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MEPT Groundschool > Meteorology > Flashcards

Meteorology Flashcards

1
Q

What are isobars?

A

Lines of equal pressure on a chart.

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2
Q

What is the unit of pressure in meteorology?

A

Hectopasacals (hPa)

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3
Q

With what instrument is pressure measured?

A

A Precision Aneroid Barometer.

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4
Q

What are the labelled symbols showing?

A
  1. Trough;
  2. Anticyclone (high pressure);
  3. Cold front;
  4. Warm front;
  5. Depression (low pressure);
  6. Occluded front.
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5
Q

Define a front.

A

The boundary between two air masses.

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6
Q

What kind of weather would be associated with a region of high pressure?

A

In summer:

  • Heatwaves;
  • Droughts;
  • Poor air quality;
  • High pollen counts.

In winter:

  • Droughts;
  • Frosts;
  • Snow showers;
  • Fog;
  • Poor air quality.
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7
Q

Which of the following are high level clouds:

AC; NS; SC; AS; CC; ST; CB; CI; TCU; CS; CU?

A

Cirro cumulus (CC); Cirrus (CI); Cirro stratus (CS).

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8
Q

Which of the following are medium level clouds:

AC; NS; SC; AS; CC; ST; CB; CI; TCU; CS; CU?

A

Alto stratus (AS); Alto cumulus (AC).

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9
Q

Which of the following are low level clouds:

AC; NS; SC; AS; CC; ST; CB; CI; TCU; CS; CU?

A

Strato cumulus (SC); Nimbo stratus (NS); Stratus (ST).

Cumulo nimbus (CB); Towering Cumulus (TCU); and Cumulus (CU) can be very high, but are classified by their base height, and are therefore low clouds.

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10
Q

What are the processes occurring in this diagram?

A
  1. Condensing;
  2. Freezing/solidifying;
  3. Melting;
  4. Evaporating;
  5. Deposition;
  6. Sublimation.
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11
Q

What kind of icing is this?

A

Rime ice.

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12
Q

What kind of icing is this?

A

Clear ice.

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13
Q

What kind of icing is this?

A

Runback ice.

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14
Q

Under what conditions does icing occur?

A

Down to -40ºC, however the most icing occurs at -20ºC to 0ºC.

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15
Q

What are the 6 climate zones and what are their characteristics?

A

Polar - cold & dry

Temperate - wet & cool

Mediterranean - warm & dry (summer); wet & cool (winter)

Desert - warm & dry

Tropical - warm & wet

Mountains - above permanent snow line, precipitation as snow

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16
Q

Where do hurricanes form?

A
  • Where the sea surface temperature is > 26ºC;
  • 5 - 15 degrees latitude;
  • Low (upper level) wind shear.
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17
Q

What is the ITCZ also known as?

A

The equatorial trough.

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18
Q

What is this?

A

The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)

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19
Q

Where are jet streams likely to be found?

A

Just below the tropopause, in areas with high horizontal thermal gradients. Often these conditions occur between the atmospheric circulation cells (Polar, Ferrel, & Hadley).

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20
Q

What is a hazard associated with jetstreams?

A

Clear Air Turbulence

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21
Q

What conditions must be met to be considered CAVOK?

A
  • NSW;
  • No CB or TCU at any height;
  • 10km or greater visibility;
  • no cloud below 5000ft.
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22
Q

What does this station circle show?

A
  • SCT (4 oktas)
  • 30 kts NE
  • 998.7 hPa
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23
Q

What do these station circles represent?

A
  1. 0 oktas;
  2. 5 oktas;
  3. 1 okta;
  4. 6 oktas;
  5. 2 oktas;
  6. 7 oktas;
  7. 3 oktas;
  8. 8 oktas;
  9. 4 oktas;
  10. Sky obscured.
24
Q

Define ‘trigger action’

A

A mechanism for lifting air.

25
Q

What are the 5 trigger actions?

