Shared Flashcard Set

Details

Weather and Climate
Chapters 6-11 review from "Understanding Weather and Climate" by Edward Aguado 4th edition
85
Environmental Studies
Undergraduate 3
11/13/2010

Additional Environmental Studies Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Orographic Uplift
Definition
The upward displacement of air that leads to adiabatic cooling
Term
Frontal Lifting
Definition
When a warm air mass flows toward a wedge of cold air it is forced upward.  When a cold air mass flows toward a wedge of warm air it slips under the warm air.
Term
Convergence
Definition
Where air moves together
Term
Localized convection
Definition
Area of significant localized uplift often associated with thunderstorms
Term
Static stability
Definition
Air's susceptibility to uplift
Term
Unstable air
Definition
Air that experiences an uplift
Term
Stable air
Definition
Air that resists uplift
Term
Neutral air
Definition
Air that neither resists uplift nor is motivated to rise
Term
Conditionally unstable air
Definition

Buoyancy of air changes.

DALR<ELR<SALR

Term
Absolutely stable air
Definition

Air parcel cools more than ambient air.

ELR<MALR,WALR,DALR

Term

Absolutely unstable air

 

Definition

Air parcel cools less than ambient air.

ELR>DALR

Term
Environmental Lapse Rate
Definition
The change in temperature due to elevation
Term
Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate
Definition
5.5 Degree fahrenheit per 1000 feet or 1 degree celsius per 100 feet
Term
Saturated Adiabatic Lapse Rate
Definition
3.3 degree fahrenheit per 1000 feet or .5 degree celsius per 100 feet
Term
Inversions
Definition
Areas where temperature increases with elevation
Term
Cirrus clouds
Definition

Thin, white, wispy clouds.  A high cloud.

Ci

Term
Cirrostratus
Definition

Extensive, shallow clouds somewhat transparent to sunlight.  A high cloud.

Cs

Term
Cirrocumulus
Definition

High, layered cloud with billows or parallel rolls. High cloud.

Cc

Term
Altostratus
Definition

Extensive, watery, layered cloud.  Middle cloud.

As

Term
Altocumulus
Definition

Shallow mid level cloud containing patches or rolls.  Somewhat opaque.

Ac

Term
Stratus
Definition

Uniform layer of low cloud ranging from grey to whitish.

Low level.

St

Term
Nimbostratus
Definition

Low cloud producing light rain.  Dark skies.

Ns

Term
Stratocumulus
Definition

Low level equivalent to altocumulus.

Sc

Term
Cumulus
Definition

Detached billowy clouds with flat bases and moderate vertical development.

May extend through much of atmosphere.

Cu

Term
Cumulonimbus
Definition

Clouds with intense vertical development with characteristic anvil shape. Very dark and very tall.

Cb

Term
Collision
Definition
Where a water droplet in a cloud hits another droplet.
Term
Coalescence
Definition
Process where colliding water droplets combine
Term
Bergeron Process
Definition
Deposition of H20 vapor onto an ice crystal.  Deposition exceeds sublimation
Term
Riming
Definition
Where an ice crystal falls through a cloud collides with water droplets that freeze onto an ice crystal which leads to rapid growth of a snowflake
Term
Aggregation
Definition
When collision and coalescence occur
Term
Cool clouds
Definition
Clouds where the temperature is > than 0 in lower reaches and < 0 in the upper reaches
Term
Cold clouds
Definition
Clouds where the temperature is < 0 throughout
Term
Graupel
Definition
Ice crystals that have air bubbles in them
Term
Hail
Definition
Frozen rain that is bounced between the top and bottom of a cloud 'till it is heavy enough to drop
Term
Terminal velocity of water droplets
Definition
Maximum speed a water droplet can attain while falling
Term
Sleet
Definition
Raindrops that fall through < 0 degree air and change from liquid to ice
Term
Freezing rain
Definition
Rain that freezes when it hits the ground
Term

Lake effect snow

 

Definition
A late fall/early winter condition where cold air mass moves over a warm body of water and leads to much precipitation
Term

Three cell model

 

Definition
Divides circulation of each hemisphere into three belts
Term
Hadley cell
Definition

Heat driven. Rainiest zone.

