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Earth Science > Exam 2 > Flashcards

Exam 2 Flashcards

1
Q

Humidity

A

Measured with a hygrometer

-Refers to amount of water vapor in the air

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2
Q

Indices

A
  • Mixing Ratio
  • Relative Humidity
  • Dew Point
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3
Q

Mixing ratio

A 
r=mass of water vapor/mass of dry air
What is it measuring? 
ACTUAL moisture content
 How is it expressed? 
g/kg-r
 How does it vary (if at all) throughout the day? 
Doesn't change much
 See in-class exercise 8
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4
Q

Relative Humidity

A

What is it measuring?
-Relative amount of water vapor in the atmosphere compared to the maximum possible at the current temperature and pressure
 How is it expressed?
-As a percent
-RH=r/rs
 How does it vary (if at all) throughout the day?
-Highest in the morning just before sunrise
-Lowest in the mid-afternoon
-changes throughout the day with temperature
 See in-class exercise 8

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5
Q

Dew Point

A

What is it measuring?
The temperature at which air mist be cooled to be saturated and produce condensation further it cools-produces condensation. ACTUAL moisture content
 How is it expressed?
-celsius
 How does it vary (if at all) throughout the day?
-stable unless you add or subtract moisture
 See in-class exercise 8

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6
Q

Types of Condensation

A
  • Dew
  • Frost
  • Haze
  • Fog
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7
Q

radiation fog forms better on cool nights

A

yes

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8
Q

Relative Humidity

A

What is it measuring?
 How is it expressed?
 How does it vary (if at all) throughout the day?
 See in-class exercise 8

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9
Q

Dew Point

A

o Condensation

o Dew point temperature

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10
Q

Fog

A

o Radiation fog (ground fog)

o Advection fog

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11
Q

Radiation fog (ground fog)

A

 Forms best on clear nights with light winds (Why?)

 The most common type of fog in Ohio!

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12
Q

Advection fog

A

 San Francisco

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13
Q

Cloud Types

A

o Heights o Shape types o Special feature
o Mix and match height, shape, and special feature to get the 10 cloud types
 Note the extra information with many of these cloud types, such as
presence of a halo, etc.

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14
Q

Cloud Types

A

o Heights o Shape types o Special feature
o Mix and match height, shape, and special feature to get the 10 cloud types
 Note the extra information with many of these cloud types, such as
presence of a halo, etc.

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15
Q

Diabatic vs. Adiabatic Process

A

 What’s the difference between them?

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16
Q

Lapse Rates

A

-the rate at which air temperature falls with increasing altitude.
Calculate a lapse rate
 DALR = 10 degrees C per 1000 m

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17
Q

Mountain problem and lifting mechanisms

A

Mountain problem (lapse rates, LCL, mixing ratios, dew point, RH, rainshadow)

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18
Q

Measuring precipitation

A

General – instruments, etc.

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19
Q

Lapse Rates

A

 How to calculate a lapse rate

 DALR = 10 degrees C per 1000 m

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20
Q

Measuring snow

A

Calculate equivalent amounts of precipitation and snow (general 1:10 ratio)

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21
Q

Hydrologic Clycle

A

Describes circulation of earth’s water supply

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22
Q

Saturation

A
  • Saturation: maximum amount of water that can exist in the atmosphere as a vapor
  • @ Saturation, rate of evaporation=rate of condensation
  • Point of saturation increases with increasing temperature
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23
Q

Saturation Mixing Ratio

A
  • rs
  • POTENTIAL moisture content
  • g/kg
  • mixing ratio that would exist if the air were saturated
  • rs=mass of water, mass of dry air
  • Increases throughout the day
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24
Q

3 Ways to make air saturated

A
  • add water vapor- RH to 100%
  • cool air to dew point- RH to 100%
  • mix warm and cool air- RH
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25
Q

Dew

A 
o Condensation
drops of water on objects
likely on clear night w/ no wind
o Dew point temperature
temp drops to dew point
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26
Q

Frost

A

o Deposition
temp drops to dew point
o Frost point temperature
humidity in atmosphere->solid

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27
Q

Haze

A

Tiny water droplets condense on hygrocopic nuclei
Warm environments
o Hygroscopic nuclei

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28
Q

Fog

A 
o Radiation fog (ground fog)
o Advection fog
o Upslope fog 
o Precipitation fog 
o Steam fog
o Valley fog
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29
Q

o Radiation fog (ground fog)

A

Clear nights with light winds
Most common
Dissipates after a few hours

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30
Q

o Advection fog

A

Develops when warm, moist air moves horizontally over cooler surface
San Francisco

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31
Q

o Upslope fog

A

Air is forced upward (convection)

Moves upward and gets cold

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32
Q

o Precipitation fog

A

Puddles evaporate into already saturated air

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33
Q

o Steam fog

A

Most likely in fall, cold nights, warm lakes

34
Q

o Valley fog

A

Forms in mountain alleys

35
Q

High Clouds

A
  • Cirrus
  • Cirrostratus
  • Cirrocumulus
36
Q

Mid Clouds

A
  • Altostratus
  • Altocumulus
  • Nimbostratus
37
Q

Low Clouds

A
  • Cumulus
  • Stratocumulus
  • Stratus
  • Cumulonimbus
38
Q

Cirrus

A

Ci

Feathery, thin, wispy

39
Q

Cirrostratus

A

Cs
Halo around sun and moon
Thin veil of clouds
Indicates precipitation in the future

