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: http://zebu.uoregon.edu/ph199/ice.html
Дата изменения: Thu Sep 11 02:24:01 1997
Дата индексирования: Mon Oct 1 21:20:54 2012
Кодировка:
Поисковые слова: comet tail
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How Does Weather Work?
Weather as a Feedback Loop
-
Unequal distribution of radiation due to earth axis tilt
is the ultimate driver of the weather.
-
Heat, energy flow is generally from the equatorial regions
to the polar regions.
-
Rotation of the earth sets up large scale circulation cells
called Hadley Cells As well
as Rossby Waves To learn more
about this go here
-
Ocean currents and temperature influence the temperature of the
air and hence its capacity to hold moisture
-
Large Scale climate is set up by the constant exchange of moisture
and energy between the ocean and the circulating atmosphere. These
determines large scale pattern of High and
Low pressure areas
-
Pacific Coast Pacific Maritime Climate
Cold Current, strong ON shore flow of dry air in the Summer no
humidity!
-
East Coast Warm current, lots of moisture,
Bermuda High brings it a shore -summers suck!
- Let's see the Movie which shows
the seasonal evolution of these currents
Climate Change:
- Periodic Ice Ages ---> Glacial-Interglacial Periods
- Major Period: ---> 100,000 years; 9 degree F decrease
- Minor Period: ---> 12,000 years; 5 degree F decrease
- Smaller Periods??: ---> 1,000 years; 3 degree F decrease
We currently are nearing the end of a small, minor interglacial period
-
Major Ice Ages: Most of the Planet is Covered
-
Minor Ice Ages: 40 Latitude and Above
-
Little Ice Age: (1000-1850 AD; Irish Potato Famine; Nisqually Glacier)
Effects of Ice Ages
-
Changes sea level by 100 meters exposes continental shelfs
-
changes continental shelf composition due to increased deposition
during melt
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changes hydrological cycle through less evaporation
-
changes landscape Great Lakes; Seattle; Stoss and Lee
-
Changes drainage patterns
-
changes topsoil characteristics
-
massive flooding episodes --> Eastern Washington
Causes of Ice Ages -->
needs to be PERIODIC!
-
Solar Cycle --> no evidence
-
Volcanic Dust in Atmosphere --> why periodic?
-
CO Cycle --> why periodic? --> factor 2 reduction
causes 7 F drop
-
Increased precipitation at poles due to changing orientation of continental
land masses
-
Changes in mean temperatures of ocean currents --> what mechanism?
The most Probable Cause:
-
Orbital Variations of the Earth!
- Eccentricity variation 90,000 years 5 variation
around mean value. This is due to Jupiter.
- Change of tilt of axis 24,000 years
___________________________________________________________________
The Electronic Universe Project
e-mail: nuts@moo.uoregon.edu