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MET 2 Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the six cells that make up the layers of the air on earth and what are their lines of latitude

A

Polar (top and bottom 60 degrees up)
Ferrel (30 to 60 degrees north & south)
Hadley (30 degrees either side of the equator)

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2
Q

Is the air pressure higher or lower at the equator

A

Low pressure at the equator, air heated the most causing it to rise

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3
Q

What is the air pressure at 30 degrees north, high or low

A

High pressure, air cooling and sinking to the ground

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4
Q

Where the air is sinking at 30 degrees north or south what can be said about the general weather in the area

A

Clear, sunny, low rainfall. High pressure. Where many deserts found

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5
Q

Does wind move air from low to high pressure areas or high to low pressure areas

A

High to low, hence wind blowing air from where it is sinking back to the start in a circular flow. 30 degrees to the equator in Hadley cell

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6
Q

In what degree band is the ferrel cell found

A

30 to 60 degrees north and south. Between hadley and polar cells

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7
Q

In the ferrel cell on what degree bands are the high and low pressure areas

A

30 degrees high 60 degrees low

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8
Q

What is the direction of the prevailing wind in the northern ferrel cell where the UK is

A

South Westerly, westwardly wind

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9
Q

In met what are the jet streams

A

Fast westerly currents of air around 9km-16km between the cells, strongest at 60 degrees between polar & ferrel

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10
Q

When in the year are jet streams strongest and why

A

Winter, greater pressure difference between temps between polar and equator

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11
Q

What three factors combine to generate the jet stream in met

A

Temp difference
High and low pressure meeting
Natural earth rotation

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12
Q

In met generally what term is used to describe air masses from the sea, how about those from land

A

Sea - Maritime
Land - Continental

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13
Q

In met is tropical air masses stable or unstable? Why? When does it change

A

Unstable, heated from below. More stable as it gets cooled from below moving to colder areas

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14
Q

What is the arctic maritime air mass? Where is it from and what are its features

A

From artic, wet and cold bringing snow in winter

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15
Q

What is the polar continental air mass? Where is it from and what are its features

A

From central/upper Europe. Hot and dry in the summer. Cold and snowy in the winter changes with seasons

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16
Q

What is the tropical continental air mass? Where is it from and what are its features

A

From north Africa. Hot and dry in summer

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17
Q

What is the tropical maritime air mass? Where is it from and what are its features

A

From Atlantic, warm moist air bringing cloud, rain and mild weather

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18
Q

What is the returning polar maritime air mass? Where is it from and what are its features

A

From Greenland via north Atlantic. Moist, mild and unstable bringing cloud and showers

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19
Q

What is the polar maritime air mass? Where is it from and what are its features

A

From Greenland. Wet cold air bringing cold showery weather

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20
Q

What happens to the stability of polar air as it travels south

A

Becomes more unstable as it travels south as it is warmed from below

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21
Q

In met on a synoptic chart, what does the isobar connect

A

Areas of the same pressure

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22
Q

What information about the wind does a synoptic chart give

A

Direction and strength, closer the isobars the stronger the wind

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23
Q

If on a synoptic chart the isobars are close to each other what does this say about the wind

