meteorology- synoptic systems Flashcards
What is atmospheric pressure due to
the column of air above the point considered and the force of gravity
attracting the air toward the earth.
What does air density vary with
Altitude
50% of the mass of the atmosphere lies below where
5km
What is the unit of pressure
Pascal (Pa)
Meteorologists use what measure of pressure
hectoPascal (hPa)
What is the standard pressure at the surface
1013.25 hPa
Pressure varies directly as what
the density and depth of the fluid causing it
Density of air varies inversely to what
as its temp
Depth may vary due to processes doing what
bringing air to an area or moving away from it
What is the pressure gradient
is the rate of change of pressure with distance, measured perpendicular to the
isobars.
What is an isobar
a line on a weather chart connecting places having the same atmospheric pressure
What is the pressure tendency
is the rate of change of atmospheric pressure with time, standardised as the
change in pressure over three hours
Pressure varies through the day in a regular cycle due what?
to tidal effects caused by heating of the upper atmosphere.
Wind is the horizontal component of what
air movement
What does pgf stand for
pressure gradient force
What is pgf
is the force exerted on air particles due to the pressure gradient at a place.
Any moving body on the surface of a rotating planet experiences a deflection to one side of its direction
of movement except at the
equator
Coriolis Force varies as the sine of latitude from zero at the equator to maximum at the
poles
Coriolis Force acts perpendicularly to the direction of
movement
Coriolis Force acts perpendicularly to the direction of movement, to the ____ of the direction of
movement in the northern hemisphere and to the ____ in the southern hemisphere.
right
left
The magnitude of the coriolis force varies directly as what?
latitude
In low Latitude ________ speed is required to generate the balancing Coriolis Force than in high Latitude.
The speed of the Geostrophic Wind is therefore _______ in low Latitude than in high Latitude for the same Pressure Gradient.
greater
greater
The Gradient Wind is the wind flowing in an area with curved isobars.
Air flowing parallel to curved isobars will follow a curved path.
The force causing the deflection to a curved path is the what?
Centripetal force
Air flowing around an anticyclone must increase speed in order to generate increased Coriolis Force
toward the centre of the system to achieve a what?
curved path