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Part 3 Climatology > The Exam - Word for Word edition > Flashcards

The Exam - Word for Word edition Flashcards

1
Q

What is Sky radiation?

A

Radiation that reaches east after having been scattered by clouds and aerosols in the atmosphere

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2
Q

What is the difference between Mie and Rayleigh scattering?

A

Rayleigh: done by particles smaller than the wavelength of the radiation
Mie: done by particles larger than the wavelength of the radiation

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3
Q

What is the link between terrestrial radiation and atmospheric temperature?

A
  • Earth radiates energy (heat) to the atmosphere through infra-red waveband
  • Absorbed by aerosols, CO2 water vapour , and cloud droplets
  • Additional radiation aids in the warming of the atmosphere
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4
Q

An air mass is defined as?

A

A horizontal mass of air with uniform, temperature, moisture and environmental lapse rate characteristics (stability)

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5
Q

How long will it normally take for an air mass to absorb the characteristics of a region? What can hinder this process?

A

4 -10 days

If the region is not large enough, or conditions are too variable, or air mass is moving, the airmass will not be wholly modified

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6
Q

Describe the likely conditions in Australia during cold advection?

A
  • Originates in the Antartica and moves north
  • Cold air mass moving to a warmer region
  • Collects moisture over oceans
  • Unstable when it reaches land as lower layers warm first
  • Large cloud formations around coast, with precipitation.
  • Loses moisture as it moves inland
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7
Q

Describe the likely conditions in Australia during warm advection?

A
  • Originates in the tropics
  • Warm air mass moving to colder region
  • Will be moist, unstable and warm
  • Likely to be some cloud development, with drizzle and low layer cloud as the temperature slowly reduces a moisture is forced to condense out.
  • Visibility will be poor
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8
Q

Describe the seasonal location of the equatorial trough and the reason for the change in location throughout the year?

A
  • Thermal equator moves north and south with the seasons, to the point of maximum solar insolation
  • The equatorial trough moves in similar fashion
  • In SH winter it will be entirely in the northern hemisphere
  • In SH Summer it will mainly be in SH, but a segment in the Pacific Ocean will be to the north of geographic equator.
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9
Q

What causes the SPCZ?

A
  • Semistationary high pressure in the SE pacific create winds that travel east and are deflected to NE direction when they cross the equator
  • Transiting Highs moving east across Tasman crate SW winds that meet in the SE pacific
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10
Q

Describe the location and seasonal characteristics of the SPCZ?

A
  • Located from souther tip of Papua New Guinea to French Polynesia.
  • Stronger in SH Summer (Nov-Apr)
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11
Q

What conditions will strengthen the SPCZ?

A
  • When cold fronts form the mid latitude move NE

- Cloud band of the front will join with the SPCZ

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12
Q

What are the vertical and horizontal limits of the Trade winds?

A
  • Vertical: SFC - 8000ft

- Horizontal: 30˚S - Equator - 30˚N

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13
Q

Describe the seasonal location and direction of the trade winds?

A
  • Influenced by the movement of the equatorial trough
  • Winds converge at the equatorial trough (Frequently producing the ITCZ)
  • Winds are generally easterly off the the sub-tropical high pressure systems, but direction will be deflected when they cross the geographic equator
  • SE Wind will become SW
  • NE wind will become NW
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14
Q

What is the Sine rule?

A

a/sin(A) = b/sin(B) = c/sin(C)

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15
Q

What is the Cosine rule?

A

a^2 = b^2 + c^2 - 2ab * cos(A)

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16
Q

What are the conditions required for the development of radiation fog?

A
  • Light winds
  • Clear skies
  • High relative humidity
  • Generally stable atmosphere
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17
Q

What is the difference between Radiation and advection fog?

A

Radiation: formed over a cold surface as air is cooled. Usually disperses after sunrise
Advection: as warm moist air moves over a cooler surface. Can last for days

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18
Q

What are the synoptic conditions required for radiation fog to form?

A
  • Anticyclone

- Col

19
Q

Describe the difference between an absolutely unstable, conditionally stable and absolutely stable atmosphere in terms of the ELR?

A

Absolutely unstable: ELR > DALR
Conditionally stable: DALR > ELR > SALR
Absolutely stable: DALR > ELR

20
Q

Describe the Growth phase of a thunderstorm?

A
  • Widespread vertical displacement
  • Release of significant amounts of latent heat
  • Growing Cb cloud
  • Only updrafts
  • Freezing level bludges upwards
21
Q

Describe the Mature phase of a thunderstorm?

A
  • Maximum vertical extent
  • Updrafts and downdraft in close proximity
  • All associated hazards present
  • Gust front, precipitation on leading edge of storm, under down drafts
  • Microbursts possible
  • Freezing level varies in up/downdrafts
  • Entrainment of upper cold air strengthens downdrafts
22
Q

Describe the decaying phase of a thunderstorm?

