SAMRA (Meteorology) Flashcards
What is the approximate ceiling of the tropopause?
36,000ft
Where is the isothermal lapse rate in the stratosphere approximately:
65,000ft
What is an isothermal?
Where temperature is constant with height
What is the temperature at the tropopause?
-56.5 degrees
What is the lapse rate within the tropopause?
1.98 degrees per 1,000ft
Does mean sea level pressure change when it gets warmer but station altimeter remains the same?
When it becomes warmer at the station, the MSLP decreases due to the less dense air.
MSLP uses 12hr average temperature!!!!
How are isobars spaced out regarding pressure?
Each line is 0004 QNH from each other.
What causes highs and lows to form?
- Sudden changes in velocity (spin)
- Sudden accelerations and decelerations in wind speed (jet streaks)
Occurs high up in atmosphere
What forces act on the wind?
- Pressure gradient force (PGF)
- Coriolis force (CF)
- Friction
- Thermal wind gradient force (TWGF)
- Centrifugal forces around H & L (Cf)
What is an isotach?
Line of equal wind speed
For the same PGF, would the wind speed around a surface low be greater or less than a surface high?
HIGH PRESSURE WILL HAVE GREATER WIND SPEED
Because pressure gradient force goes inward on a low, and it goes outward on a high, going with the coriolis force!
If air mass is moist and stable with mechanical turbulence present in lower levels, what type of clouds can you expect to be present?
Stratus and stratocumulus
Fronts that affect Canada in general:
Continental arctic cA
Maritime arctic mA
Maritime polar mP
Maritime tropic mT
What is a front?
A transition zone between two air masses where temperature changes
What is a cold front:
Leading edge of an advancing cold air mass
What is a warm front:
Trailing edge of a retreating cold air mass
What is frontolysis:
Temperature contrast (difference) between two air masses decreases and front disappears (temps merge together)
What is frontogenesis:
Temperature contrast (difference) between two air masses increases and a front is formed
Factors affecting weather severity at cold front:
- Speed of front
- Moisture content of the WARM AIR MASS
- Stability of the WARM AIR MASS
environment in which the front exists matters most; i.e. where the cold front is moving towards
Where can squall lines exist ahead of a cold front?
100 to 200 NM ahead of the cold front
Remember bad weather always occurs in the warm air because it can hold more moisture; when you feel the pressure drop after a squall line, the conditions are going to get better
A fast moving cold front having a warm air mass that is moist and unstable could give rise to ___.
A squall line
What happens to wind, temperature and pressure as a cold front passes?
Temp decreases
Winds veer and increase
Pressure increases due to colder air being more dense
NOTE:
Temperature decrease may not begin for 2 to 3 hours after frontal passage
Surface wind tends to remain strong after cold front passage due to high pressure behind frontal wave!! i.e. that coriolis and PGF being higher around a high pressure
What happens to wind, temperature and pressure as a warm front passes?
Temperature increases
Winds veer and increase (same as cold front)
Pressure decreases
Temperature may not begin to warm for 2 to 3 hours after frontal passage
A cold front with a steep frontal surface is approaching your location; frontal passage has occurred. has WX passed, occurring now or yet to arrive?
Yet to arrive; something to do with steep frontal passage
What is a trough?
An area of low pressure; GFA labeled as a purple dotted line
double lined purple line on GFA indicates a higher level trough
What is a trowal?
troWAL (warm air aloft), depicted as red and blue “T” on GFA
SAME AS OCCUDED FRONT
What happens to OAT as you fly through a TROWAL?
Rise than fall!
How can you tell which wind direction a mature frontal wave will move?
It will move parallel to the isobars in the warm sector!
Under what altitude does the affects of surface friction affect wind speed/direction?
2000-3000ft AGL (air backs and decrease around a high AND a low on exam
When flying above freezing level, avoid thunderstorms by __NM
10NM
When flying below freezing level, avoid thunderstorms by __NM
5NM
When flying below freezing level, avoid thunderstorms by __NM
5NM
When flying near a severe thunderstorm, avoid it by __NM
20NM
Where is the most dangerous part of a storm for hail?
Right below the anvil; because pilots thinks it looks clear but it’s severe hail
When is icing most severe in regards to the development of a storm?
Generally most severe just prior to the onset of the mature stage!
When is icing most severe in regards to the development of a storm?
Generally most severe just prior to the onset of the mature stage!
What kind of clouds do you encounter when approaching a warm front?
Cirrus (Ci), Cirrostratus (Cs), Altostratus (As), Nimbostratus (Ns), Stratus (S)
C-CANS
Gas to a solid:
Deposition, latent heat of sublimation
(Release heat to environment)
Solid to a gas:
Sublimation, latent heat of sublimation
(Absorbed latent heat)
Gas to a liquid:
Condensation, latent heat of vaporization
(Release heat to environment)
Liquid to a gas:
Evaporation, latent heat of vaporization
(Absorbed latent heat)
Liquid to a solid:
Freezing, latent heat of fusion
(Release heat to environment)
Solid to a liquid:
Melting, latent heat of fusion
(Absorbed latent heat)
Why is there turbulence beneath a Virga?
