Meteorology for

Airborne Scientists
Henry Fuelberg
Department of Meteorology
Florida State University
Atmospheric Structure
and Thermodynamics

Some Basics
Basic Atmospheric Variables
• Pressure (p)
• Temperature (T in oC or K)
• Density (ρ) ( or specific volume (α =
1/density))
(kg m-3)
• Water vapor content
• Three dimensional wind
Atmospheric
Pressure
Changes with Altitude
Pressure = Force/Area
1 Pascal = 1 Newton m-
2

1 millibar (mb) =
1 hectoPascal
(hPa)
Mean sea level
pressure =
1013.25 mb
Thermal Structure
of the Atmosphere

Lapse rate = -
∂T/∂z

Troposphere has +
lapse

Stratosphere first
isothermal, then –
lapse

Troposphere has
Height of the
Tropopause
Varies with
Latitude
 Thermodynamics
Parcel = imaginary volume of air to
study, like a balloon, separate from
environment
Atmosphere acts as an ideal gas—a
mixture
Equation of state (ideal gas law)

Press = density x gas constant x temp

 First Law of
Thermodynamics
• dq = cv dT + pdα
heat change = internal energy
change +
work done to expand or
contract vol.

• dq= cp dT – α dp
heat change = enthalpy change + …
 Dry Adiabatic Process
• Consider an unsaturated parcel
• dq = 0
• 0 = cp dT – α dp
• Parcels still can change temperature due to
expansion and contraction
• Example—parcel expands, expends energy, T
becomes cooler
• Make substitutions and solve for dT/dz
• dT/dz = -g/cp = 9.8 oC/km = Γd (dry
adiabatic lapse rate)
• Unsat. parcels always follow Γd
• Away from clouds and radiative processes,
parcels ~ adiabatic for several days
Rising air
 Potential Temperature (θ)
Parcel at T and p
Θis temp. parcel would have if taken
dry adiabatically to p = 1000 mb
If p = 1000 mb, Θ=T
Θ = T (1000 mb/ p) R/cp R/cp =
0.286
Parcels conserve Θduring ascent,
descent, etc. as long as conditions are
adiabatic
T is not conserved, it changes at Γd
 Water Vapor
• Vapor pressure = partial pressure of
vapor (mb)
• Mixing ratio = mass vapor/mass dry air
(g/kg)
• Concept of saturation
• Dew point temperature = temp to which
air must be cooled to become saturated
(oC)
• Relative humidity = mixing ratio / sat.
Saturated Adiabatic Process
• Parcel is saturated
• Lift parcel, condensation occurs, latent
heat released, dq ≠ 0
• dq= cp dT – α dp
• Let dq = latent heat release
• Perform some magic
• Γs = Γd [ ≤ 1]
• Therefore……….. Γs ≤ Γd not a
constant
• Γs ≈ 5-6 oC/km