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2. Meteorology > Clouds > Flashcards

Clouds Flashcards

1
Q

What are the 4 groups of cloud called?

A

Curriform (whispy)
Cumuliform (heaped)
Stratiform (layered)
Nimbus (rain bearing)

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2
Q

What is a high level cloud?

A

Base is at 20,000ft or above

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3
Q

What is a medium level cloud?

A

Base is between 6,500 and 20,000ft

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4
Q

What is a low level cloud?

A

Base is below 6,500ft

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5
Q

What does ‘cirrus’ tell us about the cloud?

A

It is a high level cloud (+20,000ft base)

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6
Q

What does ‘alto’ tell us about the cloud?

A

It is a mid level cloud (6,500-20,000ft base)

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7
Q

What is a Ci cloud?

A

Cirrus
High level
Whispy clouds

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8
Q

What is a cirrus cloud?

A

High level whispy

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9
Q

What does Ci stand for?

A

Cirrus

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10
Q

What is a Cc cloud?

A

Cirrocumulus
High level
Thin white ripples/waves

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11
Q

What does Cc stand for?

A

Cirrocumulus

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12
Q

What is a Cs cloud?

A

Cirrostratus
High level
Transparent white sheet, makes a halo round the sun

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13
Q

What level is a Cs cloud?

A

High level (base above 20,000ft)

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14
Q

What level is a Cc cloud?

A

High level (base above 20,000ft)

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15
Q

What level is a Ci cloud?

A

High level (base above 20,000ft)

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16
Q

What does ‘alto’ tell us about the cloud?

A

It is mid level (base between 6,500 and 20,000ft)

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17
Q

At is an Ac cloud?

A

Altocumulus
Mid level
Broken white globular masses

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18
Q

What is an altocumulus cloud?

A

Mid level
White globular masses

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19
Q

What does Ac stand for?

A

Altocumulus

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20
Q

What is an As cloud?

A

Altostratus
Mid level
Layer of grey/blue that covers the sky
Can rain or snow

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21
Q

What type of cloud is curriform?

A

Whispy

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22
Q

Why type of cloud is cumuliform?

A

Heaped

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23
Q

What type of cloud is stratiform?

A

Layered

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24
Q

What type of cloud is nimbus?

A

Rain bearing

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25
Q

What is a Ns cloud?

A

Nimbostratus
Low level
Dark grey, thick cloud
Constant rain and severe turbulence

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26
Q

What is a Nimbostratus cloud?

A

Thick dark grey cloud causing heavy rain and severe turbulence

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27
Q

What does Ns stand for?

A

Nimbostratus cloud

Flat or layered rain bearing cloud

Mid level

28
Q

What is a Sc cloud?

A

Stratocumulus
Low level
Grey/ white sheet that also has rolls and masses
Slight rain or drizzle if any

29
Q

What is a stratocumulus?

A

Low level
Grey white sheet with globular masses and rolls
Sometimes has very light rain

30
Q

What does Sc stand for?

A

Stratocumulus

Low level

Layered and rain bearing

31
Q

What is an St Cloud?

A

Stratus
Low level
Layer of grey cloud with uniform base

32
Q

What is a stratus cloud?

A

Low level
Grey sheet with uniform base

33
Q

What does St stand for?

34
Q

What is a Cu cloud?

A

Cumulus
Low level
Thick detached clouds
Large cumulus can result in rain

35
Q

What is a cumulus cloud?

A

Low level thick cloud
Large ones can cause rain

36
Q

What does Cu stand for?

37
Q

What is a Cb cloud?

A

Cumulonimbus
Low level
Dense cloud that is very tall
Lightening thunder heavy rain snow and hail with severe turbulence

38
Q

What is a cumulonimbus cloud?

A

Low level
Thick and tall
Very bad weather and severe turbulence

39
Q

What does Cb stand for?

A

Cumulonimbus

40
Q

High level clouds are found at ___________ft

A

20,000ft +

41
Q

Middle level clouds are found at _________ft

A

6,500 - 20,000 ft

42
Q

Low level clouds are found at ________ft

A

6,500ft or less

43
Q

What does saturated air mean?

A

100% humid

44
Q

What does unsaturated air mean?

A

Less than 100% humid

45
Q

Relative humidity =

A

Vapour pressure/ saturation vapour pressure x100

46
Q

How do clouds form?

A

Air cools to below the dew point

47
Q

DALR =

A

Dry adaibatic laps rate

3•C per 1000ft

48
Q

SALR =

A

Saturated adaibatic lapse rate

1.5•C per 1000ft

49
Q

What is unstable air?

A

ELR is more than DALR and SALR

Displaced air rises

Usually form cumuliform clouds

50
Q

What is neutral air?

A

ELR = DALR or SALR

Displaced air stays at the place it is displaced at

Usually forms stratiform clouds

51
Q

What is stable air?

A

ELR is less than SALR and DALR

Displaced air will return to where it was

Results in fog or stratiform clouds

52
Q

What do roll clouds indicate?

A

Turbulence

53
Q

What happens when a large mass of warm air meets a large mass of cold air?

A

The cold air undercuts the warm air moving it up. This means the air cools and if it reaches dew point then clouds will form

54
Q

When warm air meets cool air what is the order of cloud formation?

A

Ns. As. Cs. Cl.

55
Q

What are the 5 types of precipitation?

A

Rain - water droplets
Drizzle - fine droplets
Snow - ice crystals
Hail - ice balls
Freezing rain/ freezing drizzle - freezes on contact with cold surface

56
Q

SKC

57
Q

FEW

A

1-2 / 8 of the sky covered

58
Q

SCT

A

3-4/ 8 of the sky covered

59
Q

BKN

A

5-7/ 8 of the sky covered

60
Q

OVC

A

Sky covered

61
Q

The base of each cloud layer is given in ____

62
Q

FEW 005 SCT 012 BKN 050

A

1-2 oktas of cloud at 500ft aal
3-4 oktas of cloud at 1200ft aal
5-7 oktas of cloud at 5000ft aal

63
Q

What is radiation fog?

A

Fog caused my warm moist air and a cloudless night.

64
Q

What is advection fog

A

Sea fog that is caused by warm moist air passing over a cool surface. Can exist in windy conditions

65
Q

What is frontal fog

A

2 fronts meet and

cloud reaches the ground or the air becomes saturated due to rainfall

66
Q

Orographic fog means

2. Meteorology (5 decks)

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