to 70%-90%
• The heat energy from the solar radiation is of insolation.
received by the earth through three • Average penetration of sunlight is more in
mechanisms— water – up to 20 metres, than in land –
• Radiation == Heat transfer from one body where it is up to 1 metre only. Therefore,
to another without actual contact or land cools or becomes hot more rapidly
movement. It is possible in relatively compared to oceans. In oceans, continuous
emptier space, for instance, from the sun convection cycle helps in heat exchange
to the earth through space. between layers keeping diurnal and annual
• Conduction == Heat transfer through temperature ranges low. (more while
matter by molecular activity. Heat studying salinity and temperature
transfer in iron and other metals is by distribution of oceans)
conduction. Generally, denser materials • The specific heat of water is 2.5 times
like water are good conductors and a higher than landmass, therefore water
lighter medium like air is a bad conductor takes longer to get heated up and to cool
of heat. down.
• Convection == Transfer of heat energy by
Prevailing Winds
actual transfer of matter or substance
from one place to another. (heat transfer • Winds transfer heat from one latitude to
by convection cycles in atmosphere as well another. They also help in exchange of
as oceans) heat between land and water bodies.
• The oceanic winds have the capacity to
Factors Affecting Temperature
take the moderating influence of the sea to
Distribution coastal areas – reflected in cool summers
and mild winters. This effect is pronounced
The Angle of Incidence or the Inclination of
only on the windward side (the side facing
the Sun’s Rays
the ocean).
Duration of Sunshine
Transparency of Atmosphere
• The leeward side or the interiors do not get • On 3rd January, the earth is the nearest
the moderating effect of the sea, and to the sun (147 million km). This position
therefore experience extremes of is called perihelion.
temperature. • Therefore, the annual insolation received
by the earth on 3rd January is slightly
Aspects of Slope more than the amount received on 4th
July. Page
• However, the effect of this variation in the | 16
solar output is masked by other factors
like the distribution of land and sea and
the atmospheric circulation.
• Hence, this variation in the solar output
does not have great effect on daily weather
changes on the surface of the earth.
Southern Hemisphere
(d) Subtropical areas are nearer to the all will help immensely in understanding the
oceanic areas than the equatorial future posts on climatology.
locations.
• Lapse rate is rate of change in temperature
Match the following observed while moving upward through the
Earth’s atmosphere (troposphere to be
specific). Page
• The lapse rate is considered positive when | 20
the temperature decreases with elevation,
zero when the temperature is constant
with elevation, and negative when the
temperature increases with elevation
(temperature inversion).
30 words • The lapse rate of non-rising air –
commonly referred to as the normal, or
1) How does the unequal distribution of heat Environmental, Lapse Rate (ELR) – is
over the planet earth in space and time highly variable, being affected by
cause variations in weather and climate? radiation, convection, and
2) What are the factors that control condensation; it averages about 6.5 °C
temperature distribution on the surface of per kilometer in the lower atmosphere
the earth? (troposphere).
3) In India, why is the day temperature
maximum in May and why not after the Why does temperature fall with
summer solstice? elevation
4) Why is the annual range of temperature
high in the Siberian plains • When we move up a hill, we notice a fall in
temperature. This fall in temperature with
150 words elevation is primarily due to two reasons.
1) How do the latitude and the tilt in the axis 1. With increase in elevation, the
of rotation of the earth affect the amount of atmospheric pressure falls. Fall in
radiation received at the earth’s surface? pressure implies that the temperature also
2) Discuss the processes through which the falls [Pressure is directly proportional to
earth-atmosphere system maintains heat Temperature and vice versa]
balance. 2. With increase in elevation, the
3) Compare the global distribution of concentration of greenhouse gases
temperature in January over the northern decrease (Water vapor and carbon dioxide
and the southern hemisphere of the earth. fall sharply with elevation). Hence the heat
absorption capacity of atmosphere will also
Lapse Rate decrease.
• This also happens when an air parcel is in Unsaturated air == It’s stomach is not full. It
contact with cooler surfaces like mountain can accommodate some more moisture.]
slopes. We will see more about this in
temperature inversion. • When a rising air parcel has little
• The beginning of fall is a non-adiabatic moisture, condensation during upliftment
process as there is an exchange of heat is low, the latent heat of condensation
between the air parcel and the released is low [Less additional heat from Page
surrounding environment. inside]. As a result, the fall in temperature | 22
• When an air parcel is falling, the with height is greater compared to
atmospheric pressure acting on it will Adiabatic Lapse Rate (normal parcel of air).
increase and its internal temperature will [I have explained in detail in my videos]
increase adiabatically. [This is Negative • The dry adiabatic lapse rate for the Earth’s
Adiabatic Lapse Rate as the atmosphere equals 9.8° C per kilometre.
