RQ Flashcards
4 processes that lift air and promote cloud formation
Orographic lifting
Convectional lifting
Convergence
Radiative cooling
Orographic lifting
when an air mass is forced from low to high elevation as it passes over rising terrain
Convectional lifting
When rising hot air impacts with cool air in the atmosphere and causes cloud formation
Convergence
When multiple air flows converge on an atmospheric area of low pressure
Radiative cooling
When the earth emits longwave radiation in the evening, causing cooling of the air and fog formation
How does buoyancy affect air uplift
Essentially, the heat content of the rising air and the coolness of the surrounding air will cause an interaction that will result in air uplift
Absolutely stable air conditions
The lower layers of an air structure are not warmer/equally warm as than the above layers
Absolutely unstable air conditions
If the lowest layers of an air mass are so warm/humid that if it rises, those layers are warmer than the new environment, so it continues to rise
Conditionally unstable air conditions
Depends on saturation of rising air; occurs when temperature change is less than DALR, but greater than moist adiabatic lapse rate.
Dry adiabatic lapse rate
Rate of temperature change when the air contains little water
Moist adiabatic lapse rate
Rate of temperature change when the air is saturated
What determines when conditionally unstable air becomes buoyant?
Surface temp
Level of free convection definition
Height at which air parcels temp > surroundings, thus becomes buoyant
Processes that change ELR
Any process that also has a correlative impact on air stability
Inversion definition
When temperature stops becoming cooler as altitude increases
