2021 Meteorology Flashcards
Composition of the atmosphere:
Nitrogen - 78%
Oxygen - 21%
Water Vapor - 0-3%
Carbon Dioxide - 0.03%
Argon, helium, ozone, helium, other rare gasses
What is the latent heat of fusion?
Freezing and melting.
freeze & fuze
What is latent heat of vaporization?
Condensation and evaporation.
What is latent heat of sublimation?
Sublimation & deposition between a gas and a solid.
What is condensation?
When water vapor changing from a gaseous state to a liquid state.
Latent heat is RELEASED.
What is evaporation?
When water vapor changing from a liquid state into a gaseous state.
What is sublimation?
When water vapor changes from a gaseous state to a solid state or vice versa.
Remember, sublimation is the weird one. Gas to a solid or solid to a gas? that’s weird.
When water vapor changes into a liquid, is energy (heat) absorbed or released?
Energy (heat) is released to the surrounding air.
When water vapor changes into a gaseous state, is energy (heat) absorbed or released?
Energy (heat) is absorbed from the surrounding air.
What is relative humidity?
The ratio of the amount of water vapor that exist in the air to the amount that can be held.
Water vapor that exists : Water vapor it can hold
How is relative humidity expressed?
As a percentage.
Does temperature increase or decrease with altitude in the Troposphere?
Decreases. (down, up, down, up)
Does temperature increase or decrease with altitude in the Stratosphere?
Increases. (down, up, down, up)
Does temperature increase or decrease with altitude in the Mesosphere?
Decreases. (down, up, down, up)
Does temperature increase or decrease with altitude in the Thermosphere?
Increases. (down, up, down, up)
Weather is forecasted below ____ on a GFA.
24,000’.
How long are significant weather charts valid?
12 hours.
When are surface analysis charts issued?
0600Z, 1200Z, 1800Z, 0000Z.
Where are AWOS stations located?
At an aerodrome.
What is the dry adiabatic lapse rate?
3 degrees per 1000ft.
Dry is the nicest and biggest. 3 degrees.
What is the saturated adiabatic lapse rate?
1.5 degrees per 1000ft.
“Saturated” is a one-off! 1.5!
What is the environmental lapse rate?
2 degrees per 1000ft.
Good for the environment, your favorite number, 2!
What is MIFG on a METAR?
Shallow fog.
An altimeter will ________ in higher than normal temperatures.
Overread.
Higher than normal temperatures, so its a higher temperature up at altitude than normal. Your plane thinks you’re closer to the ground, so your altimeter overreads!
How is the earth’s surface heated?
Short-wave solar radiation.
“Short” wave, closer to the sun.
How do you calculate ISA deviation?
ISA temperature = (altitude/1000) × -2 + 15
Deviation = (actual OAT at altitude) - (ISA temperature)
What is overruning?
Most commonly is the process for development of freezing rain.
A weather pattern in which a relatively warm air mass is in motion above another air mass of greater density at the surface.
Fog, stratus clouds, drizzle, and haze is associated with:
Stable air.
Fog is good!
BR as reported in a METAR means what?
A cloud layer at ground level where visibility is greater than 5/8SM.
Which warm fronts are most common in Canada during the winter months?
Continental arctic, maritime arctic.
What are warm katabatic winds?
Chinooks.
Which cold fronts are commonly found in Canada during the Summer months?
Maritime arctic, maritime polar.
What is true of a microburst?
Downburst that lasts for 5 minutes with a diameter of less than 2nm.
An AWOS will report a max visibility of what?
9SM.
What type of fog forms as a result of raising the dew point to the surrounding air temperature?
Steam fog.
What is mean sea level pressure?
1013.25MB or 29.92”
What is the ICAO lapse rate?
1.98 degrees per 1,000’.
What is the approximate height of the Tropopause?
36,089ft.
What is the top of the ICAO standard atmosphere?
65,000ft.
What percentage of UV radiation is reflected back into space by the atmosphere (ozone)?
6%. atmopsphere is sixus.
What percentage of UV radiation is reflected back into space by cloud tops?
20%. 2nd biggest
What percentage of UV radiation is reflected back into space by earth’s surface?
4%. smallest