Temperature is rising]. • Dry Adiabatic Lapse rate is mainly
associated with stable conditions
Katabatic Wind is a hot dry wind that blows [because it has less moisture].
down a mountain slope. It is an example for a
falling parcel of air in which the temperature Wet Adiabatic Lapse rate
changes happen adiabatically.
• When an air parcel that is saturated
Adiabatic Lapse Rate in simple terms (stomach full) with water vapour rises,
some of the vapour will condense and
• Adiabatic change refers to the change in release latent heat [Additional Heat from
temperature with pressure. inside]. This process causes the parcel to
• On descent through atmosphere, the lower cool more slowly than it would if it were
layers are compressed under atmospheric not saturated.
pressure. As a result, the temperature • The moist adiabatic lapse rate varies
increases. considerably because the amount of water
• On ascent, the air expands as pressure vapour in the air is highly variable. The
‘decreases’. This expansion reduces the greater the amount of vapour, the smaller
temperature and aids condensation of the adiabatic lapse rate [because the
water vapour. Condensation of water condensation process keeps on adding
vapour releases the Latent Heat of more latent heat of condensation]. On an
Condensation in the process. average it is taken as 4° C per kilometre.
• This latent heat of condensation is the
major driving force behind tropical
cyclones, convectional rains.
• Wet Adiabatic Lapse rate is mainly moist adiabatic lapse rates determines the
associated with unstable conditions vertical stability of the atmosphere.
[because it has more moisture]. • For this reason, the lapse rate is of prime
• As an air parcel rises and cools, it may importance to meteorologists in forecasting
eventually lose its moisture through certain types of cloud formations, the
condensation; its lapse rate then increases incidence of thunderstorms, and the
and approaches the dry adiabatic value. intensity of atmospheric turbulence. Page
| 23
Significance in meteorology Weather conditions at
different adiabatic lapse rates
• The difference between the normal lapse
rate in the atmosphere and the dry and
1. LR (Lapse Rate) = Average Adiabatic Conditional stability: WALR < ALR <
Lapse Rate of entire atmosphere = DALR == Normal moisture conditions == It
6 °C/km [ALR of a place may be may or may not rain
greater than or lesser than the Laspe
Rate of atmosphere, i.e, it may be less Absolute instability: ALR (at a place) <
than or greater than 6 °C/km] WALR == Excess moisture in the air parcel
2. If ALR at a place is greater == It will rain violently.
than 6 °C/km then it is called DALR =
Less moisture than normal = more Absolute stability: ALR (at a place) >
stable than normal. DALR
3. If ALR at a place is lesser
than 6 °C/km then it is called WALR = • The above condition simply means that
More moisture than normal = less there is little moisture in air.
stable than normal or instability. • When there is little moisture, condensation
of water vapour is low, so latent of
Absolute stability: ALR (at a place) > condensation released will be low, and the
DALR == Little moisture in the air parcel == rising parcel of air gets cold quickly, and it
It won’t rain falls to the ground once it becomes denser.
• So there will be no cloud formation and The latent heat is normally expressed as the
hence there will be no rain amount of heat (in units of joules or calories)
(thunderstorms). per mole or unit mass of the substance
• This simply means that the condition is undergoing a change of state.
stable.
• For example, when a pot of water is kept
Conditional stability: WALR < ALR < boiling, the temperature remains at 100 °C Page
DALR until the last drop evaporates, because all | 24
the heat being added to the liquid is
• The above condition simply means that absorbed as latent heat of vaporization and
there is enough moisture in air and there carried away by the escaping vapour
are chances of thunderstorms. molecules.
• When there is considerable moisture in the • Similarly, while ice melts, it remains at 0
air parcel, condensation of water vapour °C, and the liquid water that is formed with
will be reasonably high, so latent of the latent heat of fusion is also at 0 °C.
condensation released will be adequate to
drive a thunderstorm. The occurrence of Explanation
thunderstorm depends on external factors.