A

It is stronger than if they were further apart

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24
Q

How does the Coriolis effect impact on airflow

A

Causes it to deflect in a circular movement around the globe

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25
In met if a weather system is described as an anticyclone, what can be said about the pressure and wind
It is high. Light clockwise wind inhibiting cloud. UK winter cold Siberia wind, warm in summer
26
In met, what is a ridge and what can be said about the weather it brings
Elongated area of high pressure from the centre of the high pressure bringing fine stable weather
27
In met if a weather system is described as a depression, what can be said about the pressure and wind
Low pressure, rising air condensing clouds often bringing cloudy, wet & windy weather
28
In met, what is a trough and what can be said about the weather it brings
Elongated area of low pressure from the centre of the low pressure causing low cloud, rain & wind
29
On a synoptic chart in met, how can a trough be identified
Thick black lines
30
What is buys ballots law in met and how is it useful for finding wind information
In the northern hemisphere if someone has their back to the wind the low pressure is to their left. On a chart find the low pressure area, put it to your left and the wind is hitting your back
31
What are the three types of weather fronts in met
Warm Cold Occluded
32
On a chart in met, how is a warm front shown
Red semi-circles indicating the direction of the front
33
In Met, how does a warm front form
Warm air hitting cold air forcing it to move up and expand and cool. Hence forming steady rain
34
What are the meteorological features of an advancing warm front
Pressure: Falling Temperature: Steady Visibility: Falling Wind direction: Veers (clockwise) Wind force: Steady Precipitation: Light, increasing to moderate
35
What are the meteorological features of an passing warm front
Pressure: Steady Temperature: Rises Visibility: Poor. Maybe mist/fog Wind direction: Steady Wind force: Increasing Precipitation: Rain stops, maybe passing drizzle
36
What are the meteorological features of an rear warm front
Pressure: Steady Temperature: Steady Visibility: Moderate to poor Wind direction: Steady Wind force: Steady Precipitation: Intermittent rain
37
On a chart in met, how is a cold front shown
Blue triangles indicating direction of front
38
In met, how does a cold front form
Warm air ahead being replaced with cooler air behind. Heavier cool air pushing up. Possible thunder
39
Does a warm front or a cold front bring more rain
Cold front
40
What are the meteorological features of an advancing cold front
Pressure: Steady Temperature: Steady Visibility: Moderate to poor Wind direction: Steady Wind force: Steady/squally Precipitation: Light, increasing to heavy
41
What are the meteorological features of an passing cold front
Pressure: Rising Temperature: Falls Visibility: Poor, mist/fog possible Wind direction: Veers (in northern hem moving clockwise) Wind force: Increase Precipitation: Heavy, pos thunder
42
What are the meteorological features of a rear cold front
Pressure: Rising Temperature: Steady Visibility: Mod to poor Wind direction: Steady Wind force: Decrease Precipitation: Showers
43
In met the gap between the warm and front is referred to as what, what is the weather typically
Warm sector, clear and dry
44
On a weather chart, what is an occluded front and what does it look like
When a cold front catches a warm front, purple triangle and circles
45
How fast does a typical cold front move, how about a warm front
Cold 40-50mph Warm 20-30mph
46
What is steeper, a cold front or a warm front in met
Cold, hence travels quicker
47
In broad terms in met what are mesoscale systems
Meteorological phenomena like wind circulations and clouds. From several km to several hundred, can last for hours
48
In mesoscale systems, what are mountain waves
Generally in stable air, mountain forces air up where it cools and sinks trying to return to original level. Can generate rotors
49
In mesoscale systems, what are Föhn winds
Humid air hitting a mountain, going uphill releasing precipitation and warm air descends down the other side
50
In mesoscale systems, what are anabatic winds
Sun warms mountains more than the valley so mountain air rises and valley wind drawn in to replace it. Seen in calm clear weather
51
In mesoscale systems, what are katabatic winds
At night mountain slopes cool more quickly than the valley so dense air descends into the valley. Seen in calm clear weather
52
In met, in the day is a sea breeze or land breeze more likely to occur
Sea breeze, land warmed more than the sea reducing pressure so sea air flows to replace it. Sea breeze stronger than land
53
In met, at night is a sea breeze or land breeze more likely to occur
Land breeze, land cools quicker than the sea so air sinks over sea pushing the air to land
54
What weather elements of a thunderstorm present themselves as a hazard to aircraft
Heavy rain, hail, strong wind, lightning, turbulence
55
What three key ingredients are needed to form a thunderstorm
Unstable air, warm air below cool Moisture, allows clouds to form Lift, warm air rising and/or two fronts meeting and/or forced up by mountain
56
In a thunderstorm what is happening to the moisture in the air that causes lightning
Rapid rise from updrafts cooled by falling cold air. Hail develops, colliding with smaller ice as it falls. Hail negative at bottom, ice positive at the top. Lightning balancing difference
57
In met what is a squall line
Line of violent wind and thunderstorms at the leading edge of cold front. Can be 60 miles wide
58
What negative elements of the mesoscale systems impact aviation
Cumulonimbus clouds, turbulence, icing, heavy precipitation & wind
59
What is the impact of mesoscale systems on ATC like a cumulonimbus cloud
Traffic flow changes as aircraft try to avoid it, new conflict points, past traffic routes no longer happening Reduced airspace capacity More coordinating with adjacent sectors More RT Diversions Fatigue
60
In met what is a gust lasting longer than a minute
Squall
61
What direction is a veering wind rotating in
Clockwise
62
What direction is a backing wind rotating in
Anti-clockwise
63
What is the direction of a northerly wind
North to south
64
What is the direction of a westerly wind
West to east
65
In met what is a thermal wind
Two air masses of differing temperatures meeting so warm air moves to cooler air as warm air is higher pressure
66
What direction is the wind deflected by the Coriolis effect in the northern hemisphere
Right
67
How can the jet stream be defined
Narrow rapid parcel of air, just below tropopause. Type of thermal air where polar and sub-tropical air meet. West to east. Impacted by Coriolis
68
What are three elements that can cause turbulence
Convective clouds (Cumulus & cumulonimbus) Geographical features (mountains & cliffs) Temperature inversions (Temp temporarily increases with height)
69
What is clear air turbulence
Sudden and severe turbulence in cloudless regions. Hard to predict. Normally near jet stream or within 20 miles of thunderstorm or disturbed air above terrain
70
How can surface wind be defined at an aerodrome
Relative to magnetic north of runway. 2min average taken 10m above above the ground so buildings/terrain influence is mitigated
71
In met what is an upper wind forecast
Prediction of wind direction and velocity at specific locations and altitudes to discern optimal routes particularly for Trans-Atlantic traffic
72
What instrument measures wind speed and direction
Anemometer
73
In met, what is wind seeking to do
Balance areas of high and low pressure through flows of gasses
74
What is the main driver of global air circulation
Solar heating
75
Where does a pressure gradient force exist in met
In areas where high and low pressure are present. Air moves from high to low pressure with that movement known as the pressure gradient force
76
What two factors determine the size of the pressure gradient force in met
The size of the pressure difference and the distance between the two areas
77
If in met on a chart the gaps between isobars are small what does this suggest regarding the pressure gradient force and wind strength
Higher pressure gradient force and strong wind. each line typically shows a 4hPa difference
78
In met what direction does wind typically blow in relation to the isobars
Around parallel with isobars, logically would be perpendicular but Coriolis bends it parallel
79
In the northern hemisphere, what direction is wind going from areas of high pressure to low pressure
Clockwise as it moves away from the high pressure area
80
In the northern hemisphere, what direction is wind going from areas of low pressure at the centre to higher pressure on the edge
Anticlockwise as the high pressure moves in to fill the low pressure area
81
In met what are geostrophic winds
Deducing the direction and strength of wind from a synoptic chart. Large arrows, more wind showing direction.
82
In met, at what altitude do geostrophic winds deduced from a chart become more accurate
Above 3000ft
83
In met, what three factors affect the accuracy of geostrophic winds deduced from a chart
Assumes minimal surface friction from terrain Pressure remains consistent over prolonged period Isobars are straight and parallel, geostrophic wind more likely to be accurate
84
In met when wind is below 3000ft, what impact does the surface and obstacles have
Slows down the wind and turns it 10-30 degrees left as Coriolis effect reduces

Met (3 decks)

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