40
Q

Cirrocumulus

A

CC
Small puffy clouds
makrel sky

41
Q

Altostratus

A 
-As
covers all of sky
sun is white disk/watery appearance
can't see moon
precipitation is approaching
42
Q

Altocumulus

A

Ac

puffy cloud

43
Q

Stratus

A

St

Big grey blanket

44
Q

Nimbostratus

A

Ns

stratus with precipitation (snow, sleet, rain)

45
Q

Stratocumulus

A

Sc

Extensive cloud with round features, common in cold fronts

46
Q

Cumulus

A

Cu

47
Q

Cumulus Humilis

A

fair weather, puffy

48
Q

Cumulus Congestus

A

Pre-T Storm

Upward development

49
Q

Specialty Clouds

A

Lenticular
Contrail
Mammatus
Rotor

50
Q

Lenticular

A

stationary near/ over mountains

air moves over mountain and cools to dew point, saturated

51
Q

Contrail

A

warm must set air with cool air

52
Q

Mammatus

A

Roundedness, turbulence in atmosphere

53
Q

Rotor

A

Upward draft near downward draft swirly swirly tstorm

cloud street, rows of saturated and unsaturated clouds

54
Q

Visible Satellite

A

Takes picture of the earth
Daylight
More easily identifies low and middle level clouds than high ones

55
Q

Infared Satellite

A

24 hours a day

More easily identifies with high clouds rather than middle and low

56
Q

Why don’t clouds fall out of the sky

A

Air sinks as it warms

57
Q

Diabatic vs. Adiabatic processes

A

Know the difference

58
Q

Diabatic Process

A

Energy is added or removed from a system

Temperature is changed by adding/removing heat

59
Q

Adiabatic Process

A

Temperature changed w/out addition or removal of heat
Temp change cause by changes in volume or pressure
Air parcel- Volume of air

60
Q

Calculate a lapse rate

A

Look at work sheet
Change in temperature divided by change in heat
Temperature decreases with height, positive rate
Temperature inversions have a negative lapse rate
DALR = 10 degrees C per 1000 m

61
Q

How are the DALR and SALR different? Which is greater? Why?

A

DALR: Rate at which a rising parcel of unsaturated air cools at a constant 10c/1000m
If the unsaturated air is moving downward, it will warm at the same rate

SALR:
Rate at which rising parcel of saturated air cools
Saturated air moving downward will warm at the same rate

DALR is bigger because the release of latent heat of condensation. Release of latent heat offsets cooling of DALR

62
Q

What does ELR measure?

A

Vertical change in temperature throgh still air
Cools with height
Varies by time of day

63
Q

Stability

A

Describes air’s susceptibility to uplift

64
Q

Stable

A

DALR>SALR>ELR
Sinking air bc air is cooler and more dense than environment
cool bottom or warm top of air to cool

65
Q

Unstable

A

ELR>DALR>SALR

Air parcel is warmer than environment at any hight and will tend to rise

66
Q

Conditionally Unstable

A

DALR>ELR>SALR
Air parcel is cooler than environment at any hight and will tend to sink
Saturated would be warmer and rise

67
Q

Lifting mechanisms

A

Orographic lifting
Frontal lifting
Convergence
Convection

68
Q

Frontal lifting

A

One air mass if forced over/pushed by another
air mass-large body of air having little horizontal variation
Warm front brings moist air
Cool front brings dry air

69
Q

Convergence

A

Air moves toward some central location and is forced up

70
Q

Convection

A

Lifting that results from air’s buoyancy

lifted parcel is warmer and/or more moist than surroundings

71
Q

Orographic lifting

A

Air is forced over a mountain barrier

Rainshadow effect: leeward side of a mountain range will be warmer and drier than the windward side

72
Q

Condensation Nuclei

A

Any erosol on which water condenses

73
Q

Hygroscopic nuclei

A

Water attracting aerosols that follow formation of water droplets at relative humidities below 100%
Haze

74
Q

Collision Coalescence

A

Temperatures warmer than 0C

Cloud droplets collide and combine into larger droplets

75
Q

Bergeron Process

A

Temperatures below 0C

High and middle latitude locations

76
Q

What are the precipitation types?

A

Rain, sleet, snow, freezing rain, hail

77
Q

Temperature Profiles

A

know that

78
Q

Lake effect snow

A

Cold dry air from Canada is modified as it moves over the Great Lakes
Cooled and uplifted when it finds land
late fall/early winter

79
Q

Snowfall distribution across US (latitude, elevation, land vs. water, ocean current)

A

idk

80
Q

What separates a blizzard from a “regular“ snow storm?

A

blizzard 3+ hours of conditions

doesn;t need to be snowing

81
Q

nimbus

A

precip

82
Q

calculate equivalent amounts of precipitation and snow (general 1:10 ratio)

A

use it

Earth Science (3 decks)

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