So the weather will be associated with
conditional stability (it may rain or it may
not rain)
Latent Heat
• From the above graph, we can observe that What do you understand by phenomenon of
there is no change in temperature in the “temperature inversion” in meteorology? How
system during change of state or phase does it affect weather and habitants of the
change (solid to liquid, liquid to solid, place?
liquid to gas and gas to liquid). Then where
did the heat supplied go? Temperature Inversion
• Initially the heat supplied is used to raise Page
the temperature of the system (A – B & C – • Temperature inversion, is a reversal of the | 25
D) normal behavior of temperature in the
• During phase change, the heat supplied is troposphere, in which a layer of cool air at
consumed to turn water into liquid and the surface is overlain by a layer of warmer
then liquid into gas. So the heat supplied air. (Under normal conditions,
in used in phase change. Hence temperature usually decreases with
temperature of the system remains height)
constant during phase change process. (B
– C & D – E)
• But when gas turns into liquid or liquid
into solid, heat is released. (this heat is the
heat that was used during the phase
change process)
1. Long nights, so that the outgoing radiation • This condition, opposite to normal vertical
is greater than the incoming radiation. distribution of temperature, is known as
2. Clear skies, which allow unobstructed Temperature Inversion.
escape of radiation. • In other words, the vertical temperature
3. Calm and stable air, so that there is no gets inverted during temperature inversion.
vertical mixing at lower levels. • This kind of temperature inversion is very
strong in the middle and higher latitudes. Page
Types of Temperature Inversion It can be strong in regions with high | 26
mountains or deep valleys also.
Temperature Inversion in
Intermontane Valley (Air Drainage Ground Inversion (Surface
Type of Inversion) Temperature Inversion)
• The weight of a column of air contained in • The pressure decreases with height. At any
a unit area from the mean sea level to the elevation it varies from place to place and
top of the atmosphere is called the its variation is the primary cause of air
atmospheric pressure. The atmospheric motion, i.e. wind which moves from high
pressure is expressed in various units. pressure areas to low pressure areas.
• A rising pressure indicates fine, settled
Measurement of Air Pressure weather, while a falling pressure indicates Page
unstable and cloudy weather. | 28
• Atmospheric pressure is the weight of the
column of air at any given place and time. Horizontal Distribution of Pressure
It is measured by means of an instrument
called barometer. • Small differences in pressure are highly
• The units used by meteorologists for this significant in terms of the wind direction
purpose are called millibars (mb). and velocity. Horizontal distribution of
• One millibar is equal to the force of one pressure is studied by drawing isobars at
gram on a square centimeter. A pressure of constant levels.
1000 millibars is equal to the weight of • Isobars are lines connecting places having
1.053 kilograms per square centimeter. equal pressure. In order to eliminate the
• In other words, it will be equal to the effect of altitude on pressure, it is
weight of a column of mercury 75 cm high. measured at any station after being
• The normal pressure at sea level is taken reduced to sea level for purposes of
to be about 76 centimeters (1013.25 comparison.
millibars). • The spacing of isobars expresses the rate
and direction of pressure changes and is
Vertical Variation of Pressure
Closed Isobars or Closed Pressure • Due to intense heating, air gets warmed up
centers and rises over the equatorial region
(convection).
• Low pressure system is enclosed by one or • Whenever there is vertically upward
more isobars with the lowest pressure in movement of air, the region at the surface
the centre. High-pressure system is also will be at low pressure. Thus the belt along
enclosed by one or more isobars with the the equator is called equatorial low Page
highest pressure in the centre. pressure belt. | 29
Formation
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• Such belts in the southern hemisphere • Due to a great contrast between the
surround the periphery of Antarctica and temperatures of the winds from sub-
are not as well differentiated. tropical and polar source regions, extra
tropical cyclonic storms or lows’ (temperate
cyclones or frontal cyclones) are produced
in this region.
Page
Polar High Pressure Belt | 32
Formation
Climate
Climate
Example
Centripetal Acceleration
• When isobars are straight and when there
• It acts only on air that is flowing around is no friction, the pressure gradient force is
centers of circulation. balanced by the Coriolis force and the
• Centripetal acceleration creates a force resultant wind blows parallel to the isobar.
directed at right angles to the wind This wind is known as the geostrophic
movement and inwards towards the wind.
centers of rotation (e.g., low and high • The wind movement around a low is called
pressure centers). cyclonic circulation. Around a high it is
called anti cyclonic circulation. The
direction of winds around such systems • The main cause of the Coriolis effect is the
changes according to their location in earth's rotation. As the earth spins in a
different hemispheres. counter-clockwise direction on its axis
anything flying or flowing over a long
distance above its surface appears to be
deflected.