Responsible for the ITCZ

Term
Ferrel cell
Definition
Occurs in mid latitudes.  Driven by air movement where air from subtropics moves toward the sub polar.
Term
Polar cell
Definition
Heat driven.  Moves air from poles to sub polar.
Term
Semi permanent cells of low pressure
Definition
Aleutian and Icelandic lows
Term
Semi permanent cells of high pressure
Definition
Siberian, Hawaiian, Azures high
Term
Polar front
Definition
Narrow divide between sub polar air and polar
Term
Polar jet stream
Definition
Jet stream caused by steeply sloping pressure gradient near polar air mass
Term
Sub tropical jet stream
Definition
Associated with Hadley cell near the equator
Term
Rossby waves
Definition
Upper atmosphere westerlies between polar and warm front with meridional fluctuations
Term
Trough
Definition
Extended area of low pressure
Term
Ridge
Definition
Extended area of high pressure
Term
Zonal winds
Definition
Winds that move East to or from West
Term
Meridional winds
Definition
Winds that move north or south
Term
Ekman spiral
Definition
Effect of wind drag on current starting 45 degrees right from prevailing wind.  As it goes down to 100 meters the current turns right until it is 180 degrees from its' starting direction
Term
Upwelling
Definition
Where an area of water is moved away from the shore and water from below is lifted up to replace the lack of water
Term
Monsoon
Definition
A reversal of the dry/wet weather system
Term
Foehn wind
Definition
Synoptic-scale winds that flow down mountain slopes, warm by compression, and introduce hot, dry, and clear conditions to adjacent lowlands
Term
Chinook wind
Definition
Winds that are warmed by compression and descend eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains
Term
Santa ana wind
Definition
Where a high pressure system pushes air west and down out of the Rockies towards CA
Term
Katabatic wind
Definition
Winds warmed by compression as they are pushed down off of a plateau.  Antarctica has the most prevelant
Term
Sea and land breeze
Definition
Breezes caused by the differing temperatures between land and sea.  Vary diurnally
Term
Valley and mountain breezes
Definition
Valley breezes occur during the day and mountain breezes occur at night
Term
El Nino
Definition
Warm phase of ENSO
Term
La Nina
Definition
Cool phase of ENSO
Term
Pacific Decadal Oscillation
Definition
20 - 30 year oscillation between water temperature in Pacific NW and tropics
Term
Source region
Definition
Uniform area where air masses develop
Term
Cold front
Definition
Steep 1:100 of cold air
Term

Warm front

 

Definition
Shallow frontal system
Term
Stationary front
Definition
A front that is not moving
Term

Occluded front

 

Definition
A front where warm air has been forced aloft.  Much precipitation is found there
Term
Polar front theory
Definition
The life and functions of a midlatitude cyclone.
Term

Midlatitude cyclones

 

Definition

Major weather systems.  Cyclogenesis - formation

Mature cyclones - growth

Dissipation - result of occluded front

Term
Vorticity
Definition
A positive or negative rotation of a fluid
Term
Conveyor belt theory
Definition
3d modeling describing how warm, cold, and dry conveyor belt energies impact mid latitude cyclones
Term
Lightning
Definition
Discharge of electricity in thunder storm
Term

Air mass thunderstorms

 

Definition
Air masses that lead to thunderstorms only representative of part of the air mass
Term
Severe thunderstorms
Definition
Wind speed > 58 mpg, hail > 0.75", and can spawn tornadoes
Term
Supercells
Definition
Intensely powerful storms that contain a single updraft zone
Term
Tornadoes
Definition
Zones of extremely rapid, rotating winds beneath the base of cumulonimbus clouds
Term
Mesocyclones
Definition
A large rotating vortice that often precedes a tornado
Term
Wall clouds
Definition
Thick cloud beneath a rotating thunderstorm, a place where severe weather often develops
Term
Non supercell development of tornadoes
Definition
Are caused by large uplift of air during a thunderstorm
Term
Teleconnectivity
Definition
Climate anomalies being related to each other over long distance.  ENSO being an example
Term
Drylines
Definition
Narrow bands separating dry air from humid air
Term
Meso Convective Complexes
Definition
A type of MCS having an oval or nearly circular shape
Term
Meso Convective Systems
Definition
A general clustering of thunderstorms
Supporting users have an