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Climate Risk Management > Exam 2 > Flashcards

Exam 2 Flashcards

1
Q

Definition

Evaporation

A

Process by which water molecules break free from liquid surface
(latent heat of fusion)

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2
Q

Definition

Latent Heat

A

Enery required to be absorbed/released to change a substance from one phase (form) to another
*without changing temperature!!

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3
Q

Definition

Condensation

A

Process by which water molecules collide with liquid surface and bond to the liquid surface (latent heat of vaporization)

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4
Q

Definition

Sublimation

A

Process of converting a solid directly to a gas without going through the liquid state

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5
Q

Examples of Sublimation

A

Snow sublimates directly into water vapor

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6
Q

Definition

Deposition

A

Process of converting a gas directly to a solid without going through the liquid state

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7
Q

Example of Deposition

A

Frost on your windshield

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8
Q

Definition

Vapor Pressure

A

Partical pressure of water vapor in the air (Pascals)

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9
Q

Definition

Saturated Vapor Pressure

A

Vapor pressure the atmosphere would have if it were saturated
(temperature dependent)

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10
Q

Definition

Actual Vapor Pressure

A

Vapor pressure the atmosphere actually has

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11
Q

Definition

Saturation*

A

Occurs when rate of evaporation = rate of condensation
(very highly dependent on temperature)

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12
Q

Definition

Dew Point (Td)

A

Temperature at which the air is saturated

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13
Q

How to change the dew point temperature and vapor pressure

A

Change the amount of water vapor in the air

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14
Q

Definition

Air Parcel

A

A body of air that has specific temperature and humidity characteristics

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15
Q

Definition

Adiabatic Process

A

No exchange of heat or matter between air parcel and its surrounding environment

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16
Q

Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate

A

Occurs in a unsaturated rising or sinking that is being forced up or down
- Consists of positive or negative buoyancy

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17
Q

Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate (DALR)

A

-10 C

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18
Q

Moist Adiabatic Lapse Rate

A

Air parcel is being forced to rise -> its buoyant
- Soon as an air parcel cools it’s dew point, condensation occurs, releasing latent heat

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19
Q

Average MALR

A

-5 C

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20
Q

Definition

Environmental Lapse Rate

A

Actual change in temperature you would experience as you rise through the atmosphere

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21
Q

Definition

Dew Point Lapse Rate

A

Rate at which dew point temperature changes with elevation is a complicated function of the moisture content of the rising air parcel

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22
Q

Average Dew Point Lapse Rate

A

-2 C

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23
Q

Definition

Speed Convergence

A

Occurs when faster moving air slows down (deceleration)

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24
Q

Speed Divergence

A

Occurs when slower moving air speeds up
(acceleration)

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25
Q

Definition

Directional Convergence

A

Occurs when isobars get closer together

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26
Q

Definition

Directional Divergence

A

Occurs when isobars get further apart

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27
Q

Definition

Fronts

A

A boundary separating air masses of different densities, one warmer and often more humid than the other

28
Q

Definition

Frontogenesis
(general terms)

A

The change iin the magnitude and orientation of the temperature gradient at a level or in a layer (eg. surface, 850-700mb, etc) due to directional and speed changes in the wind field

29
Q

Definition

Frontogenesis
(Specific Terms)

A

To an increase in the horizontal thermal gradient with time

30
Q

What causes Frontogenesis

A

The geometry of the horizontal flow has a strong influence on frontogenesis in most situations

31
Q

Definition

Lifting Condensation Level

A

Altitude at which water vapor in a rising air parcel will beign to condense

32
Q

Definition

Stability

A

Tendency of air parcel to remain in place or to change vertical position by rising or descending

33
Q

Defintion

Stable

A

If parcel is colder than surroundings, its more dense and will resist displacement upwards

34
Q

Definition

Unstable

A

If parcel is warmer than surroundings, its less dense and will rise and move away from its original position

35
Q

Definition

Convection

A

Unequal heating causes pockets (parcels) of air to rise

36
Q

Definition

Orographic

A

Air forced up and over mountains

37
Q

Definition

Convergence

A

“Piling up” of horizontally-moving air
(leads to rising air motion)

38
Q

Definition

Warm Front
(Frontal)

A

Lower density of warm air mass replacing cold air mass forces warm air over cold air, causing condensation and precipitation

39
Q

Definition

Cold Front
(Frontal)

A

Higher density of cold air mass replacing warm air mass forces cold air under warm air, causing condensation and precipitation

40
Q

Cloud Formation

Cloud Condensation Nuclei

A
  • Very Small Particles
  • Les than one-trillionth of a gram
  • Microscopic dust, smoke, salt particles
  • NEEDED for cloud formation
41
Q

Cloud Formation

Hydroscopic Nuclei

A

Water Seeking
- Most effective sites for condensation
- Water droplets can form < 100% relative humidity
- Eg. Salts

42
Q

Cloud Formation

Hydrophobic Nuclei

A

Water Repelling
- Water droplets won’t form until 100% humidity

43
Q

Fog

A

A cloud with its base at or very near the ground

44
Q

When is Fog reported?

