Atmosphere Flashcards
Approx composition of dry air by volume
Nitrogen 78%
Oxygen 21%
What % of atmosphere can be made up of water
Up to 4 %
In order, the different layers of the atmosphere (low to high)
Troposphere Tropopause Stratosphere Stratopause Mesosphere Mesopause Thermosphere
What is the lapse rate in the Troposphere
Lapse rate 2°c / 1000ft (1.98°c)
Or
0.65°c / 100m
What % of the earths gasses are in the troposphere
75%
How high does the troposphere extend
11km average or 36,000 feet
Equator 16-18 km
Poles 8-10km
What causes tropopause folds
Large surface temperature changes over a short distance cause abrupt changes in height of the tropopause
Tropopause temperature
Isothermal = -56.5°c = ISA
Over equator can be -75°c
Over poles can be -40/-50°c
Stratosphere height range
From tropopause to around 50km
Stratosphere temperature
At tropopause remains constant until 20 km
Then increases at 0.3°c/ 1000ft
Mesosphere height range
50km - 80km
Mesosphere characteristics
Coldest layer of the atmosphere at around -90°c
Thermosphere characteristics
Ever increasing temperature
Boundary for space occurs around 120km
Temp can vary as high as 2000°c depending on solar activity
The ionosphere is found here
ISA temperature
+15°c
ISA pressure
1013.25Hpa
ISA density
1.225kg/m^3
Pressure lapse rates
0-10,000 = 1hpa / 27 feet
10,000 - 18,000 = 1hpa/ 37 feet
18,000 > = 1 hpa / 50 feet
Density at 10,000feet
0.903 kg/m^2 (75% of msl)
Density at 22,000 feet
0.609 kg/m^3 (50% of msl)
Density at 40,000 feet
0.302 kg/m^3 (25% of msl)
Freezing temperature in Fahrenheit
32°F
Boiling temperature in Fahrenheit
212°c
How to get air temperature accurately
Stevenson screen placed 4feet (1-2m) off the ground away from ground heat radiation
How is the temperature high up measured
Radiosonde
What is insolation
Hearing of the earth from suns rays
What is terrestrial radiation
Radiation let off by the earths surface due to suns heating
What is conduction
Heating of the air next to the ground by contact with the warmer ground
What is convection
The vertical transfer of heat
What is advection
The horizontal transfer of heat
What is latent heat
The heat released or absorbed without changing temperature
Hottest time of day is…
2/3 hours after local mid day
Coldest time of day is..
30 mins after sunrise
Latitudinal variations
The sun rays striking the ground at different angles
Heat equator = straight on
Poles = at angles
What effect does the sea have on diurnal variations
Hotter nights and colder days
Effect of wind on diurnal temperature variations
Colder during day, hotter during night
How does cloud affect diurnal temperature variations
Cloud = colder days
Hotter nights
No cloud = hotter days
Colder nights
What is a isothermal layer
No change in temperature with vertical distance
What is a nocturnal surface inversion
When the air in the atmosphere has cooled slightly but the air next to land has cooled more meaning the air above is warmer
How does a aneroid barometer work
As static pressure decreases the pressure inside the capsule stays the same and expands the capsule which is manually or electively connected to a needle
What is a valley inversion
When air in a valley cools quicker than air above the valley
What is a frontal inversion
When cold air in the front is more dense than warm air so is pushes the warm air up
What is a high pressure inversion
When the air is heated as it defends, when the air is heated more above than it is below it can’t descend any further (as hot air is less dense) there for inversion is created
What is a col
Area of not much slack in the isobars between 2 high and 2 low pressures
What weather does a col bring
Thunderstorms in summer
Fog in winter
Is the pressure change higher or lower in cold or warm weather
Higher in warm air pressure
Lower in cold air pressure
Isohypes
Lines of equal pressure above the surface
Like isobars except for vertical distance
How does temperature affect transition level
Cold air = lower
Warm air = higher
How much does altitude differ for ever 1°c deviation from ISA
120 feet
What % do you apply to the indicated altitude for 10°c deviation from the ISA
4%
Bernoulli effect on altitude reading
Increased airflow causes a reduction in static pressure = dynamic pressure up
Therefore altimeter over reads
Why do thermal lows occur over water in winter
Because air over water is warmer than surrounding air = rises = low
What is a orographic low
Where air flows round a mountain and leaves an area of less air at the downwind side of the mountain
What does a blocking anticyclone do
Blocks polar fronts by diverting them
