Latest Atmospheric thermodynamics Stories
Answers may be hidden in the tropopause, 32,000 to 56,000 feet highScientists are deploying an advanced research aircraft to study a region of the atmosphere that influences climate change by affecting the amount of solar heat that reaches Earth's surface.Findings from the project, based at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colo., will be used by researchers worldwide to improve computer models of global climate in preparation for the next report by the...
The temperature inside a healthy, photosynthesizing tree leaf is affected less by outside environmental temperature than originally believed, according to new research from biologists at the University of Pennsylvania.Surveying 39 tree species ranging in location from subtropical to boreal climates, researchers found a nearly constant temperature in tree leaves. These findings provide new understanding of how tree branches and leaves maintain a homeostatic temperature considered ideal for...
ESA's Venus Express has recently "˜peeled back' the thick clouds around Venus to provide the most accurate and wide-ranging map of water vapour and other gases in the lower atmosphere to date.As a planet, Venus does not radiate a significant amount of visible light. But because of the searing temperatures below its thick cloud layer, reaching 200°C at an altitude of 35 km and more than 450°C at the surface, there is great deal of infrared radiation coming from beneath. At certain...
HAMPTON, Va. -- A Hampton University professor is shedding new light on night-shining clouds that might be affected by climate change. Jim Russell is the lead scientist for the NASA-funded AIM satellite, the first to study the wispy "noctilucent" clouds, which only appear above Earth's poles.Russell, an atmospheric science professor, has found that the clouds get brighter and stretch farther as the uppermost atmosphere gets colder. He thinks that the changes might be caused by...
It's no mystery that over the years society has enjoyed amenities and technological advances made by NASA. Often these discoveries find their way into mainstream lifestyles through a process referred to as technology transfer or spinoffs. So can the agency that brought you semiconductor cubing, enriched baby food, improved athletic shoes and comfier mattresses help solve a mystery of national importance? The Charters of Freedom -- the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the...
There's an old saying, "You can't see the forest for the trees." When it comes to global climate change, it's not hard to spot the "trees" -- they're in the news headlines nearly every day. To see the "forest," however--that is, to gain a more complete understanding of the climate variations we're seeing--scientists use satellite remote sensing. With these technologies, they can directly measure factors that affect our climate, such as levels of water vapor and...
Stunning simulations that give a multi-dimensional glimpse into the interior of stars show that material bubbling around the convection zone induces a rich spectrum of internal gravity waves in the stable layers above and below.The swirling simulations, which are reminiscent of Van Gogh's star paintings, show the interior of a star during the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) phase, the final stage of a low- and intermediate-mass star's life before it becomes a white dwarf. It is during this...
For the first time, NASA scientists have used a shrewd spaceborne detective to track the origin and movement of water vapor throughout Earth's atmosphere. This perspective is vital to improve the understanding of Earth's water cycle and its role in weather and climate. NASA's newest detective in the mysteries of atmospheric water vapor is the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer instrument on the Aura satellite. A team of scientists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., and...
U.S. scientists say they've determined rain evaporation and continental convection play an important part in the tropical water cycle. The researchers, led by John Worden at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, analyzed global measurements of the isotopic composition of water vapor from NASA's Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer to determine the processes driving the tropical hydrological cycle. The scientists say they discovered rainfall evaporation...
By Deborah ZabarenkoBELTSVILLE, Maryland -- The weather outside was frightful: hot, humid and layered with a haze of pollution so thick it seemed it could be cut with a machete -- a perfect day to use balloons and a satellite to monitor some bad air.On the last full day of a monthlong heat wave, when most sensible people might prefer to be sitting in the shade with a cool drink, climate scientists were out in a sunny field, coordinating the launch of a weather balloon with a satellite called...
Latest Atmospheric thermodynamics Reference Libraries
Surface Dew-points can play a huge role in weather forecasting. The first such role is that it helps determine the amount of moisture in the atmosphere for a given point. If we look at the current dew-point map above from January 28, 2013 we can note several things of interest. First, if we look at where the black circle is around the number 70, we can make note that this air right off the coast of Texas is at a dew point of 70F. The temperature outside must be above 70F, because the...
Weather Pack is our way to envision what is happening with the weather and create a weather forecast for a certain area of the United States. Today’s focus is on Southwest Mississippi along the Mississippi River. On the left side we have a Skew-T which is used to help us determine what is happening in the upper levels at our forecast location. On the right side is our morning satellite image; both of these features are important to creating an accurate forecast. The Skew-T will show...
The morning weather map for July 5, shows us the current surface pressure readings. Surface Pressure is very important from a meteorological stand point. We use this to help us identify where our surface pressure centers are just like you see above. Our Low pressure area is over Northeast Colorado and also the High pressure over the Ontario area. Surface pressure is taken hourly from the stations and they are also mostly done on a 24hr basis, however some places will only submit their...
The map above shows our dew-point temperatures which is an important temp when it comes to weather. The dew-points help us determine how much moisture is in the atmosphere. If we look at the circle placed over Southern Mississippi we can see temps in the Mid 70’s. That is considered to be very saturated and humid type of weather. When you walk outside it feels very uncomfortable. While if we look back in Nevada we see 15, this is more respectful of being very dry air. This type of air also...
So why is there so much heat and humidity rising up into the Northern Plains creating a surge of hot weather? The answer is in the weather map above. If we look over Lake Michigan we see an area of High pressure which has a clockwise flow over the region. So places on the East are having cooler weather as they are getting the air from Canada pushing down towards them. North Dakota into the Gulf Coast are on the back side of the high so there air is coming from the Gulf of Mexico. If...
