Effects of Elevation, Barometric Pressure, Humidity

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6 Nov 1999

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We seem to all be collectively grieving over Marqueis' overthrows in the 1st 3 quarters of the game. I was not there. I did not pay to subscribe to CBSSportsNetwork, or whatever they are called, so that I could record the game while I was sleeping. From all of my post mortem reading, it seems it was a wise decision not to give Verizon more of my money, due poor quality of the broadcast. I am just curious if there is any possibility that Marqueis was overthrowing his receivers due to increase in elevation, reduced barometric pressure, and I am assuming the reduced humidity conditions. I did not take physics in college, but my assumption is that all other conditions being equal, a ball will travel farther / faster in lower humidity air than higher humidity air. I recognize that Sam Boyd Stadium is not Mile High Stadium, but Google tells me McCarron International Airport elevation is 2,181 feet. I think elevation in Minneapolis is about 841 feet. So Marqueis was throwing the ball at an elevation about 1,340 feet higher than he is used to. Could this have contributed to a tendency to overthrow, or are the effects of elevation, barometric pressure, and humidity between Minneapolis and Las Vegas negligible? All you physics majors out there, please chime in. Thank you.
 

6 Nov 1999 said:
We seem to all be collectively grieving over Marqueis' overthrows in the 1st 3 quarters of the game. I was not there. I did not pay to subscribe to CBSSportsNetwork, or whatever they are called, so that I could record the game while I was sleeping. From all of my post mortem reading, it seems it was a wise decision not to give Verizon more of my money, due poor quality of the broadcast. I am just curious if there is any possibility that Marqueis was overthrowing his receivers due to increase in elevation, reduced barometric pressure, and I am assuming the reduced humidity conditions. I did not take physics in college, but my assumption is that all other conditions being equal, a ball will travel farther / faster in lower humidity air than higher humidity air. I recognize that Sam Boyd Stadium is not Mile High Stadium, but Google tells me McCarron International Airport elevation is 2,181 feet. I think elevation in Minneapolis is about 841 feet. So Marqueis was throwing the ball at an elevation about 1,340 feet higher than he is used to. Could this have contributed to a tendency to overthrow, or are the effects of elevation, barometric pressure, and humidity between Minneapolis and Las Vegas negligible? All you physics majors out there, please chime in. Thank you.
Click to expand...

Just the opposite. It's called the Homer Dome Effect.:)
 

The Football punted or thrown is first effected by velocity of the throw. The factors as I remember that effect the ball in flight are air pressure and gravity. If you use Minneapolis as your base, and move to Las Vegas. Two things about air pressure are at work, first less moisture or humidity or dew point and with altitude thinner air. Having worked to throw a tight spiral to cut through the dense air of Minneapolis, perfecting the throws at distance, and taking the same technique and spiral to the thinner air will cause the ball to travel further. Maybe 5 to 10 feet further.
 

Maybe this thread has the makings of what effect an Alberta Clipper has on the price fluctuations of corn, soybean, and wheat markets on the Chicago Board of Trade.
 

I was thinking about the same thing. I used to work with a golf pro that said Vegas vs. MN equals about 10% added distance in the desert. So a 40 yard throw would theoretically go 44 yards. But golf ball aerodynamics are different than a football.

My theory is that it was one game, so I'm not going to sweat it.
 


Dr.Don said:
Maybe this thread has the makings of what effect an Alberta Clipper has on the price fluctuations of corn, soybean, and wheat markets on the Chicago Board of Trade.
Click to expand...

If you were a Viking fan you would know it's a Calcutta Clipper.
 

Adrenaline. He will have to perfect managing its effects. Can not be simulated in practice.
 

That's what warm-ups are for. John Elway didn't routinely under throw people outside of Denver.
 

He beat 2 bigten teams last year. I'm not going to sweat it. To me, traveling west is hard on teams, and the late start didn't help. We'll see.
 




I think his accuracy problems had more to do with the water clarity in Nevada. Maybe we should compare Secchi disk readings between Mpls. and Vegas, or perhaps water turbidity is the culprit. I don't know, there are a lot of variables.
 

Firejumper said:
I think his accuracy problems had more to do with the water clarity in Nevada. Maybe we should compare Secchi disk readings between Mpls. and Vegas, or perhaps water turbidity is the culprit. I don't know, there are a lot of variables.
Click to expand...

At least in Las Vegas they do not have to issue such warnings as..."Don't Eat Yellow Snow"!!!
 

Congratulations....this thread might make the Preposterous Statement of the Year bracket for 2012.

UNLV's defense is one of the top 200 defenses on this planet so let's just tip our caps to their DL for putting pressure on MG to make poor throws....
 



Art Vandelay said:
Congratulations....this thread might make the Preposterous Statement of the Year bracket for 2012.

UNLV's defense is one of the top 200 defenses on this planet so let's just tip our caps to their DL for putting pressure on MG to make poor throws....
Click to expand...

I would say that you have about a 2% degree of accuracy with your comment.
 

6 Nov 1999 said:
We seem to all be collectively grieving over Marqueis' overthrows in the 1st 3 quarters of the game. I was not there. I did not pay to subscribe to CBSSportsNetwork, or whatever they are called, so that I could record the game while I was sleeping. From all of my post mortem reading, it seems it was a wise decision not to give Verizon more of my money, due poor quality of the broadcast. I am just curious if there is any possibility that Marqueis was overthrowing his receivers due to increase in elevation, reduced barometric pressure, and I am assuming the reduced humidity conditions. I did not take physics in college, but my assumption is that all other conditions being equal, a ball will travel farther / faster in lower humidity air than higher humidity air. I recognize that Sam Boyd Stadium is not Mile High Stadium, but Google tells me McCarron International Airport elevation is 2,181 feet. I think elevation in Minneapolis is about 841 feet. So Marqueis was throwing the ball at an elevation about 1,340 feet higher than he is used to. Could this have contributed to a tendency to overthrow, or are the effects of elevation, barometric pressure, and humidity between Minneapolis and Las Vegas negligible? All you physics majors out there, please chime in. Thank you.
Click to expand...
1240265992468.jpg
 

Dr.Don said:
Maybe this thread has the makings of what effect an Alberta Clipper has on the price fluctuations of corn, soybean, and wheat markets on the Chicago Board of Trade.
Click to expand...

Meyer Lansky
 

Firejumper said:
I think his accuracy problems had more to do with the water clarity in Nevada. Maybe we should compare Secchi disk readings between Mpls. and Vegas, or perhaps water turbidity is the culprit. I don't know, there are a lot of variables.
Click to expand...

Abner Zwillman
 

Art Vandelay said:
Congratulations....this thread might make the Preposterous Statement of the Year bracket for 2012.

UNLV's defense is one of the top 200 defenses on this planet so let's just tip our caps to their DL for putting pressure on MG to make poor throws....
Click to expand...

"Pittsburgh" Phil Strauss
 


I think we can all recognize though that all of his overthrows would have been under throws if the game was at Middle Tennessee State...
 

"...a ball will travel farther / faster in lower humidity air than higher humidity air..."
The higher the humidity, the less dense is air since water vapor is less dense than the oxygen/nitrogen mix that comprises most of our atmosphere. If water vapor were more dense than air, clouds would form at the bottom of mineshafts, not in the sky. Air density is lower at higher temperatures and higher elevations, of course.
 

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