GEO165 – METEOROLOGY

I. EARTH, OCEAN, ATMOSPHERE REFERENCE DATA
II. SELECTED ATMOSPHERIC DATA
III. OCEAN BASIN REFERENCE DATA

Updated 08.18.05

 

 

I. EARTH, OCEAN, ATMOSPHERE REFERENCE DATA

QUANTITY

VALUE

Solar constant

1.367 kW/m2

Earth mass

5.976 x 1024 kg

Equatorial radius

6.378 x106 m

Polar radius

6.357 x 106 m

Mean radius

6.371 x 106 m

Angular velocity ()

7.29 x 10-5 rad s-1

Volume of a sphere
with Earth's mean radius

1.083 x 1021 m3

Surface area

5.101 x 1014 m2

Land area

1.481 x 1014 m2

Ocean area

3.620 x 1014 m2

Ice sheets and
glaciers area

0.14 x 1014 m2

Mean land elevation

840 m

Mean ocean depth

3730 m

Mean ocean volume

1.350 x 1018 m3

Ocean mass

1.384 x 1021 kg

Practical top of the
atmosphere

1.6 x 105 m a.s.l.

Mass of atmosphere

5.137 x 1018 kg

Volume of atmosphere

8.4 x 1019 m3

Mean density
of the atmosphere

0.0612 kg m-3

Equatorial surface
gravity

9.78 m/s2

Polar surface
gravity

9.83 m/s2

Average surface
gravity

9.805 m/s2

II. SELECT ATMOSPHERIC DATA REFERENCE DATA

QUANTITY

VALUE

Molecular weight
dry air

28.970

Density
0oC & 1000mb

1.275 kg m3

Specific heat (cp)

1004 J deg -1 kg-1

Specific heat (cv)

717 J deg -1 kg-1

Water vapor
molecular weight

18.016

Water vapor
specific heat (cp)

1952 J deg -1 kg-1

Water vapor
specific heat (cv)

1463 J deg -1 kg-1

Water liquid
specific heat (0oC)

4218 J deg -1 kg-1

Composition of the Atmosphere
N2 78.1%
O2 20.9%
Argon 0.9%
Neon 0.002%
Helium 0.0005%
Krypton 0.0001%
Hydrogen 0.00005%

Permanent Gasses

Composition of the Atmosphere
H2O vapor 0 - 4%
CO2 0.035%
Methane 0.0002%
Ozone 0.000004%

Variable Gasses

 

III. OCEAN DATA

OCEAN

DATA

PACIFIC
LINK:
GEOGRAPHIC
DETAILS

Surface Area
64,186,000 mi.2
46% of earth's water
Deepest - Marianas Trench
37,500 ft.
Average Depth
15,215 ft.

ATLANTIC
LINK:
GEOGRAPHIC
DETAILS

Surface Area
31,682,000 mi.2
23% of earth's water
Deepest - Puerto Rico Trench
28,374 ft.
Average Depth
12,881 ft.

INDIAN
LINK:
GEOGRAPHIC
DETAILS

Surface Area
28,350,000 mi.2
20% of earth's water
Deepest -Java Trench
25,344 ft
Average Depth
13,002 ft..

ARCTIC
LINK:
GEOGRAPHIC
DETAILS

Surface Area
5,427,000 mi.2
4% of earth's water
Deepest - Eurasia Basin
17,881 ft.
Average Depth
3,953 ft.

ANTARCTIC
or
SOUTHERN
LINK:
GEOGRAPHIC
DETAILS

Surface Area
Variable.
?7,848,300 mi.2
6% of earth's water

Deepest - Southern Sandwich Trench
24,032 ft.
Average Depth
?13,100 -16,400 ft.
Not truely and ocean
from Antarctic coast
to the Antarctic Convergence
where currents from
Pacific, Atlantic and Indian
Oceans meet with
currents encircling Antarctica
approx.50-60 oS. lat.