GEOG 102 Lecture 11: Geog 102: Week 7, Lec. 11
Document Summary
Air rises (if there is atmospheric instability- convective, conditional) Conditional instability: occurs in warm, moist air. If warm moist air becomes saturated and condensation occurs, latent heat will be released to become sensible heat (warming the air and promoting instability continued air rise) Therefore: conditional instability depends on moisture content. When air mass becomes saturated, it becomes unstable and clouds will form. *dry air is heavier than moist air; water vapor molecule (atomic weight: 18) is lighter than oxygen molecule (atomic weight: 32) air with more water vapor is more buoyant (tend to rise) These affect precipitation levels throughout the year: water vapor shifts. Meteorological drought: defined on basis of the degree of dryness in comparison to normal and the duration of the dry period. Agricultural drought: focusing on precipitation shortage differences between actual and potential evapotranspiration, soil water deficits, reduced ground water or reservoir levels, etc. Links various characteristics of meteorological/hydrological drought to agricultural impacts.