A
  1. Convection
  2. Convergence
  3. Orographic Uplift
  4. Mass Ascent
  5. Turbulence
26
Q

What are the 3 types of stability?

A
  1. Absolute stability
  2. Absolute instability
  3. Conditional instability
27
Q

Name the 4 types of inversion.

A
  1. Turbulence
  2. Ground (Radiation)
  3. Frontal
  4. Subsidence
28
Q

What is sublimation?

A

When a solid turns into a gas.

29
Q

What is deposition?

A

When a gas turns into a solid.

30
Q

What are the 3 types of airframe icing?

A
  1. Rime Icing
  2. Clear Icing
  3. Runback Icing
31
Q

Describe rime icing.

A

Opaque layers of ice, caused by small droplets with air pockets between them. Rime ice is brittle and forms quickly.

32
Q

Describe clear icing.

A

Formed by larger droplets, with no air pockets between droplets. Clear icing is translucent, adhesive, difficult to remove and forms slowly.

33
Q

What is hoar frost?

A

Clear air depositions, forms on the ground and overnight.

34
Q

What is DZ?

A

Drizzle

35
Q

What is RA?

A

Rain

36
Q

What is FZRA?

A

Freezing rain

37
Q

What is SN?

A

Snow

38
Q

What is RASN?

A

Rain and snow mix, aka sleet.

39
Q

What is GS?

A

Small hailstones (< 0.5mm).

40
Q

What is GR?

A

Large hailstones (> 0.5mm).

41
Q

What are the 4 atmospheric layers?

A
  1. Troposphere
  2. Stratosphere
  3. Mesosphere
  4. Thermosphere
42
Q

What is the range, and average height of the tropopause?

A

Average: 36090ft

Range: 55000ft (Equator) - 26000ft (Poles)

43
Q

What gases make up the atmosphere?

A
  • Nitrogen;
  • Oxygen;
  • Water Vapour;
  • Argon;
  • CO2;
  • Trace Gases.
44
Q

What’s the difference between a METAR and a TAF?

A

A METAR is a weather report for a specific location and time.

A TAF is a weather forecast for a specific location and time, often covering a 9 hour period, issued every 3 hours.

45
Q

What do you require in a route met brief?

A
  • Forecasts
  • Current Conditions
  • METARS
  • Relevant Charts
46
Q

What would 3-4 oktas of cloud be classed as?

A

SCT

47
Q

What would 1-2 oktas of cloud be classed as?

A

FEW

48
Q

What would 5-7 oktas be classed as?

A

BKN

49
Q

How many oktas of cloud would OVC imply?

A

8

50
Q

What are the dangers of clear air turbulence?

A
  • Structural
  • Physiological
  • Handling
51
Q

What causes jet streams?

A

Large thermal gradient, causing a large pressure gradient.

52
Q

What are the two main jet streams called?

A

Polar Jet & Subtropical Jet

53
Q

How many oktas of cloud would SKC (sky clear) imply?

A

0

54
Q

Decode the following TAF:

TAF EGXW 021935Z 0221/0315 24006KT 9999 FEW045 PROB40 0300/0305 5000 BR BECMG 0304/0306 31008KT PROB30 TEMPO 0307/0315 SCT010=

A

TAF RAF Waddington issued on 2nd of the month at 1935Z, valid from 2nd at 2100 to 3rd at 1500. Wind 240º at 6kts. Visibility greater than 10km. Cloud 1-2 oktas at 4500ft. 40% probability from 3rd 0001 to 0500 visibility 5000m, mist. Becoming between 3rd at 0400 to 0600 wind 310º at 8kts. 30% probability temporarily from 3rd at 0700 to 1500 cloud 3-4 oktas at 1000ft. End of TAF.

55
Q

Whose responsibility is it to obtain a met brief before flying?

A

The captain’s.

56
Q

What causes a jet stream to occur?

A

A high thermal gradient.

57
Q

What is a col?

A

The point of intersection of a trough and a ridge in the pressure pattern of a weather map.

MEPT Groundschool (6 decks)

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