Clouds And Types Of Rainfall Flashcards
(51 cards)
What are Low Pressure Systems also known as?
Depressions / Cyclones
Low pressure systems are associated with cloudy and rainy weather.
What are High Pressure Systems also referred to as?
Anti-depressions / Anti-cyclones
High pressure systems typically bring clear skies and stable weather.
What are the two forms of water in the atmosphere mentioned?
Dew & Frost
Dew forms when air cools and moisture condenses, while frost occurs when temperatures drop below freezing.
What is the difference between Weather and Climate?
Weather refers to short-term atmospheric conditions, while Climate refers to long-term average conditions
Understanding the distinction is crucial in climatology.
What are the methods of measuring Temperature?
Max-min thermometer
This instrument records the highest and lowest temperatures over a given period.
What device is used to measure Humidity?
Wet-and-dry bulb thermometer
This device uses two thermometers to measure the moisture content in the air.
What instrument measures Air Pressure?
Barometer
Barometers are essential for weather forecasting.
What instrument is used to determine Wind Direction?
Wind vane
Wind vanes indicate the direction from which the wind is blowing.
What device measures Wind Speed?
Anemometer
Anemometers can measure wind speed in various units, such as kilometers per hour or miles per hour.
What is the function of a Rain Gauge?
Measures rainfall
Rain gauges collect rainwater to measure precipitation amounts.
What factors are used to measure Sunshine & Cloud Cover?
Sunshine duration and cloud cover percentage
These measurements help in understanding solar radiation and its effects on weather patterns.
What type of rainfall is caused by convection?
Convection Rainfall
This type of rainfall occurs when warm, moist air rises and cools, leading to precipitation.
What is Orographic/Relief Rainfall?
Rainfall that occurs when moist air is lifted over mountains
This lifting leads to cooling and condensation, resulting in precipitation on the windward side.
What is Frontal/Cyclonic Rainfall?
Rainfall that occurs when two air masses meet
The warm air is forced to rise over the cold air, causing precipitation.
What are clouds composed of?
Clouds are a collection of water droplets or ice crystals.
Clouds form when water vapor condenses in the atmosphere.
What happens when air starts to cool?
Water vapour starts to condense, as long as it has condensation nuclei.
Condensation nuclei are small particles in the atmosphere that facilitate the condensation process.
Why does warm air rise?
Warmer, lighter air is more buoyant than the cooler air above it, so it rises.
This buoyancy is due to the movement of gas molecules, which are more vigorous when warm.
How do gas molecules behave when they are cool?
Gas molecules are sluggish and do not take up much space.
This results in a higher density of cool air compared to warm air.
How do gas molecules behave when they are warm?
Gas molecules move vigorously and take up more space.
This increased movement reduces the density of warm air.
What are the three levels of cloud types?
- High-level clouds (5-13 km)
- Mid-level clouds (2-7 km)
- Low-level clouds (0-2 km)
Each level contains distinct types of clouds.
Name three high-level clouds.
- Cirrocumulus
- Cirrus
- Cirrostratus
High-level clouds are typically found at altitudes between 5 and 13 kilometers.
Name three mid-level clouds.
- Altocumulus
- Altostratus
- Nimbostratus
Mid-level clouds are typically found at altitudes between 2 and 7 kilometers.
Name four low-level clouds.
- Stratus
- Cumulus
- Cumulonimbus
- Stratocumulus
Low-level clouds are typically found at altitudes from 0 to 2 kilometers.
Fill in the blank: The three common types of clouds are _____, _____, and _____.
cirrus, stratus, cumulus.
These cloud types are representative of each altitude class.
