chapter 5 summery Flashcards
surface charts include
- Four surface analysis per day transmited in two parts
- 00Z, 06Z, 12Z and 18Z
- Two daily 48-hour surface forecasts
- 00Z and 12Z
surface charts depict:
- Isobars
- Surface winds
- Frontal systems
- Low and high pressure center positions
- Central pressure
how is the leading edge of the ice depicted?
- It is depicted as black dots
- Found on the northern edge of the graphics
The 48 hour surface forecast displays
- The synoptic scale system’s position and central pressure in
- 24 hour track history
- 24 hour forecast position
Bold capital letters represent
- Systems having or expecting to have synoptic scale
- Gale
- Storm or
- Hurricane force conditions
- Significant weather systems have labels depicting whether the system has the above conditions as observed by
- Ships
- Buoy observations
- Remote sensing satellite data
- Computer model guidance
labels “developing gale”, “developing storm” or “developing hurricane force” are given to
- Systems expected to develop gale, storm or hurricane force conditions in 24 hours
the label “RAPIDLY INTENSIFYING” is given to
- Surface low pressure falls of 24 mb or greater during a 24 hour period
the surface charts generated for each ocean consist of:
- Isobaric pressure analysis at 4 mb contour interval spacing
- The central pressure mb values of low and high pressure systems
- Depicted in bold 3 or 4 digit
- Underlined
- Adjacent to or under the “H” or “L”
- Abbreviated automated ship plots of wind direction
- 8 points on the compass rose
- wind speed
- In knots
- Present reported weather
- Using current standard symbols
The product of the surface charts:
- Issued in two ports which overlap by 10 degrees of longitude
- Both parts project low or high pressure system’s forecast position
- by drawing an arrow to the 24 hour position labeled as
- an X for lows and
- circles with an X in the middle for highs
- bold two digit millibar central pressure value underlined under or adjacent to the 24 hour position label
- by drawing an arrow to the 24 hour position labeled as
what inabled mariners to use surface analyses as a work chart?
- Surface analyses are doubled in size and issued as a two part product
- Mariners can use the appropriate part if operating only in that part of the ocean which will impact the vessel
- Mariners can then know how the weather system will impact their vessel
- Mariners can use the appropriate part if operating only in that part of the ocean which will impact the vessel
how to extend the usefulness of the surface charts (product)?
- Use with a 500 mb analysis
- The 24 h forecast position of synoptic scale weather system will help in determining the weather systems’s
- Motion and
- Intensity trends
- The 24 h forecast position of synoptic scale weather system will help in determining the weather systems’s
surface analysis is broadcasted…, this can…
- Less than 3 ½ hours from the valid synoptic time
- Substantially aid the independent decision making process for
- crew safety
- protection of the ship
- prevention of cargo damage
- maintaining schedules
define 500 mb chart
- constant pressure chart which means that everywhere on the chart the air pressure is the same (500mb)
- given in tens of meters above sea level
- 540 lines means that the 500mb is at a height of 5,400 m above sea level
500mb is on the height of:
- 5600 meters or
- Above18,000ft above sea level
: 500mb varies from place to place due to
- The density of the air column
heights increase when:
- The air is warmer and
- less dense
the distance between warmer air and colder air lines indicate:
- the slope of the 500mb surface
the closer the height contours on the 500mb chart the …
- faster the upper level wind flow
- the stronger the temperature contrasts
- more active is the surface weather below
- the stronger the temperature contrasts
the 500-mb chart depict:
- Height contours above the earth’s surface at 60 m intervals.
- Wind speeds of 30 knots and greater.
- short wave troughs (generally 50 degrees or less in longitude)
embedded within the 500-mb height field are the
- The short wave troughs (generally 50 degrees or less in longitude)
Embedded within the 500‐mb height field are the short wave troughs, generally 50 degrees or less in longitude. These are drawn on the charts as
- Bold dashed lines
short wave troughs will assist the mariners in
- Locating surface low pressure systems
- Developing lows on frontal waves