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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].

Go to the Course Home or watch other lectures:

Lecture 01 - Introduction to Atmospheres
Lecture 02 - Retaining an Atmosphere
Lecture 03 - The Perfect Gas Law
Lecture 04 - Vertical Structure of the Atmosphere; Residence Time
Lecture 05 - Earth Systems Analysis (Tank Experiment)
Lecture 06 - Greenhouse Effect, Habitability
Lecture 07 - Hydrostatic Balance
Lecture 08 - Horizontal Transport
Lecture 09 - Water in the Atmosphere I
Lecture 10 - Water in the Atmosphere II
Lecture 11 - Clouds and Precipitation (Cloud Chamber Experiment)
Lecture 12 - Circulation of the Atmosphere
Lecture 13 - Global Climate and the Coriolis Force
Lecture 14 - Coriolis Force and Storms
Lecture 15 - Convective storms
Lecture 16 - Frontal Cyclones
Lecture 17 - Seasons and Climate
Lecture 18 - Seasons and Climate Classification
Lecture 19 - Ocean Bathymetry and Water Properties
Lecture 20 - Ocean Water Density and Atmospheric Forcing
Lecture 21 - Ocean Currents
Lecture 22 - Ocean Currents and Productivity
Lecture 23 - El Nino
Lecture 24 - Ice in the Climate System
Lecture 25 - Ice and climate change
Lecture 26 - Isotope Evidence for Climate Change
Lecture 27 - Global Warming
Lecture 28 - Global Warming II
Lecture 29 - Global Warming III
Lecture 30 - Climate Sensitivity and Human Population
Lecture 31 - The Two Ozone Problems
Lecture 32 - The Ozone Layer
Lecture 33 - Energy Resources, Renewable Energy
Lecture 34 - Renewable Energy
Lecture 35 - Review and Overview