Meteorology Exam 1 Chapters 1-6
Clouds that form in the middle of the atmosphere with a lot of vertical motion, would most likely be:
altocumulus
Dust, which is floating around your room right now, would be considered what?
an aerosol
You are walking home from class and notice a few high, wispy, and feathery ice-clouds in the sky. Which of the following cloud types are you most likely seeing?
cirrus
Accidentally grabbing the metal sides of a hot pot on the stove, and burning your hands, is best described as:
conduction of heat
___________ is described in meteorology as the "weight" in a given column of air and ___________ with height.
pressure; decreases
what is the actual shape of a raindrop?
rain drop is circular, but the air flows around it and makes it into a half-circle
Natural Ozone is primarily located in the _______________________, which absorbs _________________ and causes _______________.
stratosphere, UV radiation, heating
If air rises upward, what happens?
the air expands and cools
what does prevailing wind mean?
Average wind direction in area. Wind direction most often observed during a given time period. (can greatly affect the climate of a region)
what is the EM spectrum and what are the primary types of solar and earth radiation?
The spectrum of all types of radiation. Sun: visible radiation Earth: IR radiation
how do we classify clouds? three primary considerations
Classifications: stratus cumulus, nimbus Identified by height - high, middle, low, vertical development (within each group, cloud types are identified by their appearance
when is earth closest and farthest from the sun? names for this
Closest: Jan (147 mil km) - perihelion Farthest: July (152 mil km) - aphelion
which type or air (warm or cold) has a higher density
Cold air
latent heats of evaporation and condensation
Condensation - energy released when water condenses Evaporation - energy needed to evaporate water
heat transfer - conduction and convection
Conduction - transfer of heat from one molecule in a substance to another (heat always flows from warmer to colder). BY TOUCH Convection - transfer of heat by the mass movement of a fluid (such as water or air) (any air that rises will expand and cool; any air that sinks is compressed and warms) BY MOVEMENT
constant vs variable gases and the dominant ones
Constant: O2 and Nitrogen - gases that are always there. Variable: there amounts change ( water vapor, CO2) Dominant: water vapor.
what are evaporation, condensation and saturation?
Evaporation: molecules changing from liquid into vapor state Condensation: molecules changing from vapor to liquid state Saturation: total number of molecules escaping from liquid are balanced by the number returning. air cannot hold any more water
what was earth's early atmosphere made of? today?
First - mostly hydrogen and helium The atmosphere evolved due to outgassing from earth's interior. Today - nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%), water vapor (4%), carbon dioxide (.04%), ozone O3 (majority found in stratosphere), aerosols, other greenhouse gases (methane, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons)
what is latent heating and how does it effect temperature?
Latent Heat - the energy involved in the change of state. Taken form the environment during melting and evaporation - causes cooling Released to environment during condensation and freezing - causes heating Reappears as sensible heat - as heat we can feel or measure
basics about the main controllers of surface temperature: latitude, proximity to water, ocean currents, elevation
Latitude: biggest controller; by equator = warmer, poles = colder Proximity to Water: marine vs continental. cities along the east coast of US are continental. Elevation: higher up you go, colder it gets
the key properties of the vertical structure of the atmosphere: density, pressure, temp
Layers may be defined by temperature, gas composition, and electrical properties. Due to gravity, most of the earths atmosphere is located close to its surface. Density - the mass or atoms and the space between them (molecular density of air: the number of molecules in a given volume), greatest at earths surface and decreases with height. At earths surface, the pressure of the atmosphere is 14.7 ib/in2. Standard sea level pressure is 1013.25 mb = 1013.25 hPa = 29.92 in Hg. Atmospheric pressure decreases with n increase in height.
intensity types of snow
Less than a quarter of a mile : Heavy Between a quarter and a half of mile - Moderate snow More than half of a mile - Light snow BASED ON VISIBILITY
what is the difference between longwave and shortwave energy?
Long Wave: bigger wavelength; The less energy it has; weaker kinds of energy Shortwave: more energy; stronger kinds of energy
what are the continental and marine effects? some US examples?
Marine: need to be next to water: air needs to be coming from water - West of US Continental - air and weather is coming through land
what is a geostationary satellite? differences between visible, IR, and water vapor satellite
Move at the same rate as earth spins; remain above a particular are to monitor weather and other phenomena; used for weather observation and prediction. Visible: when it take a pic of whats there IR: scans for temp; colder the clouds are the brighter they are water vapor: scans for water vapor; scans for gaseous vapor
what is the pressure gradient force? how does it always point?
