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Basic > Meteorology > Flashcards

Meteorology Flashcards

1
Q 
What are the units and tools of measurement for:
Wind direction
Wind speed
Pressure
Air density
Temperature
Relative humidity
Precipitation
Cloud amount
Cloud base
Visibility
A

Wind direction - degrees from North
Wind speed - knots (anemometer)
Pressure - hectopascal (barometer/altimeter)
Air density - kg/m^3
Temperature - °C
Relative humidity - % of saturation (hydrometer)
Precipitation - mm (rain gauge)
Cloud amount - oktas
Cloud base - feet (ceilometer/cloud base recorder)
Visibility - km/m (transmissometer/radar/satellite)

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2
Q

What are the constituents of the atmosphere ?

A 
Nitrogen - 78%
Oxygen - 21%
Argon - 1%
Carbon dioxide - 0.03%
Water vapour - 0% to 4%
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3
Q

ISA figures?

A

Pressure - 1013.25hPA
Temperature - 15°C
Density - 1.225kg/m^3
Lapse rate - 1.98°C per 1000ft

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4
Q

Define specific heat capacity

A

The amount of energy needed to raise 1kg body by 1°C

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5
Q

What is an Adiabatic Process?

A

A process in which heat is neither added nor lost from a system.

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6
Q

List the sections of the atmosphere and their qualities:

A

The troposphere - 16km/8km from the surface, contains 99% of the weather. Temperature and pressure decreases with height.
The stratosphere - from tropopause to 50km. Temperature increases from -51°C to surface values.
The mesosphere - from stratopause up to 90km
The ionosphere - from mesopause up to 350km, ionised particles interfere with radio communication.

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7
Q

Define latent heat

A

The heat absorbed or released during the change in the state of a substance that does not change the temperature.

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8
Q

What are the dry and saturated Adiabatic lapse rates?

A

Dry - 3°C per 1000ft

Saturared - 1.5°C per 1000ft

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9
Q

List the methods of cloud formation:

A

Convection - warm air raising in columns
Mass ascent - warm air raising over mass of cold air
Turbulence - sudden changes in air speed and height
Orographic - air forced to rise over a topographic feature

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10
Q

Categorise cloud types by height:

A

High clouds - cirrus, cirrocumulus, cirostratus.
Medium clouds - altocumulus, altostratus, altocumulus lenticularis, towering cumulus.
Low clouds - nimbostratus, cumulus, cumulonimbus, stratus, stratocumulus.

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11
Q

Cloud a mount in oktas:

A 
SKC - sky clear - 0
FEW - few - 1 to 2
SCT - scattered - 3 to 4
BKN - broken - 5 to 7
OVC - overcast - 8
NSC - no significant cloud - nothing below 5000ft or CB or TCu
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12
Q

What is the bergeron process?

A

Deposition and sublimation occurring simultaneously in vertical low temperature clouds causing the rapid growth of ice crystal.

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13
Q

What is Buys Ballot’s Law?

A

In the northern hemisphere with the wind to one’s back the low pressure area is to the left.

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14
Q

List the Visibility increments:

A

50m up to 800m
100m up to 5000m
1000m up to 9km
9999 when 10km+

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15
Q

When is visibility reported?

A

Prevailing visibility is stable.
The lowest visibility is less than 1500m or 50% of the PV and less than 5000m.
If prevailing visibility is not stable then the lowest visibility is reported.
RVR when is visibility is less than 1500m

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16
Q

What conditions are required for CAVOK?

A

Visibility is 10km or more.
Lowest visibility is 5km or more
No cloud below 5000ft, no CB or TCU

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17
Q

How does radiation fog form?

A

Clear sky to allow heat to radiate, cool land surface to allow conduction, moist air for vapoir to form, light wind, amplified by a long night.

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18
Q

Under what conditions does advection fog form?

A

When there is warm moist air over an area of land or sea that is warmer than an adjacent surface.
The cold surface must also have a temperature low enough to cause the moist air to reach it’s due point.

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19
Q

What is the coriolis affect?

A

The apparent change in wind direction caused by the Earth’s rotation. Curves to the right in the northern hemisphere.

