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Meteorology > Fronts and Weather > Flashcards

Fronts and Weather Flashcards

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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?

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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?

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?

25
What direction will the alteration of the aircraft heading be when flying through a cold or warm front?
Right
26
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?
Frontal Wave
27
The peak of the frontal wave.
Wave Crest
28
The warm portion of the frontal wave.
Warm Sector
29
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?
Stable Wave
30
A cold front catches up to a warm front.
Occlusion
31
What is the sloping side of a front?
Frontal Surface
32
What is associatied with the mixing zone and the frontal surface?
Frontal Inversion
33
What is the angle of a frontal slope?
One Degree
34
What is the angle of a warm front slope?
Less than 1 degree
35
What is the angle of a cold front slope?
More than 1 degree
36
T or F: The dew point lowers slightly with ascent.
True
37
How high convective cloud will grow depends on what?
Instability of the Air
38
What is the thickness of fair weather Cumulus?
1,000ft
39
What is the thickness of Towering Cumulus?
10,000ft
40
What is the thickness of Cumulonimbus?
20,000ft to 40,000ft
41
T or F: Clouds formed by convection heating cannot be overcast.
True
42
Why can't clouds formed by convective heating be overcast?
The rising air is counterbalanced by air slowly descending around the cells. The descending air is heated adiabatically and remains cloud free.
43
What types of clouds are usually formed by mechanical mixing?
Stratocumulus
44
Generally Stratocumulus are based between what height?
1,500ft and 5,000ft
45
How thick are Stratocumulus clouds?
3,000ft
46
What are the 3 factors for cloud formation at fronts?
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
What is the sequence of clouds when approaching a moist, stable warm front from the cold side?
Cirrus, Cirrostratus, Altostratus, Nimbostratus
48
What is the sequence of clouds when approaching a moist, unstable warm front from the cold side?
Cirrus, Cirrostratus, Altostratus or Altocumulus, Nimbostratus | Embedded Cumulonimbus clouds
49
What is the general rate of ascent in convergence areas?
100 to 500 ft/hr
50
Clouds formed by advection over a cooler surface are frequenty based at what height?
100ft to 300ft AGL
51
For every **50mi** into the cold air, the front's height measures 2mi vertically.
Cold Front
52
For every **200mi** into the cold air, the front's height measures 2mi vertically.
Warm Front
53
For every **100mi** into the cold air, the front's height measures 2mi vertically.
Quasi-Stationary Front

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