Meteorology Today, Ahrens Chap 5 Flashcards
What is Hoar Frost
Water vapor changes directly into ice on structures that fall below dew point
Where are condensation nuclei most commonly found
Industrial cities, as those release lots of smoke and pollution for water to condense
Can hygroscopic condensation nuclei cause condensation before 100% relative humidity
Yes, as low as 75%
What is Radiation Fog and how does it form
Radiation fog is fog that forms when radiative cooling of the Earth at night causes temperatures to drop and water vapor to condense
Weather associated with Anti-Cyclones
Clear days and light/no wind
What is advection fog and how does it form
When the surface is cooler than the air above, transfer of
heat from moist air to surface cooling the air to its dew point and producing fog.
What is Upslope fog and How does it form
Upslope Fog is fog that forms as moist air flows up along an elevated plain,
hill, or mountain. It forms when the moist air moves upward, causing it to cool and reach dew point
What cloud produces a halo around the sun
Cirrostratus
Describe Cirrus clouds
Clouds with white, feathery patch with a faint wisp of a tail at one end.
Describe Cirrocumulus clouds
small, rounded, white puffs that may occur individually or in long rows
Describe Cirrostratus clouds
thin, sheetlike, high clouds that often cover the entire
sky
Describe altocumulus clouds
gray, puffy masses, sometimes rolled out in parallel waves or bands. Often contains parts of the cloud dark and other parts light
Describe Altostratus clouds
Clouds with blue or gray color that cover the entire sky, making the sun very dim or even “watery”
Describe Nimbostratus clouds
dark-gray, “wet”-looking cloud layers associated with more or less continuously falling rain or snow
Describe Stratocumulus Clouds
low, lumpy clouds that appear in
rows, in patches, or as rounded masses with blue sky visible between individual cloud elements
Describe Stratus clouds
uniform grayish cloud that often covers
the entire sky. It resembles a fog that does not reach the ground
Describe Cumulus clouds
piece of floating cotton with sharp
outlines and a flat base
Describe Cumulonimbus clouds
Dark Thunderstorm clouds
What does the Term Lenticular mean in meteorology relating to clouds
Clouds having the shape of a lens or an almond, often elongated and usually with welldefined outlines
What does the Term Fractus mean in meteorology relating to clouds
Clouds that have a ragged or torn appearance
What does the Term Congestus mean in meteorology relating to clouds
Cumulus clouds of great vertical extent that from a distance may resemble a head of
cauliflower
What does the Term Calvus mean in meteorology relating to clouds
Cumulonimbus in which at least some of the upper part is beginning to lose its
cumuliform outline
What does the Term Capillatus mean in meteorology relating to clouds
cumulonimbus cloud with fibrous cirriform appearance in its upper parts
What does the Term Incus mean in meteorology relating to clouds
smooth cirriform mass of cloud in the upper part of a cumulonimbus that is anvil shaped
What does the Term Mammatus mean in meteorology relating to clouds
Baglike clouds that hang like a cow’s udder on the underside of a cloud
What does the Term Castellenus mean in meteorology relating to clouds
Clouds that show vertical development and produce towerlike extensions, often in the
shape of small castles
