Met Jail Flashcards
Thermal Depression
Strong surface heating, leads to convergence and rising, resulting in reduction in pressure
Four requirements for a TS
Unstable atmosphere through deep layer
Adequate supply of moisture low levels
Trigger that causes air to rise
Mechanism to provide electrical discharge
Series of winds in microburst
Increasing head wind
Downdraught exceeding a/c climb ability
Increasing tail wind >50kts
Tornado
Low level windshear causes rotation
Updraughts pull rotation vertical
High velocity reduces pressure
Air condenses
(300km/h +)
Warm advection = W
Warm air moving to colder regions
mT mass moving to NZ
temp decrease, moisture increase
ELR reduced (stable)
cools to saturation (cloud/fog/mist)
Northern regions and upper SI
Cold advection = K
Cold air moving to warmer regions
mP mass moving to NZ
temp increase, moisture increase
ELR increased (instability)
Cu/Cb type cloud
cold, moist, southerlies (showers)
General southwesterlies
West Coast most affected
Polar depression
comma shaped
very intense in nature
mainly cb
usually marked as cold front but temp differential nil
Function of CO2
Heats atmosphere by absorbing TR emitted by the earth
Function of ozone
Absorbs UV from the sun, heat from reaction increases temp in stratosphere from -56.6 to 0 deg
Function of aerosols
Building blocks for cloud and thus precipitation too
Function of water vapour
Gaseous state of water in atmosphere, changes state by releasing latent heat and thus either stabilising or destabilising the atmosphere
Tropopause height equator
Much higher as less dense warm air (60,000’). Temperature at top much colder.
Tropopause height poles
Much lower as cold dense air (30,000’). Temperature at top much warmer.
Cause of tropopause height difference
Solar input (insolation)
Angle of the sun more concentrated at the equator thus increased solar energy.
Rate of change of pressure lapse rate depends on
Temperature of air
