Atmospheric Systems

The explanations/resources are very useful to assist with learning what are often considered to be fairly difficult concepts. With that said, I’m glad that I was already familiar with the topics presented, particularly the physics of weather. It was always my dream to become a meteorologist, but I was held back by my lack of higher level math skills (i.e. differential calculus). As a young person, I didn’t think that I could manage to learn the math I would need in order to understand the physics involved. I’m positive that I could do it today, but think it’s probably too late in the game to change occupations. Maybe that’s what I should do after I retire from teaching - NOT. Although fully familiar with the polar-jet stream and its associated weather patterns; I had either forgotten or never knew about the existence/formation of the subtropical jet stream, presented very clearly in the video Giving Rise to the Jet Stream.

I teach weather concepts to anyone who wants to know about the weather where ever I find those people (i.e. students in my classes or fellow travelers stranded at airports); so I especially appreciate the near-real-time resources presented, such as Interactive Global Composite Weather Satellite Images and Google Earth Daily MODIS Satellite Images.

Storm in North Atlantic

Storm in North Atlantic (GoogleEarth)

While going through this week’s module and conducting further research, I was reminded of resources that I had previously read/used but have not recently.  I highly recommend the essay The Tragedy of the Commons by Garrett Hardin. Another resource (formerly a VHS tape that has long since become useless) is a Population Video  that shows graphically how the population of earth has changed over time, while providing historical references (e.g. bubonic plague and the industrial revolution).

I found the research on breast-feeding in the Arctic both fascinating and frightening. I recommend this news story Invisible Pollutants in the Canadian Arctic: Toxins From Industrial Cities Far to the South Keep Inuit Mothers From Breast-Feeding Infants (April 6, 2007).  How sad that people who live so far (geographically and economically) from the source of the pollutants produced are those who have the potential to be the most negatively affected by heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants. “Heavy metals and organic pollutants are adsorbed by plankton at the base of the food web and biomagnified to significant levels at higher trophic levels.Top Arctic predators such as seals, cetacea, and polar bears have surprisingly high levels of contamination. Northern Inuit communities rely on marine mammals for a large portion of their diet and are therefore vulnerable to contaminant exposure.” (I did not purchase this article, but quoted from the abstract). Marine Pollution Bulletin Volume 38, Issue 5, May 1999, Pages 356-379

Beluga Whale Hunt

Pollutants in Beluga Whales