Thunderstorms Flashcards

1
Q

Conditions required for Cb development

A
  1. An adequate amount of water vapour at low levels
  2. Conditional instability through depth (= release of latent heat)
  3. Trigger mechanism
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Types of trigger mechanisms

A
  1. Convection
  2. Orography
  3. Frontal lifting (widespread ascent)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Classifications of Thunderstorms

A
  1. Airmass (parcel of air with similar characteristics)

2. Frontal (boundary b/t two different types of airmasses, triggered by 3 main mechanisms)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

How can Airmass Thunderstorms be triggered?

A
  1. Convection (localised/stationary and traveling TS)
  2. Orographic
  3. Nocturnal lifting (tropics - islands etc)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

How can Frontal Thunderstorms be triggered?

A
  1. SFC Frontal/convergence TS (cold fronts e.g. southerly moving North is more likely to cause TS, due heating from SFC upwards)
  2. SFC trough TS
  3. Upper trough TS
  4. Warm front embedded TS
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

The lifecycle of a TS

A
  1. Cumulus stage
  2. Mature stage
  3. Anvil/dissipating stage
    Overall time of life cycle is 1.5 hrs.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Describe the cumulus stage in the life cycle of a TS

Any dangers at this stage? Time taken?

A
  1. Trigger initiates lifting, a TCU begins to form.
  2. There are only updrafting winds in a TCU, which carries SCWDs upwards.
  3. Some SCWDs freeze, creating snow and ice. Eventually enough of these form at the top for it to fall, melt and create the first rain at the SFC.
    - Nil dangers except severe icing at this stage (no downdrafts to worry about). 30 mins.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Describe the mature stage in the life cycle of a TS

Any dangers? Time Taken?

A
  1. First heavy rain at SFC
  2. An anvil will begin to form at the top of the cloud as the SCWDs begin to spread out horizontally beneath the tropopause.
    - Any of the EIGHT hazards now exist, tornadoes are unlikely however from stationary Cbs. 30 mins.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Describe the Anvil/Dissipating stage of a TS

Any dangers? Time taken?

A
  1. The top of the anvil will start to become fibrous (due to formation of cirrus)
    - Updrafts cease and hazards start to dissipate. 30 mins.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

List the hazards created by Cb (8)

A
  1. Severe turbulence (due up/down drafts - centre to base should be avoided)
  2. Severe icing (in clusters of Cb, area above FZL 0 to -12 degrees should be avoided)
  3. Electrical phenomena (Lightning/static charges)
  4. Hail (ice crystals cycled in up/down drafts)
  5. Poor Visibility (due heavy precip)
  6. Tornadoes (in severe TS, over water they are called waterspouts, both are rare in NZ)
  7. Microbursts
  8. First gust/gust front. (sudden strong downdraft of cold, dense air = Low level wind shear, characterised by roll clouds)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Define Microbursts

A
  • Localised severe wind pattern driven by extremely strong downdrafts from dense, cooled air. Can exceed 100kts in the vertical.
  • Microburst winds intensify 5 mins after touch down, general lifespan is 15 mins.
  • Can be Dry (occur with high based TS, rain evaporates before reaching SFC. More dangerous)
  • Can be Wet (When precip accompanies microburst to SFC. More common in NZ due moist lower atmosphere)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Formation speeds for:

  1. Non-severe TS
  2. Severe TS
  3. Super Cells
A
  1. 1200 - 2500ft per minute
  2. 5500ft per minute
  3. 12,000 - 15,000ft per minute
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Enhancing factors of glaze ice

A

When air is forced to rise (from frontal/lee waves/orographic, CONVECTION - TS)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

TS Characteristics in NZ

A
  • Ave about 35,000ft in height, about that of the tropopause.
    (20,000ft in S in winter, 40,000ft in N in summer)
  • Less hazardous/destructive compared to TS in the US
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Lightning in NZ

A
  • Cloud to ground strikes are only 10% of all strikes.
  • Other 90% is cloud to cloud or within the cloud.
  • In general, lightning can be either positively or negatively charged.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Shapes of Microbursts

A
  • Symmetrical, striaght down out of a stationary Cb
  • Asymmetrical, due strong winds ahead of a travelling TS.
  • Twisting (can precede tornadoes)
  • Radial
17
Q

Development of Hailstones

A
  • Only occur within Cb clouds with up/down drafting air.
  • Number of times the ice crystal cycles up and down the Cb before it gets too heavy and falls out defines size and number of layers of:
    Rime ice (upper Cb)
    Clear ice (lower Cb)
  • Hail can fall out of: Anvil/sides/bottom of Cb.
18
Q

List the characteristics of Super cell TS (8)

A
  1. The Cb leaning over as it develops = travelling, extremely unstable Cb. Strong vertical and horizontal wind shears increasing with height.
  2. Rain and microburst occur ahead of Cb
  3. Separation of updrafts (behind)/downdrafts (in front). These don’t cancel each other.
  4. Strong updraft punching through into stratosphere
  5. Interaction b/t updrafts and downdrafts produces rotating horizontal eddy
  6. Rotating eddy can get caught in updrafts, tilting to the vertical
  7. Small % of Cbs produce rotating wall clouds
  8. 10% of these produce tornadoes/water spouts/funnel clouds.
19
Q

How to avoid TS

A
  1. Avoid in planning phase! (use radar in flight)
  2. have an alternate route
  3. Don’t fly under orographic TS (downdrafts)
  4. Cross frontal TS at right angles
20
Q

Characteristics of Stationary TS

A
  1. (An Airmass Cb). Upright stance and develop in situ. However can move slowly.
  2. Little to no wind shear aloft = no tilt.
  3. Results in updrafts/downdrafts being in line, therefore destroying each other and cloud mass at the same time. (Anvil not affected)
  4. Has all hazards bar tornadoes.
21
Q

Characteristics of Travelling TS

A
  1. (An Airmass Cb).
  2. Have increasing windshear with increasing height, causing the ‘tilt’ of the Cb in direction of travel.
  3. Up and downdrafts are separated, therefore don’t cancel each other out, and can therefore last longer than stationary Cb with enough moisture, can also develop into Super cell TS
22
Q

Characteristics of Orographic TS

A
  1. Airmass or frontal
  2. Occur when moist air is forced to lift by terrain (e.g. the west coast of South Island where atmosphere is conditionally unstable)
  3. Low cloud bases ensure plenty of latent heat is release early in lifting process = TS
23
Q

Characteristics of Nocturnal TS

A
  1. An Airmass Cb
  2. Tops of Cumulus clouds cool at night due loss of Longwave radiation, increasing instability (steepens lapse rate).
  3. The cumulus clouds therefore grow and become Cb.
  4. more common in the tropics (warmer sea temps)
24
Q

Characteristics of frontal/convergence TS

A
  1. Frontal TS
  2. Trigger is lifting of warm, unstable air at frontal SFC
  3. Tends to form multiple Cb along boundary of front, which move with the front.
  4. Convergence TS tend to form in clusters
25
Q

Characteristics of upper trough TS

A
  1. Frontal TS
  2. Occur when cold air is transferred horizontally at higher ALTs, which steepens the lapse rate through depth. The atmosphere then tends towards instability.
26
Q

Characteristics of Warm front embedded TS

A
  1. Frontal TS

2. Stable fronts, therefore TS are rare.