A Visual Overview of Meteorology

Click on the links below to see diagrams and pictures explaining the listed topics.
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from: Meteorology Today - An Introduction to Weather, Climate, and the Environment, 7th Edition
by C. Donald Ahrens - Modesto Junior College

CHAPTER TOPICS
1. THE EARTH AND ITS ATMOSPHERE.
Overview of the Earth's Atmosphere. Vertical Structure of the Atmosphere. Weather and Climate.
2. ENERGY: WARMING THE EARTH AND THE ATMOSPHERE. Energy, Temperature, and Heat. Heat Transfer in the Atmosphere. Radiation. Balancing Act--Absorption, Emission, and Equilibrium. Incoming Solar Energy.
3. SEASONAL AND DAILY TEMPERATURES. Why the Earth Has Seasons. Local Seasonal Variations. Daily Temperature Variations. The Controls of Temperature. Air Temperature Data. Air Temperature and Human Comfort. Measuring Air Temperature.
4. LIGHT, COLOR, AND ATMOSPHERIC OPTICS. White and Colors. White Clouds and Scattered Light. Blue Skies and Hazy Days. Red Suns and Blue Moons. Twinkling, Twilight, and the Green Flash. The Mirage: Seeing Is Not Believing. Halos, Sundogs, and Sun Pillars. Rainbows. Coronas, Glories, and Heiligenschein.
5. ATMOSPHERIC MOISTURE. Water in the Atmosphere. Absolute Humidity. Specific Humidity and Mixing Ratio. Vapor Pressure. Relative Humidity.
6. CONDENSATION: DEW, FOG, AND CLOUDS. The Formation of Dew and Frost. Condensation Nuclei. Haze. Fog. Foggy Weather. Clouds.
7. STABILITY AND CLOUD DEVELOPMENT. Atmospheric Stability. Determining Stability. Cloud Development.
8. PRECIPITATION. Precipitation Processes. Precipitation Types. Measuring Precipitation.
9. THE ATMOSPHERE IN MOTION: AIR PRESSURE, FORCES, AND WINDS. Atmospheric Pressure. Surface and Upper-Level Charts. Newton's Laws of Motion. Forces that Influence the Winds. Winds and Vertical Air Motions.
10. WIND: SMALL-SCALE AND LOCAL SYSTEMS. Small-Scale Winds Interacting with the Environment. Determining Wind Direction and Speed. Local Wind Systems.
11. WIND: GLOBAL SYSTEMS. General Circulation of the Atmosphere. Jet Streams. Atmosphere-Ocean Interactions. El Niño and the Southern Oscillation. Other Temperature Fluctuations and Climate Patterns.
12. AIR MASSES AND FRONTS. Air Masses. Fronts.
13. MIDDLE LATITUDE CYCLONES. Polar Front Theory. Where Do Mid-Latitude Cyclones Tend to Form? Vertical Structure of Deep Pressure Systems. Upper Level Waves and Surface Storms. The Necessary Ingredients for a Developing Wave Cyclone. Polar Lows. Vorticity, Divergence, and Developing Storm Systems.
14. WEATHER FORECASTING. Acquisition of Weather Information. Weather Forecasting Methods. Predicting the Weather from Local Signs. Weather Forecasting Using Surface Charts. A Meteorologist Makes a Prediction.
15. THUNDERSTORMS AND TORNADOES. Thunderstorms. Tornadoes. Severe Weather and Doppler Radar. Waterspouts.
16. HURRICANES. Tropical Weather. Anatomy of a Hurricane. Hurricane Formation and Dissipation. Naming Hurricanes.
17. AIR POLLUTION. A Brief History of Air Pollution. Types and Sources of Air Pollutants. Factors that Affect Air Pollution. Air Pollution and the Urban Environment. Acid Deposition.
18. GLOBAL CLIMATE. A World with Many Climates. Climatic Classification. The Global Pattern of Climate.
19. CLIMATE CHANGE. The Earth's Changing Climate. Possible Causes of Climatic Change. Global Warming.