© Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC. NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC NOT FOR SALE Inc. © Eyewire, OR DISTRIBUTION NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION CHAPTER 1Introduction to Climatology © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION those specializingNOT FOR in glaciology, SALE OR as wellDISTRIBUTION as special- Chapter at a Glance ized physical geographers, geologists, and ocean- Meteorology and Climatology ographers. The biosphere, which crosscuts the Scales in Climatology lithosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, and atmo- Subfields of Climatology sphere, includes the zone containing all life forms © Jones & BartlettClimatic Learning, Records andLLC Statistics © Joneson the& Bartlettplanet, including Learning, humans. LLC The biosphere NOT FOR SALE SummaryOR DISTRIBUTION NOT FORis examined SALE by OR specialists DISTRIBUTION in the wide array of life Key Terms sciences, along with physical geographers, geolo- Review Questions gists, and other environmental scientists. Questions for Thought The atmosphere is the component of the system © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLCstudied by climatologists ©and Jones meteorologists. & Bartlett Ho- Learning, LLC NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTIONlistic interactions betweenNOT the FORatmosphere SALE and OR DISTRIBUTION Climatology may be described as the scientific each combination of the “spheres” are important study of the behavior of the atmosphere—the contributors to the climate (Table 1.1), at scales thin gaseous layer surrounding Earth’s surface— from local to planetary. Thus, climatologists must integrated over time. Although this definition is draw on knowledge generated in several natural © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC certainly acceptable, it fails to capture fully the and sometimes social scientific disciplines to un- NOTscope FOR of SALE climatology. OR DISTRIBUTION Climatology is a holistic derstandNOT the processes FOR SALE at work OR in the DISTRIBUTION atmosphere. science that incorporates data, ideas, and theo- Because of its holistic nature of atmospheric prop- ries from all parts of the Earth–ocean–atmosphere erties over time and space, climatology naturally system, including those influenced by humans, falls into the broader discipline of geography. © Jones & Bartlettinto Learning, an integrated LLC whole to explain atmospheric© Jones Over & Bartlett the course Learning, of this book LLC we shall see that these processes can be complex. The effects of NOT FOR SALE properties.OR DISTRIBUTION NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION The Earth–ocean–atmosphere system may be some of these interactions cascade up from local divided into a number of zones, with each tradi- to planetary scales, and the effects of others tend tionally studied by a separate scientific discipline. to cascade down the various scales to ultimately The part of the solid Earth nearest to the surface (to affect individual locations over time. The processes a depth of perhaps© Jones 100 & km) Bartlett is called Learning, the litho- LLCare so interrelated with other© Jones spheres & Bartlettand with Learning, LLC sphere and NOTis studied FOR by geologists,SALE OR geophysicists, DISTRIBUTION other scales that it is often NOTdifficult FOR to generalizeSALE OR by DISTRIBUTION geomorphologists, soil scientists, vulcanologists, saying that any particular impact begins at one and other practitioners of the environmental and component of the system or side of the scale and agricultural sciences. The part of the system that is proceeds to another. © Jonescovered & by Bartlett liquid water Learning, is termed theLLC hydrosphere; We can© stateJones that & the Bartlett scope of Learning, climatology LLC is it is considered by those in the fields of oceanogra- broad. It has also expanded widely from its roots NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION phy, hydrology, and limnology (the study of lakes). in ancient Greece. The term “climatology” is de- The region comprising frozen water in all its forms rived from the Greek term “klima,” which means (glaciers, sea ice, surface and subsurface ice, and “slope,” and reflects the early idea that distance snow) is known as the cryosphere and is studied by from the equator alone (which causes differences © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC NOT FOR SALE2 OR DISTRIBUTION NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION 2ND PAGES 9781284028775_CH01_0001.indd 2 9/18/13 8:02 AM © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC. NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION Meteorology and Climatology 3 © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC Table 1.1 Examples of Interactions Between the AtmosphereNOT and FORthe Other SALE “Spheres” OR and DISTRIBUTION Impacts NOT FOR SALEon Thermal OR Receipt/ClimateDISTRIBUTION Sphere Interacting with Atmosphere Example of a Potential Impact Lithosphere Large volcanic eruptions can create a dust and soot cloud that can reduce the receipt © Jones & Bartlettof solar Learning,radiation, cooling LLC the global atmosphere for months or© years. Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC Hydrosphere NOT FOR SALEChanges OR inDISTRIBUTION ocean circulation can cause global atmospheric circulationNOT FOR shifts that SALE OR DISTRIBUTION produce warming in some regions and cooling in others. Cryosphere Melting of polar ice caps can cause extra heating at the surface where ice was located because bare ground reflects less of the solar energy incident upon the surface than ice. Biosphere© Jones & Bartlett Learning,Deforestation LLC increases the amount of solar© Jones energy received & Bartlett at the surface Learning, and alters LLC atmospheric chemistry by returning carbon dioxide stored in living plant matter to NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTIONthe atmosphere. NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION in the angle or slope of the Sun in the sky) drove meteorology involves only the present, the imme- climate. The second part of the word is derived diate past, and the very near future. © Jones & Bartlettfrom “logos,” Learning, defined asLLC “study” or “discourse.” Mod- © JonesBut a much & Bartlett more important Learning, component LLC of me- NOT FOR SALEern climatology OR DISTRIBUTION seeks not only to describe the na- NOTteorology FOR is SALE the examination OR DISTRIBUTION of the forces that cre- ture of the atmosphere from location to location ate the atmospheric properties being measured. over many different time scales but also to explain Changes in the magnitude or direction of these why particular attributes occur and change over forces over time and changes in the internal prop- time and to assess© theJones potential & Bartlett impacts ofLearning, those erties LLC of the matter being affected© Jones by these & forces Bartlett Learning, LLC changes on naturalNOT and socialFOR systems. SALE OR DISTRIBUTIONcreate differences in weather conditionsNOT FOR over SALE time. OR DISTRIBUTION Although many meteorologists are not directly ■ Meteorology and Climatology involved with forecasting these changes, meteo- rology is the only natural science in which a pri- The two atmospheric sciences, meteorology and mary goal is to predict future conditions. Weather climatology,© Jones & are Bartlett inherently Learning, linked. Meteorology LLC forecasting has© improved Jones greatly& Bartlett with recent Learning, tech- LLC isNOT the studyFOR ofSALE weather OR—the DISTRIBUTION overall instanta- nological enhancementsNOT FOR that SALE allow ORfor improvedDISTRIBUTION neous condition of the atmosphere at a certain understanding of these forces, along with improved place and time. Weather is described through the observation, data collection, and modeling of the direct measurement of particular atmospheric atmosphere. Currently, weather forecasts pro- © Jones & Bartlettproperties Learning, such as temperature,LLC precipitation, © ducedJones by & the Bartlett National Learning, Weather Service LLC in the humidity, wind direction, wind speed, cloud United States are accurate for most locations over a NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION cover, and cloud type. The term “weather” refers period of approximately 72 hours. to tangible aspects of the atmosphere. A quick By contrast, climate refers to the state of the look or walk outside may be all that is needed to atmosphere for a given place over time. It is im- describe the weather of your location. Of course, portant to note that climatologists are indeed con- these observations© Jonesmay be &compared Bartlett with Learning, the cerned LLC with the same atmospheric© Jones processes & Bartlettthat Learning, LLC state of the atmosphereNOT FORat other SALE locations, OR whichDISTRIBUTION meteorologists study, but the NOTscope FORis different. SALE OR DISTRIBUTION in most cases is different. Meteorologists may study the processes for their Because meteorology deals with direct and spe- own sake, while climatologists study the processes cific measurements of atmospheric properties, dis- to understand the long-term consequences of cussion© Jones of weather & Bartlett centers Learning, on short-duration LLC time those processes.© Jones Climatology, & Bartlett therefore, Learning, allows LLC intervals. Weather is generally discussed over time us to study atmospheric processes and their im- NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION spans of a few days at most.