Ch 4

Question 1

_____ clouds _____ more longwave/infrared energy than _____ clouds

Answer 1

Warm, emit, cold

Question 2

Temperature _________ with height in the __________

Answer 2

Decreases, troposphere

This can give us information on cloud height

Question 3

Geostationary, polar orbiting

Visible light provides a black and white picture of clouds

Infrared approximates cloud temperature which infers height

Satellites measure many other variables: sea surface temperatures, ozone, upper level features, snow cover, land cover

Answer 3

Satellite observations

Question 4

First new official cloud in 30 years!

Answer 4

ASPERITAS

proves that air (atmosphere?) is a fluid

Question 5

The cloud that is created by jets, when H2O is released to form a cloud while cold

Answer 5

Contrails

Question 6

Caused by mountain waves, pilots should be wary of them

Answer 6

Altocumulus lenticularis (lens-like)
AKA LENTICULAR CLOUDS

Question 7

How do we know it will rain in the tropics?

Answer 7

The clouds build up fast like 1, 2, 3
Huge indicator for rain

Question 8

Underside of an anvil, means there is a thunderstorm nearby

Answer 8

Mammatus

Question 9

Which cloud sometimes spawn tornadoes?

Answer 9

Cumulonimbus clouds

Question 10

Which pair of clouds look like one has a hat?

Answer 10

Cumulonimbus with PILEUS cap

Question 11

Cumulonimbus clouds have an _____ because temperature changes at the stratosphere

Answer 11

Anvil

Question 12

Puffy “cotton”

Flat base, rounded top

More space between cloud elements than stratocumulus

Answer 12

Cumulus

Question 13

Thunderstorm cloud

Very tall, often reaching tropopause

Individual or grouped

Large energy release from water vapor condensation

Answer 13

Cumulonimbus

Question 14

Cloud streets

Answer 14

Stratus undulatus (Stratocumulus)

Question 15

Scud

Answer 15

Stratus fractus

Question 16

Uniform, gray

Resembles fog that does not reach the ground

Usually no precipitation, but light mist/drizzle possible

Answer 16

Stratus

Question 17

Low lumpy clouds

Breaks (usually) between cloud elements

Lower base and larger elements than altostratus

Answer 17

Stratocumulus

Question 18

Dark gray

Continuous light to moderate rain or snow

Evaporating rain below can form stratus fractus

Answer 18

Nimbostratus

Question 19

<1 km thick

Mostly water drops

Gray, puffy

Differences from cirrocumulus- larger puffs, more dark/light contrast

Answer 19

Altocumulus

Cumulus-heap
Alto- high

Question 20

Gray, blue-gray

Often covers entire sky

Sun or moon may show through dimly- usually no shadows

Answer 20

Altostratus

Question 21

_____ gives wispy appearance to all ____ clouds

Answer 21

Ice, cirr

Question 22

Looks like a drawing

Less common than cirrus

Small, rounded white puffs individually or in long rows (fish scales; mackerel sky)

Answer 22

Cirrocumulus

Question 23

High clouds

Answer 23

White in day; red/orange/yellow at sunrise and sunset

Made of ice crystals

Question 24

Thin and wispy

Moves west to east

Indicate fair weather

“Mares’ tails”

Answer 24

Cirrus

Question 25

Thin and sheetlike Sun and moon clearly visible through them Halo common Often precede precipitation

Answer 25

Cirrostratus

Question 26

Almost _____ weather happens in the ________

Answer 26

All, troposphere

Question 27

High clouds- generally above 16,000 ft at middle latitudes

Answer 27

Cirrus, cirrostratus, cirrocumulus- often made of ice

Question 28

Middle clouds- 7,000-23,000ft

Answer 28

Altostratus, altocumulus

Question 29

Low clouds- below 7,000ft

Answer 29

Stratus, stratocumulus, nimbostratus

Question 30

Vertically developed clouds

Answer 30

Cumulus, cumulonimbus

Question 31

_____ (Latin for “layer”) _____ (Latin for “heap”) _____ (Latin for “curl of hair”) _____ (Latin for “rain”) _____ (high)