Net force acting on the air when difference in horizontal air pressure exist Always points from higher to lower pressure
the diurnal temperature pattern on earth and why the maximum daytime temperature occurs well after noon on most days
No energy coming in at night. Around 8; after sunrise is the low of the day After 12, more energy is coming in, but around 4 is when the temp is the highest.
Given the relative humidity data below: Charlotte = 10/20 Raleigh = 20/20 Asheville = 30/40 Which city has the highest relative humidity?
RALEIGh
basic types of fog: radiation, advection, upslope (mountain)
Radiation Fog: produced by the earth radiational cooling Advection Fog: warm, moist air moves over a sufficiently colder surface; the moist air may cool to its saturation point. Upslope (mountain) Fog: forms as moist air flows up along an elevated plain, hill, or mountain.
the basic ways we measure total precipitation (rain gauges, tipping buckets, radar, etc)
Rain Gauge: standard, tipping bucket, and wighing type Radar: transmitter generates energy toward target and returned energy is measured and displayed (brightness of echo = amount/intensity of rain) Doppler: measures speed of horizontal rain
what is relative humidity? understand the basics as well as how it varies from location to location
Ratio of water vapor in air to max amount of water vapor required for saturation at that particular temp ( and pressure).
how is stability defined in the atmosphere? know the three types
Rising Air is colder than its environment and sinks. Lapse Rate: rate at which the air temp changes with altitude Environmental Lapse Rate: rate at which air temp would be changing if we were to climb upward into the atmosphere Absolutely stable: lifted parcel of air is colder and heavier than the air surrounding it
Which of the following has the lowest specific heat and takes the least amount of energy to heat up?
granite
The majority of the Earth's atmosphere is located near the ground (within the first 20 miles).
true
You can only compare relative humidity at two different locations if they have the same temperature.
true
which variable gas is the most important for 'weather' and why?
water vapor - evaporates, creates vapor in atmosphere, that vapor creates clouds and precipitation.
What is the dominant greenhouse gas in Earth's atmosphere?
water vapor; a variable gas
On a warm spring day, it is 75 degrees with abundant sunshine in Charlotte, NC. This statement accurately describes the city's
weather
be able to calculate the flow over a mountain, the resulting temperatures and be able to determine the type of stability at the top (board diagram)
yes.
During a week long heat wave in Charlotte, NC, the average temperature outside is 90o F. Professor Shirley insists upon keeping his house at 70o F. How many degrees of cooling would be needed to keep his house at 70o F for the week?
140
If two snowflakes collide and stick together easily, what would be a reasonable temperature for this to occur?
32
Which of the following statements is true?
Carbon Dioxide in the air continues to rise because there are more sources than way to remove it
what is the urban heat island?
Cities, on average, are warmer than their surrounding rural environments.
understand the two droplet forming mechanisms: collision and coalescence vs ice-crystal
Collision and Coalescence: as rain drops fall, runs into other raindrops and they collide and become bigger Ice-Crystal: when you have a snowflake and a raindrop and water vapor coexisting at the same time; the vapor molecules go to the ice and the snowflake becomes bigger, then the raindrop evaporates and the vapor from the raindrops and it goes back tot he snow. Snow grow quickly in a cloud.
Just before sunrise in Charlotte, the air temperature is 40o F and the dew point is also 40o F. Based on these observations, which of the following MUST occur?
Condensation
know the basic lifting mechanisms: convection, mountains, fronts, and convergence
Convection: warm air rising Mountains: air hits mountain, air is forced up Fronts: borders between chunks of air when they run into each other, create rising motion Convergence: like low pressure, when air comes together, has no where to go but up
what is the difference between cyclonic and anticyclonic flow?
Cyclonic - counterclockwise of air around a LOW Anticyclonic - clockwise slow of air around a HIGH
______________ is used most often in science because ____________________.
Degrees Kelvin, it has no negative numbers
understand the formation of dew and frost
Dew forms on objects near the ground surface when they cool below the dew point (more likely on clear nights) Frost forms when the dew-point temp is at or below freezing (forms on cold, clear, calm mornings)
what is dewpoint? what must occur when the dewpoint is reached?
