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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
What are the 5 trigger actions?
1. Convection 2. Convergence 3. Orographic Uplift 4. Mass Ascent 5. Turbulence
26
What are the 3 types of stability?
1. Absolute stability 2. Absolute instability 3. Conditional instability
27
Name the 4 types of inversion.
1. Turbulence 2. Ground (Radiation) 3. Frontal 4. Subsidence
28
What is sublimation?
When a solid turns into a gas.
29
What is deposition?
When a gas turns into a solid.
30
What are the 3 types of airframe icing?
1. Rime Icing 2. Clear Icing 3. Runback Icing
31
Describe rime icing.
Opaque layers of ice, caused by small droplets with air pockets between them. Rime ice is brittle and forms quickly.
32
Describe clear icing.
Formed by larger droplets, with no air pockets between droplets. Clear icing is translucent, adhesive, difficult to remove and forms slowly.
33
What is hoar frost?
Clear air depositions, forms on the ground and overnight.
34
What is DZ?
Drizzle
35
What is RA?
Rain
36
What is FZRA?
Freezing rain
37
What is SN?
Snow
38
What is RASN?
Rain and snow mix, aka sleet.
39
What is GS?
Small hailstones (\< 0.5mm).
40
What is GR?
Large hailstones (\> 0.5mm).
41
What are the 4 atmospheric layers?
1. Troposphere 2. Stratosphere 3. Mesosphere 4. Thermosphere
42
What is the range, and average height of the tropopause?
Average: 36090ft Range: 55000ft (Equator) - 26000ft (Poles)
43
What gases make up the atmosphere?
* Nitrogen; * Oxygen; * Water Vapour; * Argon; * CO2; * Trace Gases.
44
What's the difference between a METAR and a TAF?
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
What do you require in a route met brief?
* Forecasts * Current Conditions * METARS * Relevant Charts
46
What would 3-4 oktas of cloud be classed as?
SCT
47
What would 1-2 oktas of cloud be classed as?
FEW
48
What would 5-7 oktas be classed as?
BKN
49
How many oktas of cloud would OVC imply?
8
50
What are the dangers of clear air turbulence?
* Structural * Physiological * Handling
51
What causes jet streams?
Large thermal gradient, causing a large pressure gradient.
52
What are the two main jet streams called?
Polar Jet & Subtropical Jet
53
How many oktas of cloud would SKC (sky clear) imply?
0
54
Decode the following TAF: ## Footnote TAF EGXW 021935Z 0221/0315 24006KT 9999 FEW045 PROB40 0300/0305 5000 BR BECMG 0304/0306 31008KT PROB30 TEMPO 0307/0315 SCT010=
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
Whose responsibility is it to obtain a met brief before flying?
The captain's.
56
What causes a jet stream to occur?
A high thermal gradient.
57
What is a col?
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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