Answer 31

Stratus Cumulus Cirrus Nimbus Altus

Question 32

Warm moist surface provides enough moisture to saturate a dry air parcel; short lived Steam fog, breath in winter

Answer 32

Evaporation/ mixing fog

Question 33

Moist air flows up an orographic barrier East side of the Rockies. As it is forced upward the air expands and cools

Answer 33

Upslope Fog

Question 34

Warm moist air moves horizontally (advects) over a cool surface Summer fog on the Pacific coast, often associated with the need for wind….after all the air has to move over the water in some manner, important source of moisture for plants along the pacific coast

Answer 34

Advection Fog

Question 35

Ground cools through conduction and radiation Can be called ground fog, forms best with shallow moist layer at ground level, needs calm winds but a tiny amount is fine, saturation must be maintained

Answer 35

Radiation fog

Question 36

If _______ is reached, ________ forms a cloud near the ground- AKA FOG

Answer 36

Saturation, condensation

Question 37

Dry condensation nuclei (above dew point) reflect and scatter sunlight creating bluish haze Wet condensation nuclei (75% relative humidity) reflect and scatter sunlight creating grayish or white haze

Answer 37

Haze

Question 38

Frost

Answer 38

If it cools to the dew point, and that dew point is below freezing (0C or 32F)

Question 39

Highest _______ is absolute ______ Highest __ is absolute ________

Answer 39

Dewpoint, moisture RH, saturation

Question 40

The wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT)

Answer 40

A measure of the heat stress in direct sunlight, which takes into account: temperature, humidity, wind speed, sun angle and cloud cover (solar radiation) Takes into account that we feel warmer in more intense sunlight and when humidity is higher

Question 41

Heat index

Answer 41

Factors in both temperature and humidity

Question 42

Dew point temperature

Answer 42

An absolute measure Good measure of actual water vapor content Indicates temperature you have to cool the air to get to saturation If the temperature is 80 and the dew point is 60 you would have to cool the air 20 to have it be saturated When the air temperature is the same as the dewpoint, there is saturation (100% RH)

Question 43

RH- ____ of WV and ______

Answer 43

Function, temperature

Question 44

Temperature went up, but the dewpoint did not change. What happened to my RH?

Answer 44

It went down, RH is inverse from temperature

Question 45

Which of the following depend on temp ALONE?

Answer 45

Saturation vapor pressure of air (amount of WV need to saturate), amount of radiation emitted by a substance, peak wavelength of radiation emitted by a substance - wavelength max= constant/temperature

Question 46

Relative humidity

Answer 46

Actual water vapor/ saturation water vapor)*100

Question 47

Absolute measures

Answer 47

Describe the actual amount of moisture in the air Ex. Absolute humidity, dewpoint temperature (the higher, the more water vapor), specific humidity, mixing ratio

Question 48

Relative humidity

Answer 48

Compares the amount of moisture in the air with the amount needed for saturation

Question 49

Relative scale

Answer 49

Tells you the value of something compared to some reference point Ex. Fahrenheit and Celsius temperature scales, modern western way of denoting years

Question 50

Absolute scale

Answer 50

Tells you the value of something in its entirety….it is one directional and begins at a natural minimum Ex. Kelvin temperature scale, time since the universe began

Question 51

More out= more ___ More molecules= more ____

Answer 51

Water, weight

Question 52

_______ depends on temperature!

Answer 52

Saturation

Question 53

The maximum amount of water vapor that can be in the air is a function of temperature The hotter it is, the greater amount of moisture that can be in the air…makes room for it

Answer 53

Usually the air near the ground is not saturated If the maximum amount of water vapor is actually in the air, the air is saturated