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Flashcards in Exam 2 Deck (93)
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1
Q

energy

A

the property of a system that enables it to do work

2
Q

Temperature

A

Refers to the “hotness” and “coldness” of an object or a substance

3
Q

Heat

A

form of energy transferred between objects by virtue of temperature differences

4
Q

Heat Capacity

A

Ratio of Heat absorbed, or released, by a system compared to the corresponding temperature rise/fall

5
Q

Latent Heat

A

Heat energy required for change of state

6
Q

Latent heat is absorbed up during:

A

1) Melting Ice
2) Evaporation/vaporization
3) Sublimation

7
Q

Latent heat is released down during:

A

1) Condensation
2) Deposition
3) Freezing

8
Q

thermometers

A

expansion and contraction of liquid on an indexed scale

9
Q

Maximum thermometers contain:

A

Mercury

10
Q

Minimum thermometers contain:

A

Alcohol

11
Q

Hygrothemometers

A

Used in airports

12
Q

Radiometer

A

Satellite

- remotely measure cloud top temperatures

13
Q

Bimetallic thermometer

A

thermograph application

14
Q

Guidelines for proper thermometer placement:

A

1) no direct sunlight
2) well ventilated
3) shielded from radiating surfaces
4) 5 ft. above the ground
5) above grassy/vegetated area
6) the more natural the better

15
Q

Fahrenheit scale

A

used only in US
• Freezing point: 32 F
• Boiling Point: 212 F
• Body Heat: 98.6 F

16
Q

Fahrenheit boiling point

A

212 F

17
Q

Fahrenheit freezing point

A

32 F

18
Q

Fahrenheit body heat

A

98.6 F

19
Q

Celsius Scale

A

A degree of celsius is larger than a degree of Fahrenheit by a factor of 1.8

20
Q

Celsius Boiling Point

A

100 C

21
Q

Celsius Freezing point

A

0 C

22
Q

Kelvin Scale

A

No negative numbers

- 0 means molecular motion has ceased

23
Q

Kelvin boiling Point

A

373 K

24
Q

Kelvin Freezing Point

A

273 K

25
Q

Temperature Conversion (F to C)

A

F - 32 divided by 1.8

26
Q

Temperature Conversion (C to F)

A

C * 1.8 + 32

27
Q

Means that control temperature

A

solar radiation is primary control

  • -location to location differences
    1) differential heating of land/water
    2) ocean currents
    3) elevation
    4) altitude and geographic location
28
Q

When is temperature recoded?

A

Temperature is recoded every hour at thousands of locations

- mainly used for aviation purposes

29
Q

HDD definition:

A

Heating Degree Days

30
Q

CDD definition:

A

Cooling Degree Days

31
Q

HDD/CDD are:

A

A practical method of evaluation energy demands and consumption
-cumulative (annually)

32
Q

HDD Season

A

July through june

33
Q

CDD Season

A

January though december

34
Q

Heat Stress Index two main factors

A

1) temperature

2) humidity

35
Q

Wind Chill Index two main factors

A

1) air temperature

2) wind speed

36
Q

Water Vapor

A

Most important element in the atmosphere when considering weather and climate

-highly variable from 0% to 4%

37
Q

Hydrologic Cycle

A

1) evaporation
2) condensation
3) transpiration
4) Infiltration

38
Q

Humidity definition

A

different ways of specifying the amount of water vapor in the air

39
Q

Absolute humidity

A

the weight of the water vapor per volume of air (parcel)

40
Q

Specific humidity

A

comparing weight of the water vapor per volume of air (parcel) with the total weight if the air in the parcel including the water vapor

41
Q

Mixing Ratio

A

comparing the weight of the water vapor per volume of air (parcel) with the weight of the remaining dry air

42
Q

Parcel

A

A specified volume of air

43
Q

Relative humidity ***

A

ratio of the airs actual water vapor content compared with the amount of water vapor required for saturation at a given temperature

44
Q

Dew point temperature **

A

the temperature to which a parcel of air would need to be cooled to in order for the given parcel of air to reach saturation

-tells amount of moisture in the air

45
Q

Tells the amount of moisture in the air

A

Dew Point Temperature

46
Q

How is Humidity Measured?

A

Devices including

1) dew cell
2) chilled mirror technology
3) Sling psychrometer
4) electronic hygrometers
5) infrared hygrometers
6) hair hygrometer

47
Q

dew Cell

A

directly measures the air’s actual water vapor pressure

48
Q

chilled mirror technology

A

cooling a mirrored surface and putting it in contact with a sample gas (air) until condensation occurs

49
Q

Atmospheric Stability

A

refers to a state of equilibrium of th atmosphere

50
Q

How atmospheric stability is determined:

A

look at the temperature of a parcel of air as it rises and/or sinks in the atmosphere and compare that temperature to the temperature of the surrounding environment (air outside the sample parcel)

51
Q

Adiabatic Process

A

when a given parcel of air expands/cools or compresses/ warms with NO interchange of heat with its outside environment

52
Q

diabetic Process

A

when a given parcel of air expand/ cools or contracts/warms with interchange of heat with its outside environment

53
Q

As air parcels rise or shrink in the atmosphere:

A

we assume adiabatic cooling/heating process

54
Q

Stable air:

A

resists change

55
Q

unstable air

A

once forced upwards initially, air rises

56
Q

atmospheric stablity is increased by

A

1) radiational cooling of the earths surface after sunset
2) cooling of air mass from below as it moves over a colder surface
3) subsidence of an air column

57
Q

Atmospheric instablity is enhanced by:

A

1) intense solar heating
2) heating of air mass from below as moves over a warmer surface
3) forceful lifting of air

58
Q

Dew

A

water that has condensed onto objects near the ground when the temperature of those objects has cooled below the dew point temperature of the surrounding areas

59
Q

frost

A

a covering of ice crystals produced by deposition on exposed surfaces when the air temperature falls below the freezing point and the temperature of the exposed object falls below the surrounding air’s dew point temperature

60
Q

cloud formation

A

most clouds form as air rises, expands, and cools

61
Q

cloud formation process

A

1) surface heating and free convection
2) topographic lift
3) widespread lifting (assent) due to surface convergence
4) uplift along weather fronts

62
Q

fog

A

a cloud with its base at the earths surface

63
Q

Stratus (Latin Root)

A

Layer

64
Q

Cumulus (Latin Root)

A

Heap

65
Q

Nimbus (Latin Root)

A

Violent rain

66
Q

Cirrus

A

Curl of hair

67
Q

Cirrus (Ci)

-High Cloud

A

thin, whispy clouds blown by high winds aloft into long streamers

68
Q

Cirrocumulis (Cc)

-High Cloud

A

small rounded white puffs that can occur individually or in long rows

69
Q

Altocumulus

-Middle Clouds

A

gray, puffy masses sometimes rolled out in parallel waves or bands

Sign of mid-level instability

70
Q

Altostratus (As)

-Middle Cloud

A

Gray to Gray-Blue (never white) clouds layer that often covers the entire sky

No shadow case at the ground

71
Q

Stratus (St)

-Low Clouds

A

uniform grayish cloud that can cover parts or the entire sky

If on ground, known as fog

72
Q

Stratocumulus (Sc)

-Low Clouds

A

low, lumpy cloud layer that can appear in rows, patches, or round masses with blue sky noted between individual cloud elements

73
Q

Nimbostratus

-Low Clouds

A

Dark Gray “wet looking” cloud layer associated with light to moderate continuously falling precipitation

-Not characterized by thunder and lightning

74
Q

Cumulus (Cu)

-clouds of Vertical extent

A

in the form of an individual, detached dome or tower

-usually very dense and defined

75
Q

Cumulus fractus:

- Clouds of vertical extent

A

cumulus clouds that appear small and broken in fragments

76
Q

Cumulous Congestus

- Clouds of vertical extent

A

Moderate congestus

Towering Congestus

Building Congestus

77
Q

Cumuloninbus (Cb)

  • clouds of vertical extent
A

a precipitating thunderstorm cloud that produces heavy rain as well as lightning and thunder

78
Q

Lenticularis (Cloud Subtype)

A

Lens like

79
Q

Fractus (Cloud Subtype)

A

broken or fractured

80
Q

Humilis (Cloud Subtype)

A

of small size

81
Q

congestus (Cloud Subtype)

A

to pile up; become congested

82
Q

undulates (Cloud Subtype)

A

having waves

83
Q

translucidus (Cloud Subtype)

A

to shine through

84
Q

mammatus (Cloud Subtype)

A

bag/pouch like; mammory

85
Q

Pileus (Cloud Subtype)

A

cap

86
Q

castellanus (Cloud Subtype)

A

small castles

87
Q

contalis (Cloud Subtype)

A

condensation trail

88
Q

Drizzle

A

very small, numerous, and uniformly dispersed water drops that appear to float

89
Q

Rain

A

precipitation in the form of liquid drops

90
Q

Freezing Rain

A

falls in liquid form but freezes upon impact to form a coating of glaze on the ground and exposed objects

91
Q

freezing drizzle

A

falls in small liquid form but freezes upon impact to form a coating of glaze on the ground and exposed objects

92
Q

Ice pellets/ sleet

A

a type of cold weather precipitation consisting of transparent or translucent pellets of ice

93
Q

Snow

A

Cold weather precipitation form composed of white or translucent ice crystals