Chapter 2 - temperature and heating

Question 1

What does air temperature measure, and why is it considered the most common weather parameter?

Answer 1

Air temperature measures how hot or cold the air is, and it is considered the most common weather parameter because it describes the kinetic energy of the gases in the air.

Question 2

The common unit of temperature in aviation are…?

Answer 2

Celsius, Fahrenheit and Kelvin

Question 3

What is the primary heat source for the atmosphere?

Answer 3

The earth i.e. terrestrial radiation

Question 4

What is the primary mechanism of heat transfer in the atmosphere, driven by differential heating and cooling of the Earth’s surface?

Answer 4

Differential heating and cooling of the Earth’s surface

Question 5

How is radiation defined in terms of energy transmission?

Answer 5

Radiation is defined as the emission or transmission of energy in the form of waves, i.e. heat transfer by wave motion

Question 6

What are the primary sources of radiation?

Answer 6

The main sources of radiation are the sun (solar radiation) and the Earth (terrestrial radiation).

Question 7

What are the characteristics of solar radiation in terms of its intensity and wavelength?

Answer 7

Intense and short wave

Question 8

What are the characteristics of terrestrial radiation in terms of its intensity and wavelength?

Answer 8

Low intensity and long wave radiation

Question 9

What are the three atmospheric processes that filter and alter solar radiation as it passes through the Earth’s atmosphere?

Answer 9

Reflection, scattering, and absorption

Question 10

How do greenhouse gases contribute to the atmosphere’s heat and energy by interacting with long-wave terrestrial radiation?

Answer 10

Greenhouse gases absorb long-wave terrestrial radiation and subsequently re-emit it, which adds heat and energy to the atmosphere.

Question 11

How is conduction defined in the context of heat transfer?

Answer 11

Heat transfer by molecular contact. Conduction Is effectively on solid materials, e.g. putting a spoon over a flame, where the heat spread over all the spoon due to molecular contact

Question 12

The lowest part of the atmosphere is in direct contact with the earth’s surface and responds via…?

Answer 12

Conduction. It warms the surface during the day and cools it at night.

Question 13

How is energy transferred by advection, and when does advection typically occur?

Answer 13

Advection is the transfer of energy through the horizontal movement of the air, and it occurs whenever the wind blows.

Question 14

What is latent heat?

Answer 14

It is a form of energy that’s either released or absorbed by a material when it changes phases

Question 15

How does the lapse rate in the troposphere vary, and what factors influence these variations, particularly in the lower troposphere?

Answer 15

The lapse rate in the troposphere can vary considerably, especially in the lower troposphere. These variations are influenced by factors such as surface temperature and air mass movement.

Question 16

What atmospheric conditions are created by isothermal layers and inversions, and how do these conditions affect the vertical movement of air?

Answer 16

Isothermal layers and inversions create conditions of absolute stability in the atmosphere, which inhibit the vertical motion of air.

Question 17

How are ground inversions typically formed, and what are the key factors contributing to their formation?

Answer 17

Ground inversions are typically formed either at night as the surface layers cool or at other times when there is a layer of warmer air situated over a cooler surface.

Question 18

In what atmospheric conditions are subsidence inversions frequently observed, and what causes their occurrence?

Answer 18

Subsidence inversions are commonly observed in high-pressure areas, where descending dry air warms more rapidly than the surrounding static environmental air.

Question 19

How do frontal inversions form?

Answer 19

Frontal inversions form when warm, less dense air rises over cooler, denser air, creating a stable atmospheric condition.

Question 20

How is a friction layer inversion formed, and what causes the modification of the surface layer lapse rate?

Answer 20

A friction layer inversion is created as a result of turbulent mixing that alters the lapse rate in the surface layer of the atmosphere.

Question 21

What are valley inversions and how do they form?

Answer 21

Valley inversions are atmospheric phenomena that occur at night when colder, denser air sinks and accumulates in a valley, displacing warmer air aloft. This creates a stable temperature inversion in the valley.

Question 22

What is an isotherm, and what does it represent?

Answer 22

An isotherm is a term used in meteorology to describe a line on a map that connects points with equal temperature or a region of constant temperature within the atmosphere. It represents areas where the temperature is the same across the connected points or within the defined region.

Question 23

How do ground inversions impact the atmosphere, especially in relation to pollutants and fog formation?

Answer 23

Ground inversions have a significant impact on the atmosphere. They trap surface pollutants as they act as condensation nuclei, contributing to poor air quality. Additionally, ground inversions help isolate the surface layer, which can lead to the formation of fog by trapping moisture near the ground and preventing it from rising.

Question 24

What is convection?

Answer 24

Heat transfer through density differences