What is a temporary cold anticyclone
Only exists between 2 polar low pressures
What is the heat equator
Equatorial low pressure belt
What needs to be present for condensation to occur
A nuclei for the water vapour to form around
What is absolute humidity
The amount of water vapour in a given unit of air (g/m^3)
what is specific humidity
The mass of water vapour compared to the mass of air
Kg/kg
What is relative humidity
The amount of water vapour present compared to the amount of water that could be present if the air was saturated given as a %
How much water vapour is there at -20°c
0.8g
How much water vapour is there at -10°c
1.8g
How much water vapour is there at 0°c
3.8g
How much water vapour is there at 10°c
7.8g
How much water vapour is there at 20°c
15g
How much water vapour is there at 30°c
28g
When is relative humidity at its highest
In the morning 30 mins after sunrise
What is adiabatic cooling
Where air rises and cools, when the air expands due to a less pressure there for the molecules have more room to spread out reducing the temperature
What is adiabatic warming
Where a parcel of air sinks it is in a higher pressure environment there for occupies less space, in turn this means the particles hit off each other more frequently causing a rise in temperature
What is the dry adiabatic lapse rate (DALR)
1°c / 100m
3°c / 1000ft
Only applies when air is anything less than 100% relative humidity
What is the saturated adiabatic lapse rate (SALR)
- 6°c / 100m
- 8°c /1000 f
Only when relative humidity is 100%
What is absolute stability
When a parcel of air is risen from its equilibrium… once the original lifting force is removed it returns to its equilibrium
This happens when the ELR is less than the DALR and the SALR
How stable do inversions and isotherms tend to be
Very stable
What does the weather in absolutely stable conditions tend to be like
Clouds = very flat Precipitation = fairly light Visibility = haze, for, mist (due to lack of vertical air movement) Turbulence = usually little or non
What is absolute instability
When the ELR is greater than the DALR and the SALR
This means once a parcel of air is displaced from its equilibrium it will keep rising
When might you find air that is absolutely unstable
Summer afternoon
Because air next to surface is hot
Air further up is considerably cooler
Therefor
High ELR
Weather in unstable conditions
Clouds = clouds of considerable vertical extent
Precipitation = intense
Visibility = good
Turbulence = moderate to severe
What is conditional instability
This depends on weather the air is dry or saturated for it to be stable or unstable
DALR will be stable
SALR will be unstable
What is neutral stability
When the either the DALR or the SALR are the same as the ELR so when the air is displaced it is the same temp as the outer environmental air therefor stays at the same height
In cloud form what does cumulus mean
Vertically developed (unstable air)
Water vapour that isn’t attached to a nuclei and is below freezing is said to be what
Super cooled
Water vapour from 0°c > - 10°c is said to be what
Almost entirely super cooled water
Water vapour between -10°c and -40°c is said to be what
A mixture of supercooled water droplets and ice particles
Water vapour less than -40°c is said to be what
Almost entirely ice particles
What height is low level cloud
Surface - 6500ft
What height is middle level cloud
6500-23000
What heigh is high level cloud
16500-45000
What are High level cloud made up off
Ice crystals
What are medium level clouds made up of
Mixture of ice and water droplets
What are low level clouds made from
Mainly water droplets
What is 0 oktas of cloud cover
Sky clear
What is 1-2 oktas of cloud cover
Few
What is 3-4 oktas of cloud cover
Scattered
What is 5-7 oktas of cloud cover
Broken
What is 8 oktas of cloud cover
Overcast
What is the name of the laser used to measure cloud base
Ceilometer
What is the cloud ceiling
Lowest layer of cloud that covers more than half the sky (5 oktas or more)
What defines at cirrus cloud
Ci
High whispy
Ice crystals
What defines a cirrostratus cloud
Cs
Thin veil of high level cloud
Smooth appearance
Halo phenomenon
What defines a cirrocumulus cloud
Cc
High level
Lumpy
Round appearance
Ripples
What defines a altostratus cloud
As
Layer cloud
Medium level
Can just see the sun
Can contain burga
Can be high icing risk
What defines a altocumulus cloud
Ac
Medium level
Lumpy
Shady
Boulders
Rounded appearance
What defines a stratus cloud
St
Grey
Ragged
Sun can be seen in bits but no blue sky
Flat layer
What defines a strato cumulus cloud
Sc
Low patchy
Dark
Thick
Rounded
Slightly layered