The Physics of Extreme Weather

Perry SamsonUniversity of Michigan

1

Quick QuizRank Causes of Death Per Million in USA*

1. Alcohol Use2. Drug Use3. Firearm accidents4. Mibrobial Agents5. Motor Vehicle Crashes6. Obesity7. Terrorist acts8. Tobacco Use9. Weather related disaster

2

Quick QuizRank Causes of Death Per Million in USA*

1. Alcohol Use2. Drug Use3. Firearm accidents4. Mibrobial Agents5. Motor Vehicle Crashes6. Obesity7. Terrorist acts8. Tobacco Use9. Weather related disaster

1450

1333

283

250

143

97

57

2

0.00001

3

Quick Quiz IIRank Causes of Death By Weather Events

1. Cold2. Flood3. Hail4. Heat5. Hurricane6. Lightning7. Thunderstorms

9. Winter/Cold8. Tornado

4

1. Cold2. Flood3. Hail4. Heat5. Hurricane6. Lightning7. Thunderstorms8. Tornado9. Winter

Quick Quiz IIRank Causes of Death By Weather Events

Tornadoes

Flood

Winter

Heat

Lightning

5

6

7

8

Characteristic # deaths reported # deaths expected Excess deaths

Age Group

0-64

65-74

75-84

≥85

Sex

Male

Female

Location of death

In hospital

Out of hospital

Socioeconomic level

High

Medium High

Medium Low

Low

840 870 -30

1,150 1,084 66

1,919 1,484 435

1,985 1,362 623

2,689 2,379 310

3,205 2,421 784

2,223 2,088 135

1,170 954 216

824 778 46

1,227 11,195 32

1,144 1,016 128

789 670 119

Number of deaths by selected characteristics(Rome, Italy, June-August 2003)

9

100

51

19

6204Albedo = 30/100

Shortwave

10

100

51

19

6204Albedo = 30/100

Shortwave

+30

+51Evaporation

-23

+23

+6

+19

Infrared Lost

-117

+111

Infrared Gained

-96

-96

+64

-64

Convection

-7

+7

Longwave

11

The specific heat capacity of a solid or liquid is defined as the heat required to raise unit mass of substance by one degree of temperature.

Heat supplied = mass x specific heat capacity x change in temperature

12

0

10

20

30

40

50

0 20 40 60 80 100

Tem

pe

ratu

re R

ise (

°C)

Reflectivity (%)

Black Paint

Galvanized Steel

Aluminum CoatingRed Clay

White Cement

White Paint

White Cement

Optical White

Green Asphalt

White Asphalt

13

Snowstorms, Blizzards, Nor’easters, Squall Lines

14

Pressure Gradient Force

15

High Pressure

Low Pressure

WARM

COOL

16

Coriolis Force

17

Coriolis Force

18

MIA

SUV

ASH

CIN

DTW

SSM

19

MIASUVASHCINDTWSSM

55°F55°F55°F55°F55°F55°F1000 mb

850 mb

700 mb

500 mb

300 mb

1. Draw Isoheights

20

MIASUVASHCINDTWSSM

55°F55°F55°F55°F55°F55°F1000 mb

850 mb

700 mb

500 mb

300 mb

21

MIASUVASHCINDTWSSM

80°F70°F60°F50°F40°F30°F1000 mb

850 mb

700 mb

500 mb

300 mb

2. Draw Isoheights

22

MIASUVASHCINDTWSSM

80°F70°F60°F50°F40°F30°F1000 mb

850 mb

700 mb

500 mb

300 mb

23

MIASUVASHCINDTWSSM

80°F80°F75°F40°F35°F30°F1000 mb

850 mb

700 mb

500 mb

300 mb

3. Draw Isoheights

24

MIASUVASHCINDTWSSM

80°F80°F75°F40°F35°F30°F1000 mb

850 mb

700 mb

500 mb

300 mb

25

26

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cl0aw87LqA

THUNDERSTORMS

27

28

T =32°C

Evaporative Cooling

500 m

1000 m

1500 m

2000 m

T =27°C

T =22°C

T =17°C

T =12°C

T =26°C

T =21°C

T =18°C

T =15°C

T =12°C

Virga

29

30

31

TORNADOES

Summer Vacation

Manitoba F5

32

Tornadoes

33

Tornadoes

34

Tornadoes

35

Tornadoes

No Data

1 - 8

9 - 17

18 - 30

31 - 55

56 - 118

36

Tornadoes

37

Tornadoes

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1950

1954

1958

1962

1966

1970

1974

1978

1982

1986

1990

1994

1998

2002

NU

MB

ER

OF T

OR

NA

DO

S

ANNUAL10 YEAR AVERAGE

38

Tornadoes

Permanent HomeMobile HomeBusinessOther/ UnknownOutside OpenSchoolVehicle

39

Tornadoes

Conditions

1. Convective Instability

2. Wind Shear

3. Trigger

40

Tornadoes

Moist Layer

Inversion

Dry Layer

TempDew Point

41

Tornadoes

42

Tornadoes

43

Tornadoes

44