Rising water Vapor and descending cooler air as a product of latent heat (evaporation, latent heat of vaporization)
How does diurnal effect change surface wind speeds?
SURFACE winds
HORIZONTAL movement of air; advection. Diurnal effect means when ground is warm it heats up atmosphere and water is cool it cools the atmosphere
So, in a TAF you migh tsee the sinds make a 180 degree swap.
Land breeze = night time, blows out to sea
WARM AIR OVER SEA
Sea breeze = day time, blows in land
WARM AIR OVER LAND
Adiabatic implies ___ movement of air
Vertical!
What are the lapse rates?
Environmental
Dry = 3
Saturated = 1.5
Average = 1.98
When the tropopause is higher than standard, is its temperature warmer or colder than normal?
Colder.
If the tropopause is lower than standard, the temperature is warmer than normal
As latitude increases, temperature increases!
Latitude starts at 0 at equator
How is altimeter setting corrected?
Station pressure + correction = altimeter setting
(based on standard lapse rate & ICAO temperature)
Leaving a plane parked at night. You left the same altimeter setting in, and you arrive in the morning where the altimeter did not change, but the temperature dropped. Will it read higher or lower?
Will read the same because on the ground altimeter is corrected for temperature ONLY ON GROUND!!
How is mean sea level pressure corrected?
Station pressure corrected for standard lapse rate and 12hr average temperature = MSLP
(based on standard lapse rate & average temperature over last 12 hours!) Do not get confused with altimeter setting.
Does MSLP change when it becomes warmer than standard but station pressure remains the same?
MSLP will decrease!
Warmer air becomes less dense (less heavy), spreads apart. MSLP, same as if you had a low pressure. Easiest way to think about this; vise versa if it was colder
do not forget about 12hrs average temperature!
What are isobars based on (calculated from)?
Mean sea level pressure!
1000 mB has to be there!!! That is how you will find values on isobar charts, based on this
What causes highs and lows to form?
Divergence/convergence in earths higher atmosphere.
What is pressure gradient force?
PGF is the force created due to the change in pressure over distance
distance between isobars essentially
Where is coriolis force the strongest in earth?
Stronger to the poles & when wind speed if faster
least strong at equator, ranges from zero
Which way does the coriolis deflect the wind?
In northern hemisphere = to the right
In southern hemisphere = the the left
What is thermal wind component (gradient)?
How rapidly the temperature changes the more flow of air we have from hot to cold. Also found horizontally!
Winds are slowed by ___ before accelerating away downstream of the trough
Centrifugal forces
Trough = low pressure
Low pressure = centrifugal forces slow wind, vs a high pressure would result in a higher centrifugal force
if the air mass is moist and stable with mechanical turbulence present in lower levels, what type of clouds can you expect to be present?
Stratus and stratocumulus
What is an air mass?
Body of air 1000nm or more across with uniform moisture and temperature created by source region
Canada is affected by ___ air masses. What are they?
4 air masses 3 in summer
Winter:
- Continental Arctic (cA)
- Maritime Arctic (mA)
- Maritime Polar (mP)
- Maritime Tropical (mT)
Summer:
- Maritime Arctic (mA)
- Maritime Polar (mP)
- Maritime Tropical (mT)
Continental Arctic becomes Maritime Arctic because in summer time, the cold air that advances over frozen lakes are thawed, so they are just moist, not dry, meaning not “Continental”, and now “Tropical”
Significance to air mass names:
Maritime = moist
Continental = dry
Arctic = cold
Polar = cool
Tropical = warm
Fronts are named after the:
Cold air mass
CA + MA = Arctic front
MA + MP = Maritime front
MP + MT = Polar front
What are the fronts in our air masses?
- Arctic front (Continental Arctic front)
- Maritime front (Maritime Arctic front)
- Polar front (Maritime Polar front)
named after the cold air mass
Which 2 fronts affect Canada in the summer?
Maritime Arctic front
Maritime Polar front
Continental arctic does not exist! Just like the air masses
Factors affecting weather severity at a warm front:
- Degree of overrunning (of the cold air mass)
- Moisture of the warm air mass
- Stability of the warm air mass
Remember, a cold front is TOTALLY based on warm air mass conditions. A warm front is dependant on the degree of overruning, then moisture and stability
Fontal passage (both warm and cold fronts!) over station given METARs:
Winds veer and increase, temperature drops, pressure increases
Do NOT base your answer solely on temperature.
Temperature may not begin to decrease for 2 to 3 hours after frontal passage
Surface winds tend to remain strong after cold front passage due to incoming high pressure in behind the frontal wave