General Meteorology

Sun, Earth and the Atmosphere

• Atmospheric Science and Meteorology

• Weather and Climate

• Elements and controls of weather and climate

• Sun – Earth relationship

• Solstices and Equinoxes

Atmospheric Science

The study of weather analysis and forecasting, climate and global change, the
circulation of the atmosphere, about weather systems and their impact on
Earth, air quality, and other atmospheric processes that affect humans.

The main branches of Atmospheric Science

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Atmospheric physics
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Meteorology
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Climatology
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Atmospheric chemistry
Meteorology

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Greek word meteōrs and logía - the study of things high in the air.

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Study of atmosphere and atmospheric phenomena especially the weather,
and the variations in temperature and moisture patterns that produce different
weather conditions.

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Majority of the weather events like precipitation, thunderstorm, clouds,
cyclones and tornadoes, occurs in the lower part of the atmosphere.

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Focus on day-to-day and hour-to-hour changes in weather within the
lower atmosphere (troposphere).
Weather and Climate

Weather – of any place is the sum total of atmospheric conditions

for a short period of time.

Climate – It represents a composite of the day-to-day weather

conditions, and of the atmospheric elements, for a long period of
time.

Weather varies from day to day, and climate differs from region to
region.
 Elements and controls of weather and climate

Elements Controls
Sun or latitude

Temperature Distribution of land and water

Precipitation and humidity Low and high pressure belts
Air pressure Altitude

Winds Winds and air masses

Ocean currents

Mountain barriers

Storms
Sun – Earth relationship

Solar Radiation
• Radiant energy from the sun provides 99.97% of the total energy of the
atmosphere.
• Most important element and control of weather and climate.
• Temporal and regional differences in the distribution of solar radiation give
rise to weather and climate.

Primary factors determining the distribution of solar radiation

The amount of solar radiation received in any latitude at any time of the year
depends primarily upon
1) the intensity of solar radiation - a function of the angle at which the rays of
sunlight reaches the earth’s surface.
2) the duration of the solar radiation, or the length of the day compared with
night.
Rotation and revolution

Aphelion – The point in the orbit, when a planet is farthest from sun

Perihelion – The point in the orbit of a planet closest to the sun

For earth, aphelion is on 4 July, ~152 million km away

perihelion 3 January, ~147 million km
Plane of ecliptic - An imaginary plane that pass thought the sun
and extends outwards through all the points in the earth's orbit.

The axis of earth’s rotation is inclined about 66.5o from the plane of
ecliptic, or 23.5o from an imaginary vertical to that plane.
March of seasons

Solstices and Equinoxes

Equinoxes