Exam 1 Study Flashcards
(25 cards)
Mesoscale Meteorology dominant instabities
Vertical accelerations no longer negligible, Geostrophic balance is less appropriate, Topographically forced or dynamic instability or combination
Synoptic dominant stabilities
Large scale disturbances driven solely by baroclinic instability, mid-latitude cyclones are dominant system
Meso(gamma)
-2-20km
-disturbances characterized by gravity (buoyancy) waves (stable) or deep convection (unstable)
-isolated TS
-Coriolis generally negligible
-Vertical accelerations can be large
-hydrostatic assumption no longer valid
-TS and supercells
Meso(beta)
-20-200km
-gravity (buoyancy) waves govern system evolution and propagate relative to the wind
-Coriolis begins to be more important
-shore parallel lake effect bands
-sea breeze
-convection
-squall lines
-MCC
Meso(alpha)
-200-2000km
-borderline synoptic
-quasi-Geostrophic balance becomes more appropriate
-hydrostatic assumptions becomes valid
-tropical cyclones
-fronts
A parcel is _____ if the environmental lapse rate is _____ that that of a parcel
Stable, less than
A parcel is unstable if the environmental lapse rate is _____ than that of the parcel
Greater than
How can a parcel be both statically stable and inertially stable but slant wise unstable
-parcels are stable with respect to both vertical and horizontal displacements, but parcels displaced along certain paths will accelerate away from their initial paths -> symmetric instability
-CSI occurs
-happens when the slope of potential temp lines are steeper than the slope of angular momentum lines
DALR value
9.8 C/km
Environmental lapse rate calculation
(Delta T)/(delta altitude)
What is the cause of vertical Mg lines on a vertical cross section
Indicate that Mg is constant with height -> implies that horizontal wind (u) is not changing with height, or its at least offset by f
What is the cause of horizontal Mg lines on a vertical cross section
Indicate that Mg is constant horizontally -> indicating that the Geostrophic wind is uniform along this line
What’s the cause of vertical theta e star lines on a vertical cross section
Indicate that theta e star is constant with height -> suggesting that the atmosphere is vertical with respect to slantwise convection
What’s the cause of horizontal theta e star lines on a vertical cross section chart
Indicate theta e star is constant horizontally and uniform along the line -> may indicate significant mixing in the horizontal
Distinguish between slantwise and CSI
CSI describes the requirement for instability (Saturation must be met) while slantwise is the result of CSI (actual slantwise motion that occurs when CSI is triggered)
Limitations of CSI
- the presence of CSI doesn’t guarantee instability
-saturation must be met for CSI to be released
-CSI regions usually shallow and may not result in TSs
Differentiate between sheared convection and slantwise convection
Slantwise convection is the result of the release of CSI leading to motion along a slanted path (not actually tilted) whereas sheared convection is statically stable air that is sheared by the wind (actually tilted updraft)
Condition required for csi to actually result in slantwise convection to result in slantwise convection as well as for CI to result in TS
-Saturation must be met leading to the release of CSI which then triggered slantwise convection to occur
-Saturation must be met leading to the release of CI which triggered deep moist convection in result
Ws
Varies only with T,p
W
Requires knowledge of actual moisture, -> constant
Theta
Varies only with T,p
Theta e
Varies only with T,p
Theta e star
Is a function of T,p only
What does M represent
Conserved quantity for parcel as M=u-f*deltay and is conserved
