Thermodynamics Study Set Flashcards
What does density do with height in the molecular boundary layer?
Density increases with height
What does Rho stand for?
Density
What does Theta represent?
Real Heat
What does Theta E represent?
Total Heat
What is important to note regarding total heat?
The amount of total heat never changes dry or wet
What weather process is responsible for making real heat?
Condensation
What is another abbreviation for the Planetary Boundary Layer?
CBL
What does the word eccentric represent?
Dry adiabatic
What is important to note regarding the Planetary Boundary Layer?
The Planetary Boundary Layer is where eddies are located
What are the two different types of eddies?
Mechanically Induced and Thermally Induced
What is responsible for mechanically induced eddies in the atmosphere?
The wind
When do thermally induced eddies occur?
During the day
What is important to note regarding Mechanically Induced eddies?
You can still get mechanically induced eddies even on a cloudy day
What are the important of eddies in the atmosphere?
They’re responsible for mixing the water vapor and the heat within the Planetary Boundary Layer
In the Planetary Boundary Layer, what two things remain constant with height?
The temperature and the mixing ratio
What is the Dewpoint Lapse Rate regarding the Dry Adiabatic?
2 degrees Celsius per kilometer
The measure of the energy required by the atmosphere, at a given time and place, to inhibit the ability of an air parcel to rise is what meteorological quantity?
Lifted condensation level
When convective inhibition values are high, the risk of thunderstorm development is what?
Low
In which of the following ways can convective inhibition values be determined?
Skew-T plotting and mathematical calculations
What is the wet-bulb temperature?
The lowest temperature that can be reached by evaporating water into the air
What is the importance of the skew-T/log-P thermodynamic diagram?
The skew-T/log-P thermodynamic diagram is used to plot vertical profiles of atmospheric temperature, moisture, and wind
Data for the vertical atmospheric profiles, also known as sounding plots, come from numerous sources such as what?
Radiosondes, dropsondes, pibals, aircraft, NWP model output, and satellite sounders
Most weather soundings are generated in what way?
Electronically
How does pressure decrease regarding the atmosphere?
Pressure decreases logarithmically with increasing height in the atmosphere