Topic 2 - Climate

Question 1

Cirrus clouds

Answer 1

• high level
• thin and wispy
• compose of ice crystals originating from the freezing of supercooled water droplets

Question 2

alto cumulus cloud

Answer 2

• mid-level
• parallel bands (top) / rounded masses (bot)
• form by convection in an unstable layer aloft

Question 3

fair weather cumulus

Answer 3

• lifetime of 5-40min

- flat bases and distinct outline

Question 4

nimbostratus

Answer 4

• dark, low level

- composed of water droplets cuz theyre low

Question 5

When is hail formed?

Answer 5

when updrafts in thunderclouds carry raindrops upward into extremely cold areas of atmosphere

Question 6

Atmosphere levels

What gases are contained in dry air (atmosphere)? name top 3

Answer 6

Stratosphere (upper)
—tropopause (separates the two)—–
troposphere (lower)

-in order, nitrogen, oxygen, argon

Question 7

Why do polar regions receieve much less solar energy than equatorial regions?

Answer 7

B/c energy from the sun has smaller surface area on equator than the polar regions b/c of the sphere shape of earth,

energy = radiation / surface area, less surface area means more energy (equator)

Question 8

What is atmospheric circulation a function of? (What is wind a function of)

Answer 8

function of coriolis force, pressure and temperature gradient, and earths angular momentum

Question 9

Difference between actual lapse rate and dry adiabatic lapse rate?

Answer 9

Dry adiabatic lapse rate is when the air is unsaturated (no water) and thus the dry lapse rate is much lower because there isnt gas h20 that releases energy when it goes from gas to liquid (latent heat)

Question 10

How does precipitation / condensation happen?

Answer 10

• As we ascend in our atmosphere, air temp decreases (lapse rate)
• as temp goes down, an air parcel not saturated with water vapor may become saturated at dew point temp (Td)
• so unsaturated air goes up, becomes saturated, which triggers condensation, then formation of water droplets (ice particles), then rain drops or snow flakes which are heavy enough to descend (precipitation)

Question 11

Requisites for precipitation?

Answer 11

1. Creation of saturation conditions
2. Phase change of water content (vapor to liquid/solid)
3. Growth (small water droplets or ice crystals to precipitatable size)

Question 12

3 Basic precipitation mechanisms (causes of precitipitation)

Answer 12

1. Stratiform (cyclonic cooling)
   - induced by circulation
2. Convective
   - induced by mechanical lifting over mountain barriers
3. Orographic
   - induced by vertical instability of moist air due to surface heating

Question 13

What are 2 fronts? define them

Answer 13

Stratiform (mechanism of precipitation induced by circulation)

1. Cold front
   - cold air advances —–>
   - lifts warm air upward very fast ^^^^^
   - front is almost vertical
   - moisture condenses to produce the clouds and heavy precipitation
2. warm air glides over cold air with slow lifting, producing light to moderate precipitation

Question 14

3 Stages of midlatitude Thunderstorms.

what are they driven by?

Answer 14

Dominated by convection mechanisms in 3 stages

1) warm moist air is drawn into cell
2) lifted to middle region where precipitation forms
3) flow out of cell in upper atmosphere as cool, dry air

cycle repeats itself, driven by latent heat released during condensation

Question 15

how do extratropical cyclones form

Answer 15

• initial parallel warm and cold air masses become coupled and whirled together in circular motion, creating giant spiral centered on a low pressure zone (cyclone)
• anti clockwise in northern hemisphere

Question 16

How/where are hurricanes produced?

Answer 16

• in low latitude regions when ocean surface is warmest, intense storms (hurricanes) can be produced out of warm ocean surface and low pressure center
• wind moving inward from all directions towards the storm “eye” spiraling, picking up moisture from the evaporating ocean surface, forcing warm air mass to rise, creating clusters of thunderstorms, which release large amount of rain and latent heat

Question 17

Orographic storms

Answer 17

• when warm moist air forced to rise over, say, a mountain, condenses and form precipitation
• windward slope has more rain
• leeward slope has less rain

Question 18

When does the dry adiabatic lapse rate start?

Answer 18

tropopause

Question 19

Dew point temp

Answer 19

-X amount of water vapor will become saturated if air temp drops from actual air temp to the dew point temp (thats when condensation occurs)

Question 20

Why is the wet bulb temp lower than the dry bulb temp?

Answer 20

-alchohol on the wet bulb evaporates which cools down the wet bulb

Question 21

Wet-bulb depression?

Answer 21

=Tdry - Twet

Question 22

Define meteorology

Answer 22

study of the atmosphere with particular emphasis in weather and climate

Question 23

define weather and climate

Answer 23

weather = condition of atmosphere at a particular time
climate = average condition of the atmosphere during a period (weeks, yrs, decades....)

Question 24

Greenhouse effects?

Answer 24

CO2, water vapor and CFC gases trap solar energy

Question 25

What does the amount of water vapor depend on?

Answer 25

Temperature

Question 26

define vapor pressure

define saturation

define relative humidity

Answer 26

partial pressure of moist air that results from water vapor

max possible amount of water vapor AT A GIVEN TEMP

ration of actual vapor pressure e to saturated vapor pressure es FOR A GIVEN TEMP

Question 27

How does the redistribution of different energy on earth happen?

Answer 27

mainly through atmospheric and oceanic circulation

Question 28

3 types of precipitation?

Answer 28

Stratiform:
frontal precipitation
-results from lifting of warm air on one side of a frontal surface over colder, denser air on the other side (cold/warm front precipitation)

non frontal precipitation
-results from lifting of air converging into a low pressure area

Orographic cooling:
induced by mechanical lifting over mountain barriers

convective cooling
induced by vertical instability of moist air due to surface heating

Question 29

lapse rate from a graph?

Answer 29

slope of graph: hieght above surface vs temperature

Question 30

Dry adiabatic lapse rate?

Answer 30

~ -10degrees /km