Stability and Cloud

The difference between the "moist" and "dry" adiabatic rates is due to:

the fact that latent heat is released by a rising parcel of saturated air

An inversion represents an extremely stable atmosphere because air that rises into the inversion will eventually become __________ and __________ dense than the surrounding air

colder, more

Indicate which mechanism below will not lead to cloud formation

divergence of surface air

A neutral stability occurs in the atmosphere when

dry adiabatic lapse rate equal environmental lapse rate.

The best time of day for a farmer to burn agricultural debris for least polluted conditions is

during the afternoon.

What type of lapse rate can be determined from temperature measurements made from an aircraft ascending from the surface to a height of 3,000 m?

environmental lapse rate

In a conditionally unstable atmosphere, the environmental lapse rate will be ____ the moist adiabatic rate and ____ the dry adiabatic rate.

greater than; less than

Subsidence inversions are best developed with ____ pressure areas because of the ____ air motions associated with them

high; sinking

If an air parcel is lifted, it will first form clouds at the ________ and become buoyant (unstable) at the _________.

lifting condensation level; level of free convection

Driving along Shaw by Chestnut Avenue on a warm summer afternoon, what type of smoke plume you expect to see from the Dog House Grill smokestack?

looping

Which atmospheric stability condition is more likely to increase pollution level in Fresno?

stable atmosphere

The San Joaquin Air Pollution Control District (SJAPCD) does not permit burning when it is determined the stability in the lower atmosphere is ______________

unstable

Which stability condition is more likely to enhance dispersion of pollutants in Fresno?

unstable atmosphere

Which set of conditions, working together, will make the atmosphere the most stable?

warm the surface and cool the air aloft

A knowledge of air stability is important because it determines

. the vertical motion of air.

If the environmental lapse rate is 5o C per 1,000 m and the temperature at the earth's surface is 25o C, then the air temperature at 2,000 m above the ground is

15 C

Temperatures in a rising parcel of air are shown at various altitudes above. The data indicate that a cloud must have formed at _____.

2 km

If the temperature at Fresno airport is 100 oF and the environmental lapse rate is 10oF per 1000 feet, what is the temperature at the foothill with elevation of 1000 feet

90 oF;

Which of the following plumes is worst for the dispersion of pollutants

Fumigating

Coning plume occurs under which conditions?

Neutral

. Under what atmospheric condition is fog most often formed in the San Joaquin Valley?

Stable stability

When the environmental lapse rate decreases more rapidly with height than the dry adiabatic rate, the atmosphere is:

absolutely stable