Atmosphere & Climate

Tran Anh Tu, HCMUT

Out line
Sun effects on the Earth
Atmospheric circulations
Cyclone and Anticyclone
Structure of the Atmosphere
The Earth, The Sun, and The Moon
Sun’s influence on the Earth
Sun’s influence on the Earth & Atmospheric
Circulations
Atmospheric Circulations & climate
Atmospheric circulation by elevation and latitude
Hadley Cell vs
Tectonics
Trade winds and Westerlies
Low/
High
Pressure
Convergence and Divergene of Air
Z
Cyclone and Anti-cyclone
 Tonardoes
Areas of low pressures and high
pressures have a central area where
the pressure is the lowest and the
highest.
The center of a low pressure is a
cyclone.
The center of a high pressure is an
anticyclone
 Absorption and Reflection Energy

More energy is absorbed near the equator than emitted and more energy is emitted near
the poles than is absorbed.
Structure of Atmosphere
Characteristics of the Atmosphere layers
Jet Streams
A long, narrow current of strong winds in the midlatitudes that is
generally found in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere
(roughly 25,000-35,000 ft, 400-250 hPa).
Strongest can exceed 250 mph. Nearly always from the west in mid-
latitudes.
Hundreds of kilometer wide but only few kilometer deep
Jet Streams
Clouds, precipitation
 Cloud types
• Cirrus (cirrus = curl of hair) are
clouds that are high, white, and thin.
• Cumulus (cumulus = a pile) are
clouds that consist of rounded
individual cloud masses.
• Stratus (stratus = a layer) are
clouds best described as sheets or
layers that cover much or all of the
sky.
 High Clouds: Cirrus, Cirrostratus, Cirrocumulus
Middle Clouds: Altocumulus, Altostratus

Clouds by Attitude Low Clouds: Stratus, Stratocumulus,

Nimbostratus