Definitions and Atmospheric Structure

Question 1

What is temperature measured in?

Answer 1

Kelvin (SI)
Degrees Celsius (non SI)

Question 2

How do you convert celsius to kelvin?

Answer 2

Kelvin = Celsius + 273.15

Question 3

What is pressure measured in?

Answer 3

Pascal (Pa) (SI)

Question 4

What are wind speeds measured in?

Answer 4

• metres per second (m s-1) (SI units)

- knots (kt)

Question 5

what is humidity measured in?

Answer 5

it is quoted as a % (on SI unit)

Question 6

What is relative humidity?

Answer 6

water vapour content of the air as a percentage of the maximum possible, saturation or equilibrium vapour content at that temperature

Question 7

what graph compares vapour pressure and temperature?

Answer 7

Clauius-clapeyron curve

Question 8

what is dew point?

Answer 8

The temperature to which a parcel of air with constant water vapour content must be cooled, at constant pressure, in order to become saturated

Question 9

What is dew point depression?

Answer 9

The difference between the temperature of a parcel of air, and its dew point temperature.

Question 10

Does dew point change with the temperature of air?

Answer 10

No

Question 11

What is the dew point temperature?

Answer 11

15°C

Question 12

what is the dew point depression temperature

Answer 12

7°C.

Question 13

What is mixing ratio?

Answer 13

Ratio of the mass of water vapour to mass of dry air.

Question 14

What is specific humidity?

Answer 14

The ratio of the mass of water vapour to the mass of moist air

Question 15

What is absolute humidity or vapour density?

Answer 15

The mass of water vapour per unit volume of moist air.

Question 16

what is Vapour pressure?

Answer 16

at a given temperature, vapour pressure is proportional to vapour density.

Question 17

How is time expressed

Answer 17

time is usually quoted in 24 hour form and in UTC (coordinated universal time). This is almost the same as GMT

Question 18

How deep is the troposphere at the poles and equator?

Answer 18

8km deep at the poles and 16km deep at the equator

Question 19

How does temperature change in the troposphere?

Answer 19

temperature generally decreases with altitude

Question 20

Which layer does weather mostly occur in?

Answer 20

The troposphere.

Question 21

What is the purpose of the tropopause?

Answer 21

prevents exchange of air between the troposphere and stratosphere.

Question 22

What is the boundary layer?

Answer 22

A sublayer of the troposhere which is in contact with the surface of the earth

Question 23

What is the boundary layer dominated by?

Answer 23

turbulence and surface exchange processes: heat, moisture and momentum

Question 24

what doe the boundary layer exhibit?

Answer 24

large diurnal changes in many properties eg depth and temperature

Question 25

how deep is the boundary layer?

Answer 25

can vary from a few 10s ( very stable conditions) of meters to 2km over tropical oceans

Question 26

How does temperature change in the boundary layer?

Answer 26

temperature decreases with altitude

Question 27

Is a well defined boundary layer always present?

Answer 27

No.

Question 28

how deep is the stratosphere?

Answer 28

extends from the top of the troposphere to 50 km

Question 29

how does temperature change in the stratosphere

Answer 29

temperature generally increases with altitude during the summer however is a more complex structure in winter

Question 30

where is most of the atmopsheric ozone contained

Answer 30

the stratosphere

Question 31

where is most of the ultraviolet absorbed

Answer 31

the straosphere and can produce a max temp at the stratopause (sometimes more than 0oC)

Question 32

is the interaction between the stratosphere and troposphere well understood?

Answer 32

No it is limited and poorly understood.

Question 33

How does pressure change with altitude ( generally)

Answer 33

decreases approximately logarithmically with altitude

Question 34

Is how warm we feel a very good indicator of air temperature?

Answer 34

No