A
  • All downdrafts, no updrafts
  • Precipitation and hail may persist
  • Cloud decays form the abseils upwards
  • altostratus cloud starts to form on the top part
23
Q

What are the conditions required for the development of thunderstorms?

A
  • Conditionally stable atmosphere
  • Lifting mechanism
  • Cb Cloud
24
Q

What are the different types of thunderstorms?

A
  • Frontal
  • Orographic
  • Convective
  • Cold stream
  • Equatorial Nocturnal
25
Q

Describe how the latitude of NZ affects climate?

A
  • 35˚S to 46˚ S
  • Subtropical climate in the north
  • South Island susceptible to mid-lat fontal systems
  • Lower NI has some larger temperature fluctuations
26
Q

How is the sea breeze at Christchurch connected to the westerlies through the Cook Strait?

A
  • Westerlies through Strait deflect to become NE after exiting the Strait
  • Predominant Sea Breeze in CH is NE off pegasus bay to the NE, which will be enhanced by the NE winds from the Cook Strait
27
Q

What does Mount Taranaki doe to the Westerly wind?

A
  • Spitls it
  • SW forms to the north
  • NW forms to the south
28
Q

Describe the difference between the Equatorial trough, the ITCZ and the thermal equator? What are their relative positions?

A
  • Thermal equator is the point of max insolation. Moves N/S seasonally
  • ITCZ formed by convergence of Trade winds. Alway on geographic equator side of thermal equator
  • Equatorial trough over in similar fashion to thermal equator, but due to specific heat differences of land and sea it does not always cross the equator in the SH summer
29
Q

What is the Southern Annular Mode?

A

-A ring of climate variability that encircles the South pole and reaches into the mid latitudes or NZ

30
Q

What is a Positive or Negative SAM event?

A

Positive: The upper level westerly winds move towards the South Pole. Better weather for NZ
Negative: The upper level westerly winds will expand out towards the more equatorial latitudes. Less settles weather for NZ

31
Q

Describe the ‘typical’ synoptic situation in the Australasian region?

A
  • Undisturbed high altitude long wave

- Anticyclone is followed by a cold front, followed by another anticyclone

32
Q

Describe the expected meteorological conditions in NZ during the ‘typical’ synoptic situation NZ?

A
  • Strong winds in the Cook Strait
  • Cloudiness on the West coasts, generally clearer on the east
  • Cold front is experiences in the south and west first
  • Eventually some showers and high cloud may be experienced in the east
  • Auckland and Northland may not be affected
  • Front will take 36-48 hours to passing, allowing the next anticyclone to establish
33
Q

Explain what happens to met conditions when there is a blocking anticyclone located to the west of NZ? Why?

A
  • SW flow onto the west coast
  • Ridge will be formed due to upper zonal winds flowing anticyclonically
  • Ridge will likely bring fine weather to the entire country
  • Maybe some cloud formation to the west coast of South Is.
  • Upper winds to the North of NZ will turn cyclonically, and so there will be an associated low pressure system to the north.
34
Q

What conditions are most likely to form fog at Wellington?

A
  • Light moist southerly
  • Normally sea fog off the South Island east coast
  • Rarely radiation fog in the Hutt valley can be blown over the airport in light north easterly winds
35
Q

What is the purpose of the general circulation?

A

-To balance out the energy imbalance between the equator and the poles due to the differences in solar insolation

36
Q

What different ways does the Earth shift energy around the planet?

A
  • Ocean currents

- Air currents/ circulation

37
Q

What conditions usually cause the SW wind?

A

-Strong unstable anti-cyclone in the Tasman Sea moving eastwards

38
Q

What conditions usually cause the SE wind?

A
  • SW flank of an anticyclone sits to the SW of NZ

- Western flank of a low sits to the SE of NZ

39
Q

What conditions usually cause the NE wind?

A

-Low pressure system sitting to the NW of the country

40
Q

What conditions usually cause the NW wind?

A

-Usually occurs before a cold front moves up the country

41
Q

What conditions are likely to be present in Wellington when there is a gale NW through the Cook Strait?

A
  • Little cloud at low levels
  • Turbulence limited to friction layer
  • Moderate turbulence over the sea south of Wellington, increasing over the land
42
Q

What does CAPE stand for?

A

Convective available potential energy

43
Q

Where does the tropopause start on a tephigram?

A

-Where the ELR first becomes an INVERSION (not just isothermal)

44
Q

What is the equation to determine the start of the tropopause?

A

((Surface temp) - (tropopause temp))/ 1.98

Multiply by 1000

Part 3 Climatology (3 decks)

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