Exam 3 Flashcards
Flashcards for Exam 3 4/8/14
0/8th Cloud Coverage
CLR or SKC
No Clouds/Clear
1/8 - 2/8 Cloud Coverage
FEW
Few
3/4 - 4/8th Cloud Coverage
SCT
Scattered
5/8 - 7/8th Cloud Coverage
BKN
Broken
8/8th Cloud Coverage
OVC
Overcast
Geostationary Clouds
Images of same geographic area continuously
22,500 miles above the ground
Polar orbiting Satellites
Closely parallel t to the earth’s meridian lines
532 miles above the ground
Drizzle
Very small and uniformly dispersed water drops that appear to float while following air currents
Less than 0.02 Inch
Rain
Precipitation int he form of liquid water drops
Drops greater than 0.02 Inch
Freezing Rain
Rain that falls in liquid form but freezes upon impact to form a coating of glaze on the found and exposed objects
Freezing drizzle
Drizzle that falls in liquid form but freezes upon impact to form a coating of glaze
Ice Pellets
a type of cold weather precipitation consisting of transparent to translucent pellets of ice
Less than .2 Inch in diameter
Snow
Cold weather precipitation form composed of white or translucent ice crystals
Can be up to .8 inch in diameter
Snow intensity of based on
visibility
Hail
precipitation in the form of balls or irregular lumps of ice
.2 inch or greater
Hail is produced by what type of cloud?
Convective Clouds (Cumulonimbus)
Drizzle intensity is based on…
Rate of fall (accumulation)
Types of precipitation measurements
1) Standard Range gauge
2) tipping bucket Rain Gauge
3) Weighing type rain gauge
Most accurate Rain gauge?
Standard rain gauge
How to measure snowfall
Measure three places with a ruler then average the three
1” of liquid rainfall equals…
10” of snowfall
What is air pressure?
The weight of air above a given surface
Air pressure always _________ with height
decreases
wind blowing is caused by?
unequal heating of the earths surface
Horizontal temperature differences result in ______.
a horizontal difference in pressure
How do we measure pressure?
Barometers
Types of Barometers:
1) Mercurial: Mercury
- Illegal
2) Aneroid: without fluid
Corrections for Barometer:
1) Temperature
2) Instruments
3) Gravity
4) Sea Level
Atmospheric Pressure decreases _____ in. of mercury for every ____ ft. rise in altitude
1 inch of Mercury for each 1000 ft.
Standard surface atmospheric pressure
1013.2 Millibars
1) 14.7 lbs
2) 29.92”/Mercury
What kind of meteorological phenomenon will you find the lowest pressure?
Hurricanes
In high pressure, air blows ________ in the northern hemisphere.
Clockwise
In high pressure, air blows _______ in the southern hemisphere.
counter-clockwise
In Low Pressure, air blows ______ in the Northern hemisphere.
counter-clockwise
In low pressure, air blows _____ in the southern hemisphere.
clockwise
Buys-Ballot Rule states:
If you stand with your back to the wind, in the northern hemisphere, your left hand will always point to low pressure and your right hand will always point to high pressure.
850 millibar chart =
Approx. 4,000 feet above sea level
700 millibar chart =
Approx. 9,800 feet above sea level
500 millibar chart =
18,500 feet above sea level
300 millibar chart =
Approx. 30,000 feet above sea level
250 millibar chart =
Approx. 34,250 feet above sea level
200 Millibar chart =
Approx. 38,500 feet above sea level
Newtons 1st law of motion
an object at rest will remain at rest until acted on by an outside force
Newtons 2nd law of motion
F=ma
Newtons 3rd law of motion
For every action, there is an equal an opposite reaction
Atmospheric forces that causes wind to blow:
1) Pressure gradient forces
- High vs. Low
2) Coriolis Force
3) Friction
Coriolis Force
Deflection caused by a rotating object
Coriolis Force only affects________.
wind direction, not speed.
Amount of deflection in the Coriolis Force depends on…
1) rotation of earth
2) the latitude
3) the objects speed
Geostrophic Wind
theoretical horizontal wind blowing in a straight path, parallel to the isobars/constant contour lines, at a constant speed
Geostrophic Winds are caused by
exact balance of pressure gradient force and the carioles force
Hydrostatic Balance
in the vertical, an exact balance between vertical pressure gradient force and gravity
Wind is characterized by
1) direction
2) speed
3) gusts
wind speed is measured by a __ average
2 minute
wind gusts are
instantaneous
Veering wind:
one that shifts clockwise
Backing wind:
one that shifts counter-clockwise
Prevailing wind is categorized by
direction and speed
On an average basis in Austin, Tx where is the most common wind direction?
South
Wind Vanes measure
direction
Wind is measure approximately ____ Ft. above the ground
30
Scales of atmospheric motion
1) Microscale
2) Mesoscale
3) Macroscale
Example of Microscale
At DKR Stadium
Example of Mesoscale
City, State
Example of Macroscale
1) Syoptic (weather map) scale
2) Global Scale
Collision (coalescence process) is the ______ temperature process.
Warmer
Bergeron Process is the ______ temperature process.
Colder