ATPL (A)
Review Worksheets
050 METEOROLOGY
BY KDMN
2020
,I/ THE ATMOSPHERE
01 COMPOSITION, EXTENSION, AND VERTICAL DIVISION
• Earth closest to the sun during winter (1st of January)
23°26’ • Coriolis force -> deflection to right in northern Hemisphere
cancer
• Atmosphere: dry air, 78%N2, 21% O2, 1% of rare gases (0.9%
of Argon) -> constant concentration. CO2, H2O (25 % of
capricorne atmosphere mass) varying with altitude.
• 50 % of atmosphere mass within the first 5km.
a) INTERNATION STANDARD ATMOSPHERE ISA:
➔ T= 15°C at MSL, -2°C/1000ft.
➔ Tropopause: 11-12km (36090ft) / -56,5 °C up to 20km.
➔ P= 1013 HPa.
➔ Humidity 0%.
b) DEFINITIONS:
➔ Greenhouse effect: traps sun radiation thanks to CO2, H2O, and methane.
➔ Ozone layer: “solar cream” against UV (from 15km to 45km).
➔ Aerosol: dust, sand, volcanic ashes within the atmosphere -> enables changing of state of
water thanks to condensation nuclei.
c) LAYERS:
, 02 AIR TEMPERATURE
a) THERMAL EXCHANGES:
Atmosphere absorbs 90 % of Earth radiation.
Atmosphere is warming thanks to condensation
and convection
Convection (vertical) Advection = horizontal
movement with wind.
The wind ↑ TSFC – T4ft.
Water has higher specific
heat= thermal capacity than Conduction
land -> we need more energy
to heat water than land. 51% of solar radiation is absorbed by the Earth -> Earth
radiation.
Capacity of reflexion = albedo = 31% for the Earth.
• Lat 40° is the balance latitude -> rear pole has deficit in solar radiation, equator has surplus of solar
radiation.
• Latent heat represents the energy necessary to supply the change of state, it is the most important
phenomenon for redistribution of energy.
b) INVERSION: temperature inversion: temperature increases with altitude -> low level turbulence.
1. RADIATION INVERSION = NOCTURAL INVERSION: clear sky, earth radiation are spread in the
atmosphere, the ground becomes colder than the air layer.
2. SUBSIDENCE INVERSION: Subsidence of air layer (old high-pressure system), piling up ->
compression -> T°C ↑
3. FRONTAL INVERSION: occurs when a warmer layer goes over a colder one.
warmer
4. VALLEY INVERSION:
colder
c) DIURNAL VARIATION ΔT:
➔ Tmin=30 min after sunrise, Tmax= 2h after the sun into meridian plan (“zenith”). Insolation is
max at local noon. ΔT max over large land.
➔ ΔT depends on: ->Nature of ground (++ dry ground, -- at sea), -> humidity (++ dry air), -> height
of the sun (++ in summer), -> latitude (++ at low latitude), clouds (++ with clear sky).
➔ Change of state:
Review Worksheets
050 METEOROLOGY
BY KDMN
2020
,I/ THE ATMOSPHERE
01 COMPOSITION, EXTENSION, AND VERTICAL DIVISION
• Earth closest to the sun during winter (1st of January)
23°26’ • Coriolis force -> deflection to right in northern Hemisphere
cancer
• Atmosphere: dry air, 78%N2, 21% O2, 1% of rare gases (0.9%
of Argon) -> constant concentration. CO2, H2O (25 % of
capricorne atmosphere mass) varying with altitude.
• 50 % of atmosphere mass within the first 5km.
a) INTERNATION STANDARD ATMOSPHERE ISA:
➔ T= 15°C at MSL, -2°C/1000ft.
➔ Tropopause: 11-12km (36090ft) / -56,5 °C up to 20km.
➔ P= 1013 HPa.
➔ Humidity 0%.
b) DEFINITIONS:
➔ Greenhouse effect: traps sun radiation thanks to CO2, H2O, and methane.
➔ Ozone layer: “solar cream” against UV (from 15km to 45km).
➔ Aerosol: dust, sand, volcanic ashes within the atmosphere -> enables changing of state of
water thanks to condensation nuclei.
c) LAYERS:
, 02 AIR TEMPERATURE
a) THERMAL EXCHANGES:
Atmosphere absorbs 90 % of Earth radiation.
Atmosphere is warming thanks to condensation
and convection
Convection (vertical) Advection = horizontal
movement with wind.
The wind ↑ TSFC – T4ft.
Water has higher specific
heat= thermal capacity than Conduction
land -> we need more energy
to heat water than land. 51% of solar radiation is absorbed by the Earth -> Earth
radiation.
Capacity of reflexion = albedo = 31% for the Earth.
• Lat 40° is the balance latitude -> rear pole has deficit in solar radiation, equator has surplus of solar
radiation.
• Latent heat represents the energy necessary to supply the change of state, it is the most important
phenomenon for redistribution of energy.
b) INVERSION: temperature inversion: temperature increases with altitude -> low level turbulence.
1. RADIATION INVERSION = NOCTURAL INVERSION: clear sky, earth radiation are spread in the
atmosphere, the ground becomes colder than the air layer.
2. SUBSIDENCE INVERSION: Subsidence of air layer (old high-pressure system), piling up ->
compression -> T°C ↑
3. FRONTAL INVERSION: occurs when a warmer layer goes over a colder one.
warmer
4. VALLEY INVERSION:
colder
c) DIURNAL VARIATION ΔT:
➔ Tmin=30 min after sunrise, Tmax= 2h after the sun into meridian plan (“zenith”). Insolation is
max at local noon. ΔT max over large land.
➔ ΔT depends on: ->Nature of ground (++ dry ground, -- at sea), -> humidity (++ dry air), -> height
of the sun (++ in summer), -> latitude (++ at low latitude), clouds (++ with clear sky).
➔ Change of state:
