Meteorology Flashcards
(39 cards)
Tools Meteorologists use
Radar, Weather vain, weather balloon anemometer, hydrometer
Weather map review
H = high pressure L = low pressure high pressure = sun low pressure = rain
To Calculate Wind Speed
Add the amount of whole and half “feathers” the metric should be knots
Radar
Satellites measuring cloud movement
Weather Balloons
Fly into the stratosphere measures air pressure temperature and humidity
Anemometer
used to measure wind speed
3 or 4 cupped arms at equal lengths that rotate as the wind blows
wind speed = number of revolutions/second
Hydrometer
measures moisture in the air
Cirrus Clouds
This feather like clouds made of ice crystals high in the atmosphere usually mean a change in weather is coming.
Cumulus Clouds
white and puffy clouds that usually mean “good” weather
Alto Cumulus
greyish white clouds that the sun can’t get through
if you see them in the morning usually precursor to a thunderstorm
Stratus
Sheets of low grey clouds that bring light snow, rain or drizzle formed in stratosphere
Nimbo Strato
Thicker than stratus clouds and block out the sun cause steady rain
Cumulonimbus
Dark towering cloud that are also known as Thunderheads they are the only clouds that make lightning the form in the tropospere
Cold Front
Causes Large thunderstorms, large rainfall, snow and sleet caused by a cold front pushing away a warm front
Warm Front
Steady rain and sometimes snow over an area caused by a warm front covering a cold front
Stationary Front
Neither front is dominant causes extended rain caused by 2 fronts pushing against each other for a long time
Occluded Front
Strong winds and heavy precipitation formed when a warm front hits the top corner of a cold front creating cold air underneath (and creating weird bill would love these)
High Pressure System
when high winds revolve in a clockwise order cleaning out fronts
they are usually cold
direction is based on the coriolis effect
Low Pressure System
Sucks air in counter clockwise position means wet/cloudy weather
Types Of Atmospheric cells
Hadley cells, Polar cells, (will) Ferrel cells
Hadly Cell
Warm air rising from the equator than cooling Latitude +30
Polar Cell
Polar cell cold dense air sinks until it gets warmed by the earth 60 degrees N/S
Ferrel Cell
45 degrees n/s caused by friction where the air is in contract with Hadley and Polar cells
Trade Winds
the winds inside the tropics influenced by hadley travel east to west