• This occurs because as something moves Page
freely above the earth's surface, the earth | 36
is moving east under the object at a faster
Hadley Cell
Ferrel Cell
Polar Cell
General Circulation of the
Atmosphere • At polar latitudes the cold dense air
subsides near the poles and blows towards
• The pattern of planetary winds depend on: middle latitudes as the polar easterlies.
(i) latitudinal variation of This cell is called the polar cell.
atmospheric heating; • These three cells set the pattern for the
(ii) emergence of pressure belts; general circulation of the atmosphere.
(iii) the migration of belts following The transfer of heat energy from lower
apparent path of the sun; latitudes to higher latitudes maintains the
(iv) the distribution of continents general circulation.
and oceans; • The general circulation of the atmosphere
(v) the rotation of earth. also affects the oceans. The large-scale
• The pattern of the movement of the winds of the atmosphere initiate large and
planetary winds is called the general slow moving currents of the ocean. Oceans
circulation of the atmosphere. The general in turn provide input of energy and water
circulation of the atmosphere also sets in vapour into the air. These interactions take
motion the ocean water circulation which place rather slowly over a large part of the
influences the earth’s climate. ocean.
Page
| 38
• The westerlies of the southern hemisphere • Other examples of periodic winds include
are stronger and persistent due to the vast land and sea breeze, mountain and valley
expanse of water, while those of the breeze, cyclones and anticyclones, and air
northern hemisphere are irregular masses.
because of uneven relief of vast land-
masses. Monsoons
• The westerlies are best developed between Page
40° and 65°S latitudes. These latitudes • Monsoons were traditionally explained as | 40
are often called Roaring Forties, Furious land and sea breezes on a large scale.
Fifties, and Shrieking Sixties – dreaded Thus, they were considered a convectional
terms for sailors. circulation on a giant scale.
• The poleward boundary of the westerlies is • The monsoons are characterized by
highly fluctuating. There are many seasonal reversal of wind direction.
seasonal and short-term fluctuations. • During summer, the trade winds of
These winds produce wet spells and southern hemisphere are pulled
variability in weather. northwards by an apparent northward
movement of the sun and by an intense
The Polar easterlies low pressure core in the north-west of the
Indian subcontinent.
• The Polar easterlies are dry, cold prevailing • While crossing the equator, these winds get
winds blowing from north-east to south- deflected to their right under the effect of
west direction in Northern Hemisphere Coriolis force.
and south-east to north-west in Southern • These winds now approach the Asian
Hemisphere. landmass as south-west monsoons. Since
• They blow from the polar high-pressure they travel a long distance over a vast
areas of the sub-polar lows. expanse of water, by the time they reach
the south-western coast of India, they are
over-saturated with moisture and cause
heavy rainfall in India and neighboring
countries.
• During winter, these conditions are
reversed and a high pressure core is
created to the north of the Indian
subcontinent. Divergent winds are
produced by this anticyclonic movement
which travels southwards towards the
equator. This movement is enhanced by
the apparent southward movement of the
sun. These are north-east or winter
monsoons which are responsible for some
precipitation along the east coast of India.
• The monsoon winds flow over India,
Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar (Burma),
Sri Lanka, the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal,
southeastern Asia, northern Australia,
• In mountainous regions, during the day wind blows from the west in the months of
the slopes get heated up and air moves May and June, usually in the afternoons.
upslope and to fill the resulting gap the air It is known as loo. Its temperature
from the valley blows up the valley. This
wind is known as the valley breeze. During
the night the slopes get cooled and the
dense air descends into the valley as the
mountain wind. The cool air, of the high
plateaus and ice fields draining into the
valley is called katabatic wind.
• Another type of warm wind (katabatic
wind) occurs on the leeward side of the
mountain ranges. The moisture in these
winds, while crossing the mountain ranges
condense and precipitate. When it
descends down the leeward side of the
slope the dry air gets warmed up by
adiabatic process. This dry air may melt
the snow in a short time.
Chinook
• Beneficial Wind
• Foehn like winds in USA and Canada move
down the west slopes of the Rockies and
are known as Chinooks.
• It is beneficial to ranchers east of the
Rockies as it keeps the grasslands clear of
snow during much of the winter.
