Weather 4 Flashcards
What type of clouds are indicative of turbulence? What do they look like?
standing lenticular altocumulus clouds – look like cloud pancakes/flying saucer
What are the two types of thunderstorms?
Air mass and Orographic
How are Air Mass Thunderstorms formed?
The heating of the air near the earth’s surface and colder air in the atmosphere
How are Orographic Thunderstorms formed?
by the up-slope motion of air in mountainous regions
What is a Squall Line?
When thunderstorms form in a line
What are the three stages of a thunderstorm?
Cumulus stage, Mature stage, Dissipating stage
Describe the cumulus stage of a thunderstorm. How fast can this happen?
when there is an updraft of warm air - can be at a speed of 3,000 feet per minute
Describe the mature stage of a thunderstorm? How high can the cloud go?
When you have the warm updraft and the cold air downdraft – can reach about 5-10 miles above the surface
How far can hail fall?
Can fall miles away from the storm itself due to the anvil shape of the storm
When does the dissipating stage start of a thunderstorm?
When the cool air and rain cools the warmer air below, causing the warm updraft to fall apart
Do aircraft perform better in denser or less dense air? Why
Dense air – the more air particles means there is more air particles to push against
What is the relationship with air pressur, temp, humidit, and altitude and air density
Air pressure increases, density increases – (all others are inverse relationships) – temp increase, density decrease – humidity or altitude increase means density decrease
The denser the air, the (lower/higher) the density altitude – b/c air is (denser/less dense) at lower altitudes
The denser the air, the (lower) the density altitude – b/c air is (denser) at lower altitudes
Low Pressure systems are associated with (good/bad) weather and (stable/unstable air – What about high pressure systems?
Low pressure systems are associated with bad weather and unstable air — High pressure systems are associated with good weather and stable air
How is atmosphereic pressure measured?
inches of mercury – represented by Hg
