Below you will find a listing of material that was emphasized in lecture. This is not meant to be an all inclusive list of material that will be on the exam. You are responsible for Lecture Sets 1-5, Chapters 1-3, and modules 1 & 2 on your Wx and Climate CDROM.  Study hard, and good luck!!!!

I. "Introduction"

• Earth Systems concepts
• Earth's Spheres (subsystems)
• Methods of science
• Our Solar System
• Formation of our solar system
• Weather & Climate Variables
• Fundamental Quantities
• Derived Quantities: speed, velocity, force, energy, pressure
• Temperature and Temperature Scales
• Unit Conversions

• The evolution of Earth's Atmosphere
• composition of the atmosphere
• structure of the atmosphere - by temperature, composition, & function
• atmospheric pressure
• atmospheric density
• the ozone layer
• insolation
• the electromagnetic spectrum
• short and long-wave radiation
• heat transfer mechanisms (conduction, convection, radiation)
• radiation laws
• uneven distribution of insolation
• declination
• direct versus indirect radiation
• seasonality
• the seasons - reasons for the seasons
• albedo
• insolation input and uneven heating of Earth's surface, leads to atmospheric and oceanic circulations
• reflection, scattering, and absorption
• The Greenhouse Effect
• Enhancement of the greenhouse effect
• Earth's energy balance
• Earth and atmosphere radiation balances
• temperature controls: latitude, altitude, cloud cover, land-water heating differences (evaporation, transmissibility, specific heat, mixing, currents) - marine and continental climates
• global temperature patterns - worldwide mean temperatures for January - worldwide mean temperatures for July; annual range of temperatures