Lecture notes Meteorology (Nme101)

NAVIGATION METEOROLOGY
AND ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGEMENT




By: Dr. NM Manqele

Durban University of Technology (DUT)




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,Contents
CHAPTER 1: THE ATMOSPHERE .............................................................................................................. 1

CHAPTER 2. THE SUN’S INSOLATION AND TEMPERATURE ........................................................... 12

CHAPTER 3. PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION AND WIND CIRCULATION ON EARTH’S SURFACE ... 15

CHAPTER 4. PRESSURE GRADIENT AND WIND ................................................................................. 23

CHAPTER 5. CLOUDS AND CLOUD FORMATION ............................................................................... 29

CHAPTER 6. VISIBILITY ............................................................................................................................ 34

CHAPTER 7. PRECIPITATION .................................................................................................................. 36

CHAPTER 8. ISOBARIC PATTERNS ....................................................................................................... 40

CHAPTER 9. CYCLONES AND ANTICYCLONES .................................................................................. 42

CHAPTER 10. AIR MASSES AND FRONTS ......................................................................................... 45

CHAPTER 11. METEOROLOGICAL INSTRUMENTS .......................................................................... 50




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,List of Tables

Table 1: Specific Heat Capacity of different substances...................................................................... 8

Table 2: The reasons why sand become heated quicker and more intensely than water. ........... 14

Table 3: Geostrophic Wind Chart .......................................................................................................... 27

Table 4: Beaufort Wind Scale................................................................................................................. 28

Table 5: Cloud Groupings ....................................................................................................................... 30

Table 6: Weather Sequence on Passage of Frontal Depression in both Hemispheres ................ 48

Table 7: Correction of mercury barometric reading ............................................................................ 52

Table 8: Relative Humidity Table ........................................................................................................... 57

Table 9: Dew Point Temperature Table ................................................................................................ 58




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, List of Figures

Figure 1: Layers of the Earth’s atmosphere ........................................................................................... 2

Figure 2: Change in average atmospheric pressure with altitude ...................................................... 4

Figure 3: Difference in pressure lapse rate between warm and cold air columns ........................... 5

Figure 4: Semi-Diurnal Variation of Atmospheric Pressure ................................................................. 6

Figure 5: Diurnal Variation of Temperature ............................................................................................ 7

Figure 6: Stable Air .................................................................................................................................... 9

Figure 7: Unstable Air .............................................................................................................................. 10

Figure 8: Conditionally Stable Air .......................................................................................................... 10

Figure 9: Dewpoint Temperature and Stability of Air .......................................................................... 11

Figure 10: Heat Transfer on Earth's Surface ....................................................................................... 12

Figure 11: The Inclination of the Solar Beam ...................................................................................... 13

Figure 12: General Temperature distribution on uniform earth’s surface ........................................ 15

Figure 13: General one-cell global air circulation ................................................................................ 16

Figure 14: General pressure and wind circulation over a uniform earth’s surface ......................... 16

Figure 15: ITCZ in July ............................................................................................................................ 18

Figure 16: ITCZ in January ..................................................................................................................... 19

Figure 17: NE and SW Monsoons ......................................................................................................... 20

Figure 18: Land Breeze ........................................................................................................................... 21

Figure 19: Sea Breeze............................................................................................................................. 21

Figure 20: Katabatic Winds..................................................................................................................... 22

Figure 21: Anabatic Winds ...................................................................................................................... 22

Figure 22: Pressure Gradient Wind ....................................................................................................... 23

Figure 23: Geostrophic Wind .................................................................................................................. 24

Figure 24: Gradient Wind ........................................................................................................................ 25
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