Convective Storms

Question 1

Impacts of deep moist convection

Answer 1

Heavy rain, hail, winds, tornadoes, lightning

Question 2

What is convection?

Answer 2

Rising warm air that releases an unstable thermodynamic profile

Question 3

Three ingredients for deep, moist convection

Answer 3

Moisture, conditional instability and lift

Question 4

What is conditional instability?

Answer 4

Γm < Γ < Γd

Question 5

Absolute stability

Answer 5

Γ < Γm

Question 6

Absolutely unstable

Answer 6

Γ > Γd

Question 7

Condensation produces

Answer 7

Latent heat

Question 8

Equilibrium layer is when

Answer 8

Γ becomes less than Γd (no longer buoyant)

Question 9

Level of free convection is when

Answer 9

Γ becomes bigger than Γd (buoyant)

Question 10

LCL is when

Answer 10

Parcel begins following moist adiabat

Question 11

Convective inhibition suppresses the growth of

Answer 11

Small cells

Question 12

CAPE is related to the stength of the

Answer 12

Updraft

Question 13

Why is CAPE usually an overestimation of updraft strength?

Answer 13

Water loading & the entrainment of dry air

Question 14

Maximum vertical motion equation

Answer 14

wmax = (2 x CAPE)^0.5

Question 15

Latent heat releases provides the updraft

Answer 15

Bouyancy

Question 16

Deep moist convection requires moisture at the

Answer 16

Mid-upper levels

Question 17

Ordinary cells have

Answer 17

One updraft and one downdraft

Question 18

Towering cumulus stage

Answer 18

Air has passed LFC and begins rising

Question 19

Mature cumulonimbus stage

Answer 19

Precipitation, dry air entrainment, evaporatively cooled air descends

Question 20

Dissipating stage

Answer 20

Bubble reaches EL and isn’t bouyant, cell dissipates

Question 21

Timescale for an ordinary cell

Answer 21

30 minutes

Question 22

Ordinary cells only produce heavy rain if tied to

Answer 22

Orography

Question 23

Ordinary cells have ___ vertical wind shear

Answer 23

Weak

Question 24

Vertical wind shear is important for ___ deep, moist convection

Answer 24

Organised

Question 25

Multicell convective storm

Answer 25

Organised cells at different life stages

Question 26

How one cell initiates another

Answer 26

Convergence along the gust front lifts air to the LFC

Question 27

Downdrafts of cold, moist air produced by evaporating rainfall

Answer 27

Cold pools (gravity currents, gust fronts)

Question 28

Vertical wind shear separates the

Answer 28

Updrafts and downdrafts

Question 29

Quasi-linear mesoscale convective systems

Answer 29

Squall lines

Question 30

Squall lines are sometimes forced by

Answer 30

A front

Question 31

Supercells have a

Answer 31

Steady, rotating updraft

Question 32

Supercell low level wind shear causes a

Answer 32

Cyclonic rotation

Question 33

Supercell clouds

Answer 33

Anvil, overshooting top, mammatus, cumulonimbus