Mistral
maritime cyclone, and the counter- cyclone do torrential rains and high
clockwise circulation of the low propels the velocity winds blow and why?
mixed air across the southern coasts of
Europe. Water Cycle - Hydrological Cycle
• The Sirocco causes dusty dry conditions
along the northern coast of Africa, storms
in the Mediterranean Sea, and cool wet Page
weather in Europe. | 43
Questions
3. The atmospheric moisture affects the • Relative humidity can be changed in either
human body’s rate of cooling by of the two ways—
influencing the sensible temperature. 1. By adding moisture through
evaporation: if moisture is added by
Evaporation evaporation, the relative humidity will
increase and vice versa.
• The oceans covering 71% of the earth’s 2. By changing temperature of air: a Page
surface hold 97% of all the earth’s water decrease in temperature (hence, | 44
reserves. decrease in moisture-holding capacity)
• Evapotranspiration may be taken as the will cause a decrease in relative
starting point in the hydrological cycle. The humidity and vice versa.
oceans contribute 84% of the annual total • The relative humidity determines the
and the continents 16%. amount and rate of evaporation and hence
• The highest annual evaporation occur in it is an important climatic factor.
the sub-tropics of the western North • Air containing moisture to its full capacity
Atlantic and North Pacific because of the at a given temperature is said to be
influence of the Gulf Stream and the ‘saturated’. At this temperature, the air
Kurishino Current, and in the trade wind cannot hold any additional amount of
zone of the southern oceans. moisture. Thus, relative humidity of the
• The land maximum occurs in equatorial saturated air is 100%.
region because of high insolation and • If the air has half the amount of moisture
luxuriant vegetation. that it can carry, then it is unsaturated
and its relative humidity is only 50%.
Humidity
Consider 1 m3 of air at a temperature ‘T’.
• Water vapour present in the air is known
as humidity. Let us assume that saturation occurs when
0.5 kg of water vapor is present in 1 m3 of air
Absolute Humidity
i.e. relative humidity will be 100% if 1 m3 of
• The actual amount of the water vapour atmosphere contains 0.5 kg of water vapor at
present in the atmosphere is known as the temperature T.
absolute humidity.
Imagine that 1 m3 of atmosphere at a given
• It is the weight of water vapour per unit
time is made up of 0.2 kg of water vapor at a
volume of air and is expressed in terms of
temperature ‘T’.
grams per cubic metre.
• The absolute humidity differs from place Now the relative humidity = 40 % ===> 0.2 kg
to place on the surface of the earth. of water vapor per 1 m3 of atmosphere ===>
• The ability of the air to hold water vapour the atmosphere can still hold 0.3 kg of water
depends entirely on its TEMPERATURE. vapor since saturation occurs at 0.5 kg.
Warm air can hold more moisture than
cold air. Here,
• Cooling by contact with a cold surface • For the formation of dew, it is necessary
produces dew, frost or fog depending on that the dew point is above the freezing
other atmospheric conditions. point.
• But the effect of cooling produced by
radiation, conduction and mixing is White Frost
confined to a thin layer of the atmosphere.
• The non-adiabatic processes of cooling • Frost forms on cold surfaces when Page
produce only dew, fog or frost. They are condensation | 47
incapable of producing a substantial takes place
amount of precipitation. below freezing
point (0° C),
Forms of Condensation i.e. the dew
point is at or
• The forms of condensation can be below the
classified on the basis of temperature at freezing point.
which the dew point is reached. • The excess
• Condensation can take place when the dew moisture is
point is deposited in the form of minute ice
1. lower than the freezing point, crystals instead of water droplets.
2. higher than the freezing point. • The ideal conditions for the formation of
• White frost, snow and some clouds white frost are the same as those for the
(cirrus clouds) are produced when the formation of dew, except that the air
temperature is lower than the freezing temperature must be at or below the
point. freezing point.
• Dew, fog and clouds result even when the
temperature is higher than the freezing Fog
point.
• Forms of condensation may also be
classified on the basis of their location, i.e.
at or near the earth’s surface and in free
air.
• Dew, white frost, fog and mist come in
the first category, whereas clouds are in
the second category.
Dew
• When the temperature of an air mass
containing a large quantity of water vapour
falls all of a sudden, condensation takes
place within itself on fine dust particles.
• So, the fog is a cloud with its base at or
very near to the ground. Because of the
fog and mist, the visibility becomes poor
to zero.
