Weather 2

Question 1

What does it mean to describe air as “stable” and “unstable”

Answer 1

Unstable: air rises and falls easily — Stable: air resists moving

Question 2

What type of air, stable or unstable, results in more fog?

Answer 2

stable air

Question 3

What happens to air pressure when it rises? what happens to the temperature?

Answer 3

It starts to expand due to the decrease in pressure – this results in a decrease in temperature

Question 4

What happens when air falls? What happens to the temperature?

Answer 4

it starts to compress causing an increase in temperature

Question 5

What is the Lapse Rate?

Answer 5

The change in temperature as altitude increases or decreases

Question 6

What is the average Lapse Rate for rising air?

Answer 6

2 degree celsius drop in temperature for every 1,000 foot increase in altitude

Question 7

What is the air, visiblity, and overall weather like for stable air?

Answer 7

smooth air, poor visibility, and stead rain

Question 8

What is the air, visibilty, and overall weather like for unstable air?

Answer 8

warm, moist air - good visiblity – thunderstorms and turbulence

Question 9

What is a temperature inversion? Where is it usually found?

Answer 9

When there is a backwards lapse rate where the air temp increases with an increase in altitude but only to a certain altitude – note: the normal lapse rate of 2 degrees per 1k feet occurs above the layer where the temp inversion is occurring – usually occurs at a lower altitudes

Question 10

What is the air like during a temperature inversion?

Answer 10

smooth, stable air that has poor visibility but low turbulence

Question 11

What are two scenarios where you will find temp inversions?

Answer 11

Clear, cool nights where the ground cools and and the air close to the ground cools more than the air above it – when a warm front spreads warm air over a layer of cooler air