GG140: The Atmosphere, The Ocean, and Environmental Change
Lecture 10 - Water in the Atmosphere II. Air is able to hold a limited amount of water vapor, and that amount depends on the temperature of the air. When this saturation vapor pressure is exceeded, liquid water begins to condense and clouds form. There are several different types of clouds, some which rain and others which do not, and each with characteristics specific to it. Vortices are a particular type of cloud phenomenon in which there is a low pressure anomaly in the center of the cloud with rotating air around it, forming funnel clouds as seen in tornados. The low pressure allows liquid water to condense and form the funnel shaped cloud. Haze is another specific type of cloud in which liquid water condenses onto pollution particles in the air. (from oyc.yale.edu)
Lecture 10 - Water in the Atmosphere II |
Time | Lecture Chapters |
[00:00:00] | 1. Saturation Vapor Pressure |
[00:06:29] | 2. Effect of Exceeding the Saturation Vapor Pressure |
[00:12:34] | 3. Cloud Types |
[00:32:23] | 4. Vortices |
[00:40:37] | 5. Haze and Pollution |
[00:42:18] | 6. Views of Clouds from Space |
[00:44:51] | 7. Cloud Liquid and Ice |
References |
Lecture 10 - Water in the Atmosphere II Instructor: Professor Ronald B Smith. Resources: Problem Set 3 [PDF]; Credit List [PDF]. Transcript [html]. Audio [mp3]. Download Video [mov]. |
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