Exam 1 Flashcards
Ozone is where and absorbs what?
Concentrated in the stratosphere and absorbs ultraviolet rays
Percentages of earths atmosphere
78% nitrogen
21% oxygen
1% other
A greenhouse gas absorbs what?
Primarily absorbs outgoing infrared radiation emitted by the earth
What gas is not considered a greenhouse gas?
Oxygen
Warming with height in the stratosphere is mainly caused by what?
Absorption of ultraviolet radiation by ozone
What happens in an isothermal layer?
Temperature is constant with height
The rate at which temperature decreases with increasing altitude is known as what?
Lapse rate
In the ISA, the temp lapse rate for the troposphere is what?
2 degrees Celsius per 1,000 feet
What happens in a temp inversion
Temp increases with increasing height
Average sea level pressure
1013 mb
- 92 hg
- 7 psi
Energy is provided to the earth from the sun by?
Radiation
A substance commonly found in the troposphere in gas, liquid, and solid form is what?
Water
The earths albedo is approximately what percent?
30%
Water bodies heat up _____ and cool off _____ than land surfaces
More slowly, more slowly
Temp at 500 ft MSL is 7 degrees C and the lapse rate is 2 degrees/1,000 ft, what will be the temp at 4,500 ft MSL?
-1 degrees Celsius
When is e warmest time of day?
Late afternoon
For max solar warming during winter in a house located in the Southern Hemisphere mid-latitudes, windows should face towards what direction?
North
Most of the radiative energy emitted by the earth is what type of radiation?
Infrared
When is earth radiating energy at the greatest rate/intensity, warm or cold?
Warm
Coldest night time temps are most likely to occur on what type of nights?
Clear, calm nights
The national Wx service office near FLG launches Wx balloons at what times daily? (MST)
5 am and 5 pm MST
A station at sea level measures an air pressure of 30.0” hg. What would you expect the air pressure to be at 2,000 ft MSL?
28” hg
The Density altitude at a high elevation airport with very warm temps would likely be compared to the standard atmospheric conditions?
Higher than standard atmospheric conditions
Which is the highest altitude above MSL: 850 mb, 850 meters MSL, 1030 hPa, 9,000 ft MSL
9,000 ft MSL
How does flying from a warm to a cold air mass influence the altitude indicated by a pressure altimeter?
The altimeter reading may be to high
The atmospheric pressure at an altitude of 30,000 ft is approximately what in mb?
300 mb
The horizontal pressure gradient is identified by using what?
The spacing of isobars
A wind reported as 225 would be blowing from what direction?
Southwest
A sea breeze is caused by what?
Temp differences between land and ocean
What wind speed and altitude produces the strongest Coriolis effect?
Fast wind speed and high altitude
When the pressure gradient force is balanced by the Coriolis force, the air current is termed as what?
Geostrophic wind
Surface winds blow across isobars toward lower pressure because of what force?
Frictional drag force
Ridges are what?
Elongated areas of high pressure
Cyclonic flow in the northern hemisphere blows in what direction and what type of pressure area?
Counterclockwise around a low pressure area
We can generally expect vertical air motion to be ____ above an area of surface low pressure and _____ above an area of surface high pressure
Rising, sinking
Wind the wind near the surface is typically ____ than the geostrophic wind aloft and pointed at an angle toward _____ pressure
Slower, lower
Consider a contour line on a 500 mb upper air chart labeled with 5640. This number is approximate pressure….
- Approximate pressure inches of mercury or 2. tents of millibars
- height of the 500 mb pressure level in feet or 4. in meters
Height of the 500 mb pressure level in meters
On an upper level chart, the winds tend to blow?
Parallel to the height contour lines
The standard atmospheric altitude in MSL corresponding to the 700 mb chart?
10,000 feet MSL
A wind flow pattern that follows a north south trajectory is called?
Meridional wind
If an upper level air current in the northern hemisphere is blowing from the south, then you can expect lower pressure to be located to what direction?
West
The Coriolis effect is the result of what?
Earth rotation
If wind speed increases from 10 knots to 30 knots, how much has the force of that wind increased?
The wind force is then 9 times as strong
Sea breeze, land breeze, and lake breeze are examples of what?
Thermal circulations?
Airflow from the ocean onto land would most likely be expected at what time of day?
During the afternoon
What type of surface would cause the largest difference between surface and upper level wind velocity?
Mountainous topography
What is the primary source for direct measurement of upper level winds?
Radiosondes
Airflow around a surface low pressure center is association with_______ motion?
Convergent, rising