A

When visibility is reduced to 1km or less

45
Q

Fog Types Formed by Cooling

Radiation Fog

A

Results from nighttime radiative cooling of the ground and adjacent air
- Requires clear skies and fairly high relative humidity

46
Q

Fog from Moving & Cooling

Advection Fog

A

When air in one place migrates to another place where conditions are right for saturation
- Warm moist air moves over a cold surface

47
Q

Fog from Moving & Cooling

Upslope Fog

A

When relatively humid air move up a sloping plain or mountain slope and cools to saturation

48
Q

Fog from Adding Water Vapor

Evaporation/Steam Fog

A

Evaporation from water to air
- “Seeing your breath” caused by this process

49
Q

Fog from Adding Water Vapor

Frontal Fog
(warm front)

A

Rain evaporates in colder air thats already near the dew point and fog is produced

50
Q

How are clouds classified

A

Form and height

51
Q

Basic Forms of Clouds

A
  • Cirroform
  • Stratiform
  • Cumuliform
52
Q

Basic Cloud Types

High Clouds

A
  • Cirrus
  • Cirrostratus
  • Cirrocumulus
53
Q

Basic Cloud Types

Low Clouds

A
  • Stratus
  • Stratocumulus
  • Nimbostratus
54
Q

Basic Cloud Types

Middle Clouds

A
  • Altostratus
  • Altocumulus
55
Q

Basic Cloud Types

Vertically Developed

A
  • Cumulus
  • Cumulonimbus
56
Q

Cirrus (Ci)

A
  • High, thin, wispy clouds
  • Take a large variety of forms
  • Can indicate everything from fair weather to a coming low pressure system
  • Often occur above other cloud types
  • Composed entirely of ice
57
Q

Cirrostratus (Cs)

A
  • High, thin clouds
  • Form a relatively extensive, consistent layer
  • Often indicative of a coming low pressure (especially snow, in winter)
  • Can occur above other clou types
58
Q

How are Cirrostratus clouds different from Cirrus clouds

A

Form a relatively extensive, consistent layer

59
Q

Cirrocumulus (Cc)

A
  • High, small, billowy clouds
  • Rarely cover entire sky
  • Indicative of instability and/or wind shear at high levels (coming low pressure)
  • Often occur in parallel rows
60
Q

Altostratus (As)

A
  • Mid-level, often composed of liquid drops
  • Extensive, consistent coverage
  • Often occur ahead of nimbostratus (rain,snow)
  • Dreary Day
61
Q

Altocumulus (Ac)

A
  • Mid-level, billowy clouds
  • Can be extensive in coverage
  • Wide range of appearances (random to organized, thin to thick)
  • Often occur ahead of rain or snow and can be indicative of instability and a chance for thunderstorms in warmer weather
62
Q

Stratus (St)

A
  • Low, greyish, dreary clouds
  • “Fog” that occurs above ground level
  • Can produce drizzle
  • Often “burn off” during morning
  • Often develop when high humidity present at lower layers during night
63
Q

Nimbostratus (Ns)

A
  • Rainy or snowy day cloud type
  • Extensive coverage, low base
  • Layered, have range of thicknesses
  • Often not visible due to precipitation
  • Often form due to large scale lift
64
Q

Cumulus (Cu)

A
  • “Fair Weather Cumulus”
  • Scattered, puffy clouds
  • Indicates shallow instability and convection occuring (single, small air particles)
  • Dissipate when air parcel stops rising
  • Shallowo regions of air sinking occur in between clouds
65
Q

Cumulus Congestus

A
  • Extensive vertical development
  • Low base
  • Indicates deeper convection occuring
  • May become a cumulonimbus (thunderstorm)
  • Air parcel has become an “updraft”
66
Q

Cumulonimbus (Cb)

A
  • Thunderstorm, severe weather
  • Low bases to as high as 70,000 feet
  • Updraft can extend several kilometers into stratosphere (“overshooting top”)
  • Liquid at low levels to ice at high levels
  • Anvil at tropopause
  • Can be isolated to extensive coverage
67
Q

Whats a typical cloud droplet size

A

Very Small
(20 μm)

Climate Risk Management (6 decks)

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