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Bridge Operations > Meterology > Flashcards

Meterology Flashcards

1
Q

What is Absolute humidity?

A
  • The amount of water vapour in a unit volume of air.
  • Measaured in grams per cubic meter (g/m3).
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2
Q

What is relative humidity?

A

The ratio of absolute humidity to the maximum amount of water vapour that can be contained within the air at that temperature.
- Usually expressed as a percentage.

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3
Q

What is Dew point?

A
  • The temperature at which a parcel of air is saturated and has a relative humidity of 100%.
  • When the air parcel is cooled below the dew point the water vapour within the air mass will begin to condese out.
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4
Q

What are the cuases of saturation?

A
  • Mixing.
  • Evaporation.
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5
Q

What is ‘Mixing’ in relation to causes of saturation?

A
  • When two high-humidity with a large temperature difference mix resulting in a saturated mixture of air.
  • May occur at the boundary between a warm and cold air mass.
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6
Q

What is ‘Evapouration’ in relation to causes of saturation?

A
  • When unsaturated air can become saturated if water evaporates into it from a body of water.
  • As the water evaporates into the air, water vapour will increase and excess vapour will condense out.
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7
Q

What is the ‘Adiabatic’ process?

A
  • Where a parcel of air changes temperature due to expansion or compression, without heat energy being added to, or removed from the parcel by external sources.
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8
Q

What will hapen if an unsatureated parcel of air is cooled beyond its dew point?

A

The air will become saturated and some of the water vapoiur will condense out, forming clouds.

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9
Q

What is the differnece between absolute and relative humidity?

A

Absolute Humidity:
- The amount of water vapour in a unit volume of air.
- Measaured in grams per cubic meter (g/m3).

Relative Humidity:
- The ratio of absolute humidity to the maximum amount of water vapour that can be contained within the air at that temperature.
- Usually expressed as a percentage.

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10
Q

What is the troposphere?

A
  • The lowest layer of the atmosphere.
  • The layer which contains almost all of the water and most of what we consider as ‘weather’.
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11
Q

What happens to air as it rises?

A

It cools due to expansion.

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12
Q

What is Dry Adiabatic LApse Rate (DALR)?

A
  • The rate that an unsaturated parcel of air cools as the altitude increases.
    (Unsaturated means that the parcel of air is at a temperature that is above its dew point).
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13
Q

What is Saturated Adaibatic Rate (SALR)?

A
  • The rate that a saturated parcel of air cools as the altitude increases.
    (Saturated means that the parcel of air is at a temperature that is below its dew point).
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14
Q

What is Enviromental Lapse Rate (ELR)

A

The rate that the air around the parcel cools as the latitiude increases. It varies due to height, season, location etc.

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15
Q

What is Lapse rate?

A
  • The rate of temperature change with altitude.
  • Measured in Degree C/Km.
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16
Q

At what rate does unsaturateed air cool with altiutude?

A

10 Dergee C/Km.

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17
Q

What type of atmospheric stability results in clear skies?

A

Absolute stability, where the parcel of air is always cooler than the surrounding air and there fore wants to sink back down to its original latitude.

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18
Q

What does SALR stand for?

A

Saturated Adaibatic Rate.

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19
Q

What height are low clouds found at?

A

Below 6,500 ft (approx 2,000m).

20
Q

What height are medium clouds found at?

A

Between 6,500ft and 20,000ft (approx 2,000-6,000m).

21
Q

What height are high clouds found at?

A

Above 20,000ft (approx 6,000m).

22
Q

What are the characterisitcs of stratus/strato form clouds?

A
  • Flat.
  • layered.
  • Smooth.
23
Q

What are the characterisitcs of cumulus/cumulo form clouds?

A
  • Heaped up.
  • Fluffy.
24
Q

What are the characterisitcs of cirrus/cirro form clouds?

A
  • High.
  • Wispy.
25
Q

What are the characterisitcs of alto form clouds?

A

Medium level clouds.

26
Q

What are the characterisitcs of nimbus/nimbo form clouds?

A

Rain-bearing.

27
Q

What is Convection?

A

When the land is heated by infrared radiation from the sun, warming the air directly above it. This decreaes the air density above the land causing it to rise.

28
Q

What is Convergence?

A
  • When air coverages on one point it is forced to rise as it cannot go down and cannt accumulate in one location.
  • Commonly found at the Inter-Trpocial Convergence Zone (ITCZ), at the end of a depression (located at or near to the equator).
29
Q

What is it called when air is forced to rise due to land?

A

Orographic uplift.

30
Q

What is a ‘fluffy cloud at a low altitude called?

A

Cirus form cloud.

31
Q

What are the characteristics of a nimbostratus cloud?

A
  • Flat.
  • Layered.
  • Brings rain.
32
Q

How may clouds change as a depression is approaching?

A

As the depression approaches, high cloud will appear, then thickening and lowering as the depression gets closer.

33
Q

What is a Squall?

A
  • A sudden dramnatic increase in wind speed, lasting longer adn more significantly than a regular gust.
  • Can also result in a shift in wind direction.
34
Q

Where does the tropical Continental air mass come from?

A

North Africa/Sahara Desert.

35
Q

Where does the Tropical Maritime air mass come from?

A

Southerly parts of the Atlantic.

36
Q

Where does the Polar Continental air mass come from?

A

Russia/Central Europe.

37
Q

Where does the Returning Polar Maritime air mass come from?

A

Greenland/Northern Canada, with a detour further south into the North Atlantic.

38
Q

Where does the Polar Maritime air mass come from?

A

Greenland/Northern Canada, via the North Atlantic.

39
Q

Where does the Arctic Maritime air mass come from?

A

Arctic Sea.

40
Q

What are the characterisitcs of maritime air?

A

Maritime air Masses are more humid (contian more water) than continental air masses.

41
Q

What are the expected conditions when the UK is under influence of a Tropical Maritime?

A
  • Warm and moist.
  • Low cloud.
  • Drizzle.
  • Potentially generating fog.
42
Q

What is an onshore breeze?

A

A breeze that blows from the sea towards the land, caused by a low pressure forming over the warmer land.

43
Q

What is an offshore breeze?

A

A breeze that blows from the land towards the sea, caused by a high pressure area forming over the cooler land.

44
Q

What causes an offshore breeze?

A

The land cooling quicker than the sea at night creates a high pressure in contrast tothe lower pressure over the sea resulting in a pressure gradient causing the breeze.

45
Q

What

A

Bridge Operations (3 decks)

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