G1250 - Exam 1 Flashcards
Exam 1
How is time put on prog charts
Zulu Time
how are station models used
to efficiently organize a large amount of observed data on a map
what are the numbers next to the station model number
temp (F)
Tdewpoint (F)
P (mb)
what other data does a station model provide
wind (direction and speed)
cloud cover
sig. weather
how to decode SLP in mb - if the number is less than 500
add “10” before the first number
place “.” before the last number
how to decode SLP in mb - if the number is more than 500
add “9” before the first number
place “.” before the last number
what are isobars
lines of equal pressure expressed in millibar’s in 4mb contour intervals
what are the two types of pressure systems
high and low
what are fronts and name the four types
boundaries that divide warm and cold air
Cold
Occluded
Warm
Stationary
what is a pressure gradient
rate of pressure change over a distance
what two factors goes into a pressure gradient
distance between isobars and relationship with wind speed (inverse)
what is dew point depression (DPD)
T-Tdewpoint (in F)
approx. measure of RH
how is doppler radar expressed
base reflectivity mode
in base reflectivity mode, energy what
scatters
what are the two GOES Satellite
Vis - reflect
infrared - emit
an air mass is
either cold or warm, not both
either humid of dry, not both
covers a huge area
an air mass source region
is extremely large
air masses don’t form over the midlatitudes because the midlatitudes are too
windy
a front
is a boundary between 2 different air masses
typically causes warm air to rise
usually leads to clouds and precipitation
both cold and warm fronts cause ? air to rise because the ? air is more dense
warm, cold
Air masses cover
very large areas with uniform temp and humidity characteristics
name the 5 air masses
continental tropical (cT)
maritime tropical (mT)
continental Polar (cP)
maritime Polar (mP)
Arctic (A)
air mass source regions are
where air masses form
where do air masses form
very large area
either land or water, not both
either cold or warm, not both
light winds
not mountainous
frontal types are always determined by
cold air movements (density)
cold fronts
cold air advances
warm fronts
cold air retreats
stationary fronts
cold air neither advances nor retreats
frontal position
ALWAYS extend from lows
NEVER extend from highs
when cold air advances on a cold front
warm air is forced to rise by advancing cold/dense air
what type of clouds are associated with cold fronts & weather
towering clouds
intense showers, storms along relatively narrow band along and ahead of front
when cold air retreats on a warm front
warm air forces to rise up and over retreating cold/dense air
what type of clouds are associated with warm & weather
extensive stratiform cloud shield along and ahead of the front / overrunning
large shield of light to moderate steady precipitation along and ahead of the front
when cold air neither advances nor retreats
warm air is forces to rise up and over stationary cold/dense air
what type of clouds are associated with stationary fronts & weather
cloud signature similar to warm front / overrunning
large shield of light to moderate steady precipitation along and ahead of front
which way does air flow in a high pressure system
CW and out (down)
why fronts with high pressure
all air swirls out from a single point, its the center
and there’s uniform temp and humidity characterizes
what is a streamline analysis for high
instantaneous flow of air and air swirls cw and out from the center of a high pressure
which was does air flow in a low pressure system
CCW and in (up)
why are there fronts with low pressures
all air swirls in toward from a single point
polar air from the north and tropical air from the south converge upon the low center
streamline analysis for low
air swirls ccw and in toward the center of low pressure
streamlines converge
at the low center and along fronts
circulation sectors around a surface low (warm)
east of cold front, south of warm front
circulation sectors around a surface low (cold)
north of warm front, west of cold front
what is does a metogram measure
the change in wx at a point during 24 hours period
what are the big three gases in the atmosphere
nitrogen (N2)
oxygen (O2)
argon (Ar)
greenhouse gases are transparent to
incoming energy from the sun
greenhouse gases increase concentrations that cause
the climate to warm (greenhouse effect)
greenhouse gases include
CO2
CH4
N2O
H20 vapor
temperature is the measure of
mechancial energy
TE= PE +
KE
temperature is which kind of energy
KE (mean)
vertical temperature variations are based on
heat source locations
(spheres and pauses)
name the layers of the atmosphere, in order
troposphere
tropopause
stratosphere
stratopause
mesosphere
thermosphere
which layers of the atmosphere have heat sources
troposphere
stratosphere
thermosphere
what is the heat source of the troposphere
the surface
what is the heat source of the stratosphere
O3
what is the heat source of the thermosphere
ToA
is heat a noun or a verb
verb
when heating an object, energy is transferred from a
warm object to a cold object
how many types of heat are there
3
name the three different types of heat
conduction
convection
laten (hidden) heat
what is conductive heat
the transfer of energy from a warm to cold THROUGH an object
what is convection heat
the transfer of energy by moving a warm object to a cold location
what is convection heat driven by
density differences
when the sun heats the ground, it is called
radiation
when the ground heats the air, it is called
conduction
when the warm air rises, it is called
convection
when does laten (hidden) heat occur
when water changes phase