09. Water in the Atmosphere I

The Atmosphere, the Ocean and Environmental Change (GG 140)

The lapse rate describes the rate at which air cools with altitude. Atmospheric stability depends on the lapse rate. When an air parcel is lifted or lowered, it can continue to rise or descend based on the temperature of the surrounding air at the new altitude, which indicates an unstable atmosphere. Inversions can occur in the atmosphere, meaning the air near the ground will be cooler than air aloft. This type of temperature profile can cause air to be trapped near the Earth's surface in a boundary layer, which can also lead to pollutants being trapped near the ground.

00:00 - Chapter 1. Mixing in the Atmosphere (recap)
02:36 - Chapter 2. Atmospheric Stability
06:29 - Chapter 3. The Diurnal Cycle of the Adiabatic Lapse Rate
13:48 - Chapter 4. Elevated Inversion and Pollution
29:10 - Chapter 5. Moisture in the Atmosphere
37:17 - Chapter 6. Air Saturation Processes

Complete course materials are available at the Open Yale Courses website: http://oyc.yale.edu

This course was recorded in Fall 2011.