Dewpoint- the temp at which saturation occurs. When it gets cold and saturation is fully reached; condensation occurs
direct sunlight and the distance sunlight has to travel through the atmosphere and the resultant temperature pattern on earth
Direct: the sunlight is directly hitting surface, gets max amount of energy; has less of a distance to travel. (2.5% more energy) Indirect: suns energy is weaker; has more distance to travel
how does a mercury barometer measure pressure
Dish of mercury, measures bars (unit of pressure that describes a force over a given area). Barometric pressure = 1013.25 mb
what are the dry and moist adiabatic rates? when do you use them?
Dry Rate = 10C per 1000m Moist Rate = 6C per 1000m. Once the dew point and the temp are equal; use moist rate.
understand the basics of the hydrologic cycle
Evaporation: energy from the sun transforms enormous quantities of liquid water into water vapor Condensation: water vapor changes back into liquid, forming cloud Precipitation - rain, snow, hail
what is the greenhouse effect? natural or manmade?
Greenhouse gases are selective absorbers - absorbing bands of IR emitted from earth. 60% H2O, 26% CO2, 7% methane, 7% remaining greenhouse gases.
what are the heat index and wind chill?
How your body responds to temp. Wind Chill: how cold it "feels" Heat index: how hot it "feels" - combines air temperature and relative humidity
what are the main differences between Fahrenheit, Celsius, and kelvin?
Kelvin - begins with 0; used for scientific calculations Celsius - 100 equal degrees; upper level maps reported in C Fahrenheit - 180 equal degrees; temp at surface are reported in F
which hemisphere has the largest swings in annual temperature? why?
Northern Hemisphere bc it has a lot of land. (southern hemisphere is surrounded by water; water doesn't change its temp quickly)
why do we have seasons (understand the season diagram that was drawn on the board)
Not due to distance from sun. Due to earths tilt
what is ozone and where is it found? what does good ozone so for us?
Ozone: a primary component of photochemical smog at earths surface. Found in stratosphere Protects us from UV radiation.
how sleet and freezing rain form and the differences between them
Sleet - tiny transparent ice pellet that forms when a partially melted snowflake or cold raindrop turns back into ice when it falls through the deep subfreezing surface layer of air Freezing Rain - thin veneer of ice that forms as raindrops hit a cold object
what is the difference between a solstice and an equinox?
Solstice: sun is directly above tropic of cancer (summer) or capricorn (winter) - Northern Hemisphere days are less than 12 hours. Equinox: Sun directly above equator - all earth locations have 12 hour days.
What is weather
The condition of the atmosphere at any particular time and place. Weather - which is always changing- is compromised of elements of air temperature, air pressure, humidity, clouds, precipitation, visibility, and wind
Precipitation that is falling from a cloud, but evaporates before it actually makes it to the ground, would be described as:
VIRGA
warm vs cold air
Warm Air: has higher amount of energy; expands Cold Air: less energy; compresses
what is pressure? horizontal vs vertical
Weight of air. Vertical: big difference in pressure differences Horizontal: creates wind
what is a temperature inversion? where do we most commonly see them?
When temperature increases with height. (what happens in stratosphere) See them at the ground level during night time.
the lowest two thermal layers in the atmosphere (troposphere and stratosphere). what does temperature do with height in each
Troposphere- extends from earths surface to 11km; location of weather systems; temp decreases with height to the isothermal zone Stratosphere- extends from 11km to 50km; temp increases with height; contains 03 max at 25km
snowflakes form from
deposition
wind direction (northly, southerly... etc)
describes the direction from which its slowing There's also onshore, offshore, upslope, downslope
Due to Earth's tilt, there is more distance for sunlight to travel through the atmosphere at the Equator than at the Poles.
false
If you are interested in tracking the weather in NC at every hour of every day, which type of satellite should you use?
geostationary satellite
Wind from just Pressure and Coriolis is known as:
geostrophic
Heating the air, results in:
higher kinetic energy and expansion
what is climate
if we measure and observe these weather variables over a specified interval of time we would obtain the "average weather" (or the climate) or a particular region. Represents the accumulation of daily and seasonal weather events (the average range of weather) over a long period of time Also includes the extremes of weather.
what have CO2 concentrations done over the past 150 years
increased due to the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation; global temp increases
What is/are the fundamental reason(s) as to why we have weather on Earth?
there's an energy surplus at the equator, there's an energy deficit at the poles, the earth is trying to restore an energy balance between the equator and the poles
what is an aerosol? examples?
tiny solid or liquid particles of various composition suspended in air. Not gaseous Originate from the oceans surface (salt particles from ocean waves), volcanoes, forest fires and other types of burnings, and dust from soil carried by wind. Natural - aid the condensation of water vapor Human-made: a pollutant Examples: pollen, dust., salt from ocean, volcanic dust.
what is advection?
transfer of heat (or moisture) through horizontal movements of air.
