Questions

1. Why is the atmosphere in constant motion? (25 points)
2. Why does air rotate counterclockwise around a low-pressure system in the northern hemisphere? What factor(s) contribute to the clockwise rotation around low-pressure in the Southern Hemisphere? (25 points)
3. Why do atmospheric gases not escape from the Earths surface and become lost in space? (25 points)
4. A meteorological station is located 50 m below sea level. If the surface pressure at this station is 1020 hPa, the virtual temperature at the surface is 15 C, and the mean virtual temperature for the 1000- to 500-hPa layer is 0 C, compute the height of the 500-hPa pressure level above sea level at this station. Please show work. (25 points)

Part 2-Added Document

1. For this weeks assignment we will be interactive with real upper air observations by the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Sterling, Virginia at 00Z on 28 June 2023. This forecast office serves the greater Washington, DC and Baltimore metropolitan areas, including APUS headquarters in Charles Town, West Virginia. See the attached Microsoft Excel Worksheet of upper air observations. Using this data, create a vertical temperature profile, where temperature is displayed on the horizontal x-axis and height is displayed on the vertical y-axis. Do not forget to submit your profile. (25 points)
2. Using the profile temperature profile created, answer the following. How does the temperature change with height between the surface and 500 hPa. Does this represent a stable, unstable, or neutral atmosphere? (25 points)
3. How do you identify temperature inversion and isothermal layers? Using the profile temperature profile created, identify if there are any temperature inversion and/or isothermal layers. (25 points)
4. Using the original dataset, create a vertical profile of potential temperature by first calculating potential temperature and displaying potential temperature on the horizontal x-axis and height on the vertical y-axis. Does this profile favor the accumulation of pollutants? Why or why not? (25 points)

Part 3-Picture of graph attached

1. Atmospheric profiles of temperature and dew point temperature from a radiosonde launch is plotted on the attached Skew-T/Log P diagram Using the Skew-T/Log P diagram, answer the following. What is the parcels temperature at 850 hPa, 700 hPa, 500 hPa, and 200 hPa? (25 points)
2. Using the Skew-T/Log P diagram, answer the following. At what pressure level is the lifting condensation level (LCL) and the level of free convection (LFC)? What is the environmental temperature at the LCL and LFC? (25 points)
3. Using the Skew-T/Log P diagram, calculate the following instability indices: K-Index, Lifted Index, and Total Totals Index. (25 points)
4. Based on your calculations indicate any layers of convective inhibition and/or convective available potential energy. Does this sounding represent a stable or unstable atmosphere? (25 points)