Examining Pressure Instability in the Troposphere in a Climate Change Scenario

Abstract

Meteorology is a branch of geophysics concerned with the atmosphere's processes and phenomena and atmospheric effects on our weather. The atmospheric pressure depends on the temperature, and hence, temperature variations cause pressure instability, which directly impacts humans. Earth's climate is severely affected by anthropogenic emissions, which cause an increased concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. We analyzed the effect greenhouse gases have on the atmosphere's pressure by considering the temperature of dry air, the virtual temperature of moist air, and the virtual temperature for CO2-rich air. In this talk, we manipulate a mathematical model describing the variation of atmospheric pressure to altitude for the three temperature scenarios, using partial differential equations. We will also demonstrate how atmospheric pressure instability correlates to climate change. Further, we utilize the model describing the variation of pressure to altitude in the adiabatic system's three temperature scenarios.

Department: Mathematical Sciences 

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Ion Bica