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Geography 114 > Clouds > Flashcards

Clouds Flashcards

What is a cloud? How do clouds form? Why are there so many different kinds of clouds? How does air rise?

1
Q

What is a cloud?

A

water droplets/ice crystals suspended in the atmos. by upwards air drafts

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2
Q

How do clouds form?

A

clouds form as air rises, cools and water vapour condenses (water in a gas form that turns into liquid)

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3
Q

How does air rise? (4 ways)

A

1) Orographic Lift
2) Convergence
3) Convection
4) Frontal Lift

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4
Q

Explain how air rises during Orographic Lift

A

1) forced ascent of warm, moist oceanic air over a mountain barrier (produces orographic precip & rain shadow effect)
2) as the air moves up the mountain barrier, it loses moisture through precipitation
3) as it decends, the far slope is warmed & may lead to Chinook Conditions

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5
Q

Where does Orographic lift occur?

A

Mountains

  • Maui
  • North Shore Mountains
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6
Q

Explain how air rises during Convergence

A

-low pressure system
-air rises from opposing airflows
(low air pressure come together and pushes up)

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7
Q

Explain how air rises during Convection

A
  • warm air rises because they are less dense than the surrounding cooler air
  • where the excess water vapour in rising air parcels condenses to form a cloud.
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8
Q

Define Weather

A

“State of the atmosphere at a place and time”

-short term

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9
Q

Define Climate

A

“Weather conditions at a place averaged over a long period (several decades)”

  • long term
  • ice age
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10
Q

How are clouds classified?

A
  • based on:
    1) HEIGHT
    2) FORM
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11
Q

What are the 3 categories describing height?

A

1) LOW - bases below 2000 m
2) MIDDLE - bases btw. 2000m-7000m
3) HIGH - bases btw. 5000m-14,000m

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12
Q

What are the 4 FORMS of clouds and their latin meaning?

A

1) CIRRUS - curl of hair
2) CUMULUS - heap
3) STRATUS - layer
4) NIMBUS - rain

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13
Q

What are the characteristics of LOW Clouds?

A
  • composed mostly of water droplets

- cover the mountain tops

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14
Q

What are the 4 types of Low Clouds?

A

1) Stratus
2) Stratocumulus
3) Cumulus
4) Cumulonimbus

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15
Q

What are the characteristics of a STRATUS Cloud? (low)

A
  • sheet of cloud
  • high fog (above ground)
  • deep enough to produce drizzle/light snow
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16
Q

What are the characteristics of a STRATOCUMULUS Cloud? (low)

A
  • most common
  • sheet of cloud w/ well defined base
  • can produce light precip.
17
Q

What are the characteristics of a CUMULUS Cloud? (low)

A
  • detached heaps of clouds w/ mounded tops and flat bottoms
  • fair weather, form as warm air rises
  • can grow vertically + produce precip.
18
Q

What are the characteristics of a CUMULONIMBUS Cloud? (low)

A
  • large heaped clouds (low altitudes–>troposphere)
  • heavy precip., short duration
  • hail, thunder and lightning
19
Q

What are the characteristics of MIDDLE Clouds?

A

-composed of water droplets/ice crystals

20
Q

What are the 3 types of MIDDLE Clouds?

A

1) Altostratus
2) Altocumulus
3) Nimbostratus

21
Q

What are the characteristics of a ALTOSTRATUS Cloud? (middle)

A
  • sheet cloud (watery sun)
  • associated with the approach of warm front
  • light precip.
22
Q

What are the characteristics of a ALTOCUMULUS Cloud? (middle)

A
  • puffy grey masses that form in groups

- associated with thunder storms (warm fronts)

23
Q

What are the characteristics of a NIMBOSTRATUS Cloud? (middle)

A
  • sheet of cloud thick enough to block out sun/moon
  • warm front
  • steady precip. moderate intensity
  • ex. Vancouver
  • can occur in both low and middle
24
Q

What are the characteristics of HIGH Clouds?

A
  • thin (low water content)

- composed entirely of ice crystals

25
Q

What are the 3 types of HIGH Clouds?

A

1) Cirrus
2) Cirrostratus
3) Cirrocumulus

26
Q

What are the characteristics of a CIRRUS Cloud? (high)

A
  • streaks scattered across the sky
  • fair weather –> approach warm front
  • form in jet stream (turbulence)
  • “fall streaks” or “mare’s tails”
27
Q

What are the characteristics of a CIRROSTRATUS Cloud? (high)

A
  • sheet of cloud, veil over the sky, thin enough to see sun/moon
  • approach of warm front
  • creates halo around sun/moon
28
Q

What are the characteristics of a CIRROCUMULUS Cloud? (high)

A
  • long rows, sheet of cloud broken into tiny clumps
  • smaller than altocumulus
  • usually seen in winter (cold temp)

Geography 114 (6 decks)

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