Weather

Question 1

Dew point

Answer 1

Air can’t hold any more moisture, saturated and begins to condensate
When water in air becomes visible as moisture, cloud, fog
Current temp more than 3 degrees from dew point to be safe

Question 2

Atmosphere layers

Answer 2

Troposphere, up to 48k ft
Tropopause layer with Jetstream
Stratosphere 
Mesosphere
Thermosphere

Question 3

Atmospheric circulation

Answer 3

Warm air rises at equator, moves up to poles, back down to equator

Question 4

Atmospheric pressure

Answer 4

Decreases at one inch per 1000ft

Question 5

Coriolis forces

Answer 5

Due to rotation of the earth
Northern hemisphere deflecting air to the right,eastward
Northeasterly trade winds from 30• to equator

Question 6

Measuring atmospheric pressure

Answer 6

Aneroid vs mercurial barometer

Weather station pressure convertered to sea level, adding 1” Hg for every 1000ft

Question 7

Currents and winds

Answer 7

Due to pressure differences, coriolis, friction, temperature differences
Upward, downward, horizontal
Cause weather changes

Question 8

Cyclonic vs anti cyclonic circulation

Answer 8

Northern hemisphere high pressure deflection to the right clockwise pattern
Low pressure counterclockwise

Question 9

High vs low pressure

Answer 9

High, descending dry air, good weather

Low, air flows into area to replace rising air, brings clouds, rain

Question 10

Convective currents

Answer 10

Local circulation of air due to uneven heating of the ground, turbulence
Water, vegetation hearts slower

Question 11

Low level wind shear

Answer 11

Dangerous

Due to passing frontal system, thunderstorms, temperature inversion, strong upper level wind

Question 12

Microbursts

Answer 12

Servere type of low level wind shear 
Intense rain at the surface 
At cloud base ring of blowing dust 
1-2 miles diameter, depth of 1000ft
5-15min, downdrafts of up to 6000ft/min

Question 13

Weather station symbols

Answer 13

Circle = station
Line points into direction where wind is coming from
Speed = barbs and pennants, 5, 10, 50

Question 14

Isobars

Answer 14

Lines of equal pressure in mb
Close together = steep gradient, strong winds
Ridge = elongated area of high pressure
Trough = elongated area of low pressure

Question 15

Adiabatic process

Answer 15

Heating and cooling off air when rising vs descending, temp lowers as air rises and expands
Moist air cools slower, rises higher, unstable

Question 16

Inversion

Answer 16

Cool air below warmer air, at night, cool surface cools down few hundred feet of air, capped by top of layer

Question 17

How air can reach saturation point

Answer 17

1. Warm air moves over cold surface
2. Cold and warm air mix
3. Air cools at night contact with cooler ground
4. Air forced into high atmosphere

Question 18

Radiation vs advection fog

Answer 18

Ground cools rapidly, in valleys, air reaches dew point, vs

Wind pushes most warm air over cool surface, coastal fog

Question 19

Uplope vs steam vs ice fog

Answer 19

Wind pushes moist air up mountain range
Cold dry air moves over warm water causing water to evaporate
In arctic region, water vapor into ice

Question 20

Clouds

Answer 20

Air cools, reaches saturation point, deposition, sublimation, condensation, onto condensation nuclei (dust, salt, smoke)
Low - base up to 6500ft AGL
Middle - 6500-20k
High - above 20k

Question 21

Cloud classification

Answer 21

Cumulus
Stratus
Cirrus
Castellanus 
Lenticularus 
Nimbus
Fracto
Alto

Question 22

Ceiling

Answer 22

Lowest level of clouds reported as broken or overcast
Broken: 5/8 to 7/8 of sky covered
Overcast = 100% covered

Question 23

Cumulus clouds

Answer 23

Extensive vertical development
Base is low, extend high altitude
Instability, turbulence, thunderstorms
Lightning, hail, tornadoes, gusty, wind shear

Question 24

Precipitation

Answer 24

Drizzle, very small water droplets, fog
Virga, rain that evaporates before reaching the ground
Rain falling through temperature inversion may freeze, ice pellets

Question 25

Air masses

Answer 25

Based on source region
Take on surrounding characteristics
Polar, tropical, dry deserts
Moves over cold or warm land

Question 26

Front

Answer 26

Boundary layer between 2 air masses, chances in weather imminent
Warm, cold, stationary, occluded

Question 27

Warm front

Answer 27

Slow moving, moves over cooler air, pushes it out, high humidity, fog, rain, thunderstorms when warm air is lifted, barometric pressure falling
Stratiform clouds, cumulonimbus in summer

Question 28

Cold front

Answer 28

Move rapidly, close to ground, forcing warm air up, forming clouds
Cirriform, cumulus clouds, rain showers
Can produce tornadoes, poor visibility, gusty winds, temperature and dew point dropping

Question 29

Occluded front

Answer 29

Fast cold front catches up with slow warm front
Cold front occlusion, mixture of weather
Warm front occlusion, thunderstorms

Question 30

Thunderstorm conditions

Answer 30

Air with sufficient water vapor, unstable lapse rate, initial lifting action
Air mass storms (short) versus steady state storms (long)

Question 31

Squall line

Answer 31

Narrow band of thunderstorms, ahead of cold front, moist unstable air, wide and long, forms rapidly

Question 32

Tornado

Answer 32

Thunderstorm draw air into cloud with rotation, concentrated, 200kts winds, low pressure inside vortex, tornado of cloud touches ground, or waterspout, if water

Question 33

Thundering hazards

Answer 33

Turbulence 
Icing 
Hail 
Ceiling and visibility 
Lightning
Pressure
Engine water ingestion