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Meteorology > Fronts and Weather > Flashcards

Fronts and Weather Flashcards

1
Q

A body of air, usually 1,000mi or more across, which has acquired uniform characteristics.

A

Air Mass

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2
Q

What are the two primary characteristics that are uniform within an Air Mass?

A
  1. Temperature
  2. Humidity
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3
Q

What are the two inferred characteristics that are uniform within an Air Mass?

A
  1. Topography
  2. Trajectory
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4
Q

The regions where the air masses acquire their characteristics.

A

Source Region

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5
Q

What are common source regions?

A
  1. Oceans
  2. Snow or Ice Covered Areas
  3. Deserts
  4. Tropical Areas
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6
Q

What are the 4 Air Masses that occur over Canada?

A
  1. Continental Arctic
  2. Maritime Arctic
  3. Maritime Polar
  4. Maritime Tropical
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7
Q

Continental Arctic

A
  1. Dry
  2. Very Cold
  3. Very Stable
  4. Very Low Tropopause
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8
Q

Continental Polar

A
  1. Dry
  2. Cold
  3. Fairly Stable
  4. Low Tropopause
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9
Q

Maritime Arctic

A
  1. Moist
  2. Cold
  3. Unstable in Lower Levels
  4. Low Tropopause
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10
Q

Maritime Polar

A
  1. Moist
  2. Cool
  3. Unstable
  4. Medium Tropopause
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11
Q

Maritime Tropical

A
  1. Moist
  2. Hot
  3. Very Unstable
  4. High Tropopause
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12
Q

Continental Tropical

A
  1. Dry
  2. Very Hot
  3. Very Unstable
  4. Very High Tropopause
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13
Q

The degree of modification of air masses depends on what 3 factors?

A
  1. Speed with which they move
  2. Moisture or Dryness of the region over they travel
  3. Temperature difference between the new surface and the air masses
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14
Q

T or F: Cold, dense air, does not mix readily with warm, less dense air.

A

True

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15
Q

The transition zones between air masses where the temperature changes rapidly are called what?

A

Fronts or Frontal Systems

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16
Q

How are frontal systems named?

A

They are based on the name of the colder air mass

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17
Q

If the temperature contrast between the two air masses should decrease or if the zone where the temperature changes from one air mass to the other should become very broad, the front will disappear. What is this called?

A

Frontolysis

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18
Q

If two air masses are lying adjacent to one another and the wind field is such that it tightens the temperature gradient in the zone between them, a front can form. What is this called?

A

Frontogenesis

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19
Q

Air masses migrating over a warmer surface cause what?

A

Modification throughout the convective mixing layer.

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20
Q

Air masses migrating over a colder surface develop what?

A

An inversion with modification only in the lower levels.

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21
Q

T or F: The front always lies in a trough of low pressure.

A

True

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22
Q

The movement of the front is dependent on what?

A

The motion of the cold air perpendicular to it. The motion of warm air does not affect the movement of the front.

23
Q

The warm air is lighter than the cold air so as it overtakes the front it will ride up over the frontal surface. What is this called?

A

Overrunning

24
Q

The advancing cold is denser and heavier than the warm air so it undercuts the warm air and forces it aloft. What is this called?

A

Frontal Lift

25
Q

What direction will the alteration of the aircraft heading be when flying through a cold or warm front?

A

Right

26
Q

A small distortion in the wind flow which dispaces the fronal boundary, causing changes of pressure and inducing a bend in the front is called what?

A

Frontal Wave

27
Q

The peak of the frontal wave.

A

Wave Crest

28
Q

The warm portion of the frontal wave.

A

Warm Sector

29
Q

The wave may develop no further and move along the front at a speed dependent on the upper air flow. This type of wave is called what?

A

Stable Wave

30
Q

A cold front catches up to a warm front.

A

Occlusion

31
Q

What is the sloping side of a front?

A

Frontal Surface

32
Q

What is associatied with the mixing zone and the frontal surface?

A

Frontal Inversion

33
Q

What is the angle of a frontal slope?

A

One Degree

34
Q

What is the angle of a warm front slope?

A

Less than 1 degree

35
Q

What is the angle of a cold front slope?

A

More than 1 degree

36
Q

T or F: The dew point lowers slightly with ascent.

A

True

37
Q

How high convective cloud will grow depends on what?

A

Instability of the Air

38
Q

What is the thickness of fair weather Cumulus?

A

1,000ft

39
Q

What is the thickness of Towering Cumulus?

A

10,000ft

40
Q

What is the thickness of Cumulonimbus?

A

20,000ft to 40,000ft

41
Q

T or F: Clouds formed by convection heating cannot be overcast.

A

True

42
Q

Why can’t clouds formed by convective heating be overcast?

A

The rising air is counterbalanced by air slowly descending around the cells. The descending air is heated adiabatically and remains cloud free.

43
Q

What types of clouds are usually formed by mechanical mixing?

A

Stratocumulus

44
Q

Generally Stratocumulus are based between what height?

A

1,500ft and 5,000ft

45
Q

How thick are Stratocumulus clouds?

A

3,000ft

46
Q

What are the 3 factors for cloud formation at fronts?

A
  1. Amount and Rate of Ascent of warm air.
  2. Stability or Instability of warm air mass.
  3. Moisture Content of the warm air mass.
47
Q

What is the sequence of clouds when approaching a moist, stable warm front from the cold side?

A

Cirrus, Cirrostratus, Altostratus, Nimbostratus

48
Q

What is the sequence of clouds when approaching a moist, unstable warm front from the cold side?

A

Cirrus, Cirrostratus, Altostratus or Altocumulus, Nimbostratus

Embedded Cumulonimbus clouds

49
Q

What is the general rate of ascent in convergence areas?

A

100 to 500 ft/hr

50
Q

Clouds formed by advection over a cooler surface are frequenty based at what height?

A

100ft to 300ft AGL

51
Q

For every 50mi into the cold air, the front’s height measures 2mi vertically.

A

Cold Front

52
Q

For every 200mi into the cold air, the front’s height measures 2mi vertically.

A

Warm Front

53
Q

For every 100mi into the cold air, the front’s height measures 2mi vertically.

A

Quasi-Stationary Front

Meteorology (7 decks)

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