• In urban and industrial centers smoke
provides plenty of nuclei which help the
formation of fog and mist. Such a condition
• When the moisture is deposited in the form when fog is mixed with smoke, is described
of water droplets on cooler surfaces of solid as smog (will be discussed in detail in
objects (rather than nuclei in air above the next post). [Related Question Asked in
surface) such as stones, grass blades and Mains 2015: Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata
plant leaves, it is known as dew. are the three mega cities of the country
• The ideal conditions for its formation are but the air pollution is much more
clear sky, calm air, high relative humidity, serious problem in Delhi as compared
and cold and long nights. to the other two. Why is this so?]
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• Radiation fog results from radiation, • Sources for haze particles include farming
cooling of the ground and adjacent air. (ploughing in dry weather), traffic,
These fogs are not very thick. Usual in industry, and wildfires.
winters.
• Fogs formed by condensation of warm air Smog
when it moves horizontally over a cold
surface, are known as advectional fog. Page
These fogs are thick and persistent. | 48
Occurs over warm and cold water mixing
zones in oceans.
• Frontal or precipitation fog is produced
due to convergence of warm and cold air
masses where warm air mass is pushed
under by the heavier cold air mass.
• Precipitation in the warm air mass
condenses to produce fog at the boundary
of the two air masses. These are called
frontal or precipitation fog. • Smog = smoke + fog (smoky fog) caused by
• In fog visibility is less than one kilometer. the burning of large amounts of coal,
vehicular emission and industrial fumes
Mist (Primary pollutants).
Clouds
Page
| 49
• Nimbus clouds are black or dark gray. 1. hydrocarbons (HC) and nitrogen oxides
They form at middle levels or very near to (NOx) combine in the presence of
the surface of the earth. sunlight;
• These are extremely dense and opaque to 2. NO combines with oxygen in the air;
the rays of the sun. and
• Sometimes, the clouds are so low that they 3. acid rain, which is formed when sulfur
seem to touch the ground. dioxide or nitrogen oxides react with Page
• Nimbus clouds are shapeless masses of water. | 50
thick vapour.
Sulfurous smog
A combination of these four basic types can
give rise to the following types of clouds:
Vehicular Emissions
Types of Rainfall
Conventional Rainfall
Frontal Precipitation
annum. The coastal areas of the continents temperate lands receive rainfall varying
receive moderate amount of rainfall. between 50 - 100 cm per annum.
• The central parts of the tropical land and
the eastern and interior parts of the
Page
| 55
• Thunderstorm is a storm with thunder • Later, downdraft brings down to earth the
and lightning and typically also heavy cool air and rain.
rain or hail. • The incoming of thunderstorm is indicated
• Thunderstorms mostly occur on ground by violent gust of wind. This wind is due to
where the temperature is high. the intense downdraft.
Thunderstorms are less frequent on water • The updraft and downdraft determine the
bodies due to low temperature. path of the thunderstorm. Most of the Page
• Worldwide, there are an estimated 16 time, the path is erratic. | 56
million thunderstorms each year, and at
any given moment, there are roughly 2,000 Dissipating stage
thunderstorms in progress.
• When the clouds extend to heights where
sub-zero temperature prevails, hails are
formed and they come down as hailstorm.
Intense precipitation occurs.
• In a matter of few minutes, the storm
dissipates and clear weather starts to
prevail.
Cumulus stage
Downbursts
Mature stage
Types of Thunderstorms
Frontal thunderstorm
Thermal thunderstorm
Single-cell thunderstorm
• Individual cells usually last 30 to 60 • Most large and violent tornadoes come
minutes, while the system as a whole may from supercells.
last for many hours.
• Multicell storms may produce hail, strong
winds, brief tornadoes, and/or flooding.
Lightning deaths
has a larger surface area, though some • Lightning creates plasma (ionized gas
consider it to be a large brackish bay due medium) [30,000 °C].
to its direct connection with the sea.) — • The channel pressure greatly exceeds the
which is surrounded by swampy plains ambient (surrounding) pressure, and the
and connected to the Gulf of channel expands at a supersonic rate
Venezuela/Caribbean Sea by a very narrow (speed of sound).
strait. • The resultant shock wave decays rapidly Page
• The Maracaibo plain is enclosed on three with distance and is eventually heard as | 60
sides by high mountain sides into which thunder once it slows to the speed of
air masses crash. sound.
• The heat and moisture picked from the
swampy plains creates electrical charges Tornado
and, as the air is destabilized at the
mountain faces, thunderstorm activity —
characterised by almost non-stop lightning
activity within clouds — results.
Deadly Strikes