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Physical Geography A-level > Condensation > Flashcards

Condensation Flashcards

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1
Q

3 types of rainfall:

A
  • orographic
  • conventional
  • frontal/cyclonic/depression
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2
Q

(Orographic)The air at ground level…

A

is warm and therefore can hold moisture.

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3
Q

(Orographic) A wind forces the moist air to…

A

move and barrier causes the air to rise on the windward side of the mountain.

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4
Q

(Orographic) As the air rises, it…

A

cools adiabatically, reaching 100% relative humidity=condensation.

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5
Q

Adiabatic cooling is the process…

A

that provides air cooling by expanding the volume of air.

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6
Q

Close to the surface, the pressure is…

A

higher, so the air is denser, therefore it warms up. Due to higher pressure, it can hold more water particles.

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7
Q

As the air rises, the atmospheric pressure…

A

decreases, so the air is less dense, molecules are further apart, so it cools down.

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8
Q

The relative humidity is…

A

the amount of moisture in the air compared to what the air can “hold” at that temperature.

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9
Q

(Orographic) precipitation on…

A

the face and peak.

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10
Q

After orographic rainfall, the air descends on…

A

the leeward side, warming by contraction=cloud dispersal.

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11
Q

Convectional rainfall is associated with…

A

tropical/equatorial areas.

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12
Q

(Convectional rainfall) The air above surface heats by…

A

conduction, expands and becomes less dense. This causes the air to rise.

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13
Q

(Convectional rainfall) As the air rises…

A

it cools, until dew point is reached=condesation.

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14
Q

(Convectional rainfall) In tropics, the rising air is usually warmer than…

A

surrounding air, so it rises continuously, creating unstable air. Large cumulonimbus clouds develop and convectional thunderstorms are common.

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15
Q

Unstable air is created when…

A

the air above the rising parcel of warm air is colder. This creates depressions. So the ELR is lower than SALR or DALR.

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16
Q

(Frontal rainfall) is common at…

A

mid to high latitudes.

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17
Q

(Frontal rainfall) is a result of the meeting of…

A

two different masses(e.g. polar air and subtropical air)

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18
Q

(Frontal rainfall) lighter air(warm) is forced to…

A

rise along the front, very rapidly, so there is sudden drop in temperature .

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19
Q

(Frontal rainfall) sudden drop in temperature, increases…

A

the chance of 100% relative humidity from happening.

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20
Q

Clouds appear to be darker at…

A

the base, because it is denser there.

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21
Q

Clouds are made of many…

A

tiny water droplets held in suspension caused by the updraft and atmospheric winds.

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22
Q

Bergen theory suggests that…

A

water particles collide with hygroscopic nuclei, causing immediate cooling and condensation on impact.

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23
Q

Coalescence theory suggests that…

A

water particles collide and stick together. forming droplet. If the water droplet is greater than 2mm, it falls.

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24
Q

ELR is…

A

Environmental Lapse Rate and it is the actual measured decrease in temperature with height above the ground.

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25
Q

ELR is generally…

A

6 degrees per 1000m, but it varies and depends on local air conditions.

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26
Q

DALR is…

A

Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate, applies only when parcel of air has RH less than 100%.

27
Q

DALR is approximately…

A

10 degrees per 1000m

28
Q

SALR is…

A

Saturated Adiabatic Lapse Rate, infulenced by the fact that latent heat is released when water condenses.

29
Q

In SALR, Once the air cooled to dew point…

A

and water started condensing the parcel of air cools more slowly.

30
Q

The SAlR varies from…

A

4-9 degrees per 1000m depending to the amount of latent heat released.

31
Q

Warm saturated air will have…

A

lower SALR than less saturated warm air.

32
Q

Clouds are classified in following way:

A
  • form and shape (e.g. stratifrom-layers and cumuliform-heaped)
  • height-low(less than 2000m), medium (2000-7000m) and high (7000-13000m)
33
Q

High altitude clouds are mainly…

A

ice crystals (cirrus, cirrocumulus and cirostratus)

34
Q

Medium altitude clouds are…

A

mainly water droplets.

35
Q

Low clouds indicate…

A

poor weather, stratus-dense,grey

nimbostratus-produce rain

36
Q

Vertical development of clouds suggests…

A

upward movement.

37
Q

Cumulus clouds are…

A

flat bottomed and heaped.

38
Q

High clouds:

A

cirrus, cirrostratus and cirrocumulus

39
Q

Medium clouds:

A

alostratus, altocumulus

40
Q

Low clouds:

A

strato-cumulus, stratus, nimbostratus

41
Q

Clouds with vertical development:

A

cumulonimbus, cumulus,

42
Q

In cirrus clouds, because the water droplets are ice crystals it has the ability to…

A

enhance insolation-scattering SW radiation.

43
Q

Banner clouds are formed by…

A

orographic uplift.

44
Q

Clouds have a radiative…

A

force, as they re-emit LW radiation back towards the ground.

45
Q

In clouds, there is more…

A

hygroscopic nuclei, so more LW is reflected.

46
Q

Radiation cooling is…

A

the LW radiation which is radiated from the heated ground during the night.

47
Q

Rain refers to…

A

liquid drops with diameter between 0.5mm-5mm. It is heavy enough to fall to the ground.

48
Q

Drizzle is a type of…

A

rainfall with droplets less than 0.5mm.

49
Q

Hail is…

A

alternate concentric rings of clear and opaque ice, formed by raindrops, carried up vertically up and down in large cumulonimbus clouds.

50
Q

The pellet in the hail freezes and…

A

partially melts several times, before it is large enough to overcome the strong updraughts of air and escape from the cloud.

51
Q

Hailstones may collide with…

A

droplets of supercooled water and freeze on impact, forming a layer of opaque ice around the hailstone.

52
Q

Frost on vegetation is caused by…

A

contact cooling, which results in sublimation.

53
Q

Frost happens when…

A

the temperature of the surface falls below 0 and water vapour in air parcels comes into contact.

54
Q

Dew is…

A

the direct deposition of water droplets onto a surface/

55
Q

Dew occurs in anti-

A

cyclonic conditions, where there is a rapid radiation cooling during the night.

56
Q

Dew forms when the temperature reaches…

A

dew point and further cooling causes direct precipitation onto the vegetation.

57
Q

Fog is…

A

cloud at ground level.

58
Q

Radiation fog is formed…

A

in low-lying areas, during calm weather. Winter

59
Q

(Radiation fog) Due to radiation cooling…

A

the air above the ground is rapidly cooled down and condenses. Light winds and turbulences cause uplift and low stratus sheet is formed.

60
Q

A temperature inversion is when…

A

cooler air is above the warmer one.

61
Q

Due to temperature inversion…

A

smog may develop.

62
Q

Fog is common in…

A

anti-cyclonic conditions, with low wind speeds

63
Q

Advection fog is formed when…

A

warm moist air flows horizontally over a cooler land or sea surface. Winter or spring

64
Q

Steam fog is formed when…

A

cold air blows over much warmer water. Evaporation from water quickly saturates the air and condensation leads to steaming.

Physical Geography A-level (33 decks)

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