Given what was discussed in lecture regarding albedo, if there were no snow or ice at the poles, the Earth would warm significantly because Earth would absorb much more shortwave radiation from the sun.
true
The sun primarily gives off ________________________ and the Earth primarily gives off ________________
visible radiation, IR radiation
which has a higher heat capacity - water or land?
water
what is vapor pressure
Actual Vapor Pressure: partial pressure of water vapor Saturation Vapor Pressure: amount of water vapor necessary to make the air saturated to any given temp
What is an adiabatic process? understand what rising (expanding) and shrinking (compressing) air do
Adiabatic Process - parcel of air expands and cools or compresses and warms with no interchange of heat with its outside surroundings. Warn air - unstable - rises Cold air - stable - sinks
what are convergence and divergence of air? what pressure systems are they associated with and what results
Air converges at low pressure systems and rises (creates clouds and weather High pressure, diverges and sinks and no clouds.
what is albedo? what is the average earth albedo? which surfaces has high albedos?
Albedo: the percentage of radiation reflected from a given surface. (earths reflection) Earths albedo is 30-31% Bright, reflective surfaces, such as fresh snow, sand, ice have high albedos
how does a thermometer work? alcohol vs mercury
Alcohol: good at cold temp Mercury: good at high temp Liquid inside of tube, as it gets warmer it expands; colder is compresses
what is precipitation? know the basic types
Any product of the condensation of atmopsheric water vapor that falls under gravity from clouds. Rain (basic), snow (basic), sleet, freezing rain.
Given the relative humidity data below: Charlotte = 10/20 Raleigh = 20/20 Asheville = 30/40 Which city has the highest temperature?
Asheville
Given the relative humidity data below: Charlotte = 10/20 Raleigh = 20/20 Asheville = 30/40 Which city has the most water in the air?
Asheville
what are heat capacity and specific heat?
Heat Capacity - heat energy absorbed to raise a substance to a given temp (water has a high heat capacity). Specific Heat - heat capacity per unit mass; or heat energy required to raise one gram of a substance by 1C (high specific heat = slow warming (and cooling); low specific heat = fast warming (and cooling))
basics of energy balance on earth - where is there a surplus and deficit?
High altitudes lose more energy to space than received from the sun Low altitudes retain more energy than they lose Energy balance achieved at 38% To maintain earths energy equilibrium, energy is transferred from the tropics towards the poles. (this is why we have weather) Equator- surplus Polar- deficit.
Which statement best summarizes the growth of ice in clouds?
Ice grows as liquid drops evaporate and the vapor deposits onto the ice
how hail is formed
Ice particles get thrown up and down in a cloud (vertical motion). Gets layers of liquid and ice; looks like an onion. When launched back up into cloud, it becomes bigger. Size of air is controlled by speed of air moving upward.
Coriolis force- what does it do
In northern hemisphere, things turn off to right. apparent force due to the rotation of earth Right of intended path in Northern Hemisphere and left in south hemisphere. The stronger the wind, the greater deflection Amount of deflection depends on the earths rotation, latitude, and objects speed
What is potential vs kinetic energy? how is kinetic energy defines in the atmopshere
Potential - the potential to do work Kinetic - the energy of motion (temp) Faster movement = greater KE Molecules and atoms have KE due to motion: we feel this KE as heat
what is hydrostatic balance
Pressure gradient is towards space, gravity is pointing down. Upward directed pressure gradient force in exact balance with downward force of gravity
what does friction do to the air? how does this change the direction?
Surface winds - friction must be included Friction reduces the wind speed which in turn decreases the coriolis effect
what device is used to determine the wind speed?
Wind vane- direction Anemometer!!!!
understand the board diagram of the force balance (PGF, coriolis and friction) and how this creates the winds direction
Yes.
