Chapter 8

Atmospheric Pressure
What causes air pressure to change in the horizontal? Why does the air pressure change at the surface?

Atmospheric Pressure

Horizontal Pressure Variations

It takes a shorter column of dense, cold air

to exert the same pressure as a taller column of less dense, warm air Warm air aloft is normally associated with high atmospheric pressure and cold air aloft with low atmospheric pressure At surface, horizontal difference in temperature = horizontal pressure in pressure = wind

Atmospheric Pressure

Daily Pressure Variations

Thermal tides in the tropics
Mid-latitude pressure variation driven by

transitory pressure cells

Pressure Measurements
Barometer, barometric pressure Standard atmospheric pressure 1013.25mb

Aneroid barometers Altimeter, barograph

Atmospheric Pressure

Pressure Readings
Temperature correction: the mercury

barometer is also a thermometer Altitude corrections: high altitude add pressure, ~10mb/100m above sea level

Surface and Upper Level Charts

Sea-level pressure chart: constant height Upper level or isobaric chart: constant pressure surface (i.e. 500mb)

High heights correspond to higher than

normal pressures at a given latitude and vice versa

Surface and Upper Level Charts

Observation: Constant Pressure Surface

Pressure altimeter in an airplane causes

path along constant pressure not elevation May cause sudden drop in elevation Radio altimeter offers constant elevation

Forces that Influence Winds

Pressure Gradient Force: difference in pressure over distance

Directed perpendicular to isobars from high

to low. Large change in pressure over s short distance is a strong pressure gradient and vice versa. The force that causes the wind to blow.

Forces that Influence Winds

Coriolis Force
Apparent deflection due to rotation of the

Earth Right in northern hemisphere and left in southern hemisphere Stronger wind = greater deflection No Coriolis effect at the equator greatest at poles. Only influence direction, not speed Only has significant impact over long distances

Forces that Influence Winds

Geostrophic Winds
Earth turning winds
Travel parallel to isobars Spacing of isobars indicates speed; close =

fast, spread out = slow

Topic: Math & Geostrophic Winds

Vg = 1 x p f d

Stepped Art
Fig. 8-29, p. 214

Forces that Influence Winds

Winds on Upper-level Charts

Winds parallel to contour lines and flow west

to east Heights decrease from north to south

Surface Winds
Friction reduces the wind speed which in

turn decrease the Coriolis effect. Winds cross the isobars at about 30 into low pressure and out of high pressure Buys-Ballots Law

Winds and Vertical Motion

Replacement of lateral spreading of air results in the rise of air over a low pressure and subsidence over high pressure