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20
Q

Define geostrophic wind

A

Wind that is travelling parallel to the isobars.

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21
Q

What are the affects of surfaces on wind?

A

Over Ground speed reduced to 40% and backs 20°

Over Sea speed reduced by 80% and backs 10°

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22
Q

What is a katabatic wind?

A

A downhill wind caused by cooling at higher altitude, typically during the night.

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23
Q

What is an anabatic wind?

A

Uphill wind caused by heating at lower altitudes, typically during the day.

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24
Q

What is a fohn wind?

A

A dry wind that blows down the leeside of a mountain due to SALR on the windward side and DALR on the leeside.

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25
Q

What is the ITCZ?

A

Intertropical convergence zone.
The low pressure belt near the equator.
It moves 10° to 20° on accordance with the seasons.

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26
Q

What is a tornado?

A

A rotating column of air connecting the Earth’s surface to a CB or Cu.

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27
Q

What is a waterspout?

A

A spiralling funnel-shaped wind current that connects a body of water to a CB or Cu

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28
Q

What is a landspout?

A

A small weaker tornado that generally occurs in semi-arid areas.

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29
Q

What are air masses affect the UK?

A 
Polar continental
Polar maritme
Returning polar maritime
Arctic maritime
Tropical continental
Tropical maritime
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30
Q

What conditions are required to produce a thunderstorm?

A

Unstable air mass
High moisture content
Trigger action, such as a sudden lift of warm air.

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31
Q

What is a jetstream?

A

A high speed wind, reaching around 275mph, that forms between 4 and 8 miles up due to high temperature differences between circulation cells

32
Q

What is a METAR?

A

Meteorological Terminal Air Report

33
Q

What is SADIS?

A

Satellite Distribution System.

Distributed Met data.

34
Q

What is a MWO?

A

Meteorological Watch Office.

Provides TAFS, Aerodrome warnings, SPECIs, sigmets and regional pressure settings forecasts.

35
Q

What information can be distributed outside of the official Met Office info?

A 
Unofficial observations from... 
Indicated wind direction/speed
RVR
Sudden/unexpected deteriorations
Information from aircraft in flight
Cloud echoes on radar
36
Q

What is the purpose of a SIGMET?

A

Warn pilots of actual /anticipated weather conditions that could affect the safety of aircraft operations.
Severe weather conditions, CBs and thunderstorm

37
Q

What is a TAF?

A

Temporary Aerodrome Forecast.

Information regarding the Aerodrome met conditions given for a set period of time.

38
Q

What is VOLMET?

A

Broadcast continuesly on VHF METAR and SPECI

Scheduled also TAF and SIGMET

39
Q

What is VAAC?

A

Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre

40
Q

Whatbis TCAC?

A

Tropical Cyclone Advisory Centre

41
Q

What is ADIS?

A

Automated Data Information Service

42
Q

What is SAMOS?

A

Semi-automatic meteorological observing system.

43
Q

BC

A

Patches of…

44
Q

BL

45
Q

BR

46
Q

DR

A

Low drifting

47
Q

DS

A

Dust Storm

48
Q

DU

A

Wide-spread dust

49
Q

DZ

50
Q

FG

51
Q

FC

A

Funnel cloud

52
Q

FU

53
Q

FZ

54
Q

GR

A

Hail over 5mm

55
Q

GS

A

Hail smaller than 5mm

56
Q

HZ

57
Q

IC

A

Ice crystals

58
Q

MI

59
Q

PL

A

Ice pelets

60
Q

PO

A

Dust devil

61
Q

RA

62
Q

SA

63
Q

SG

A

Snow grain

64
Q

SH

65
Q

SN

66
Q

SQ

67
Q

SS

68
Q

TS

A

Thunderstorm

69
Q

VA

A

Volcanic Ash

70
Q

VC

A

In the vicinity

71
Q

UP

A

Unidentified Precipitation

72
Q

RE

73
Q

SNOWCLO

A

Runway closed

74
Q

CLRD//

A

Runway cleared

75
Q

RAPID

A

Rapid change in less than 30 mins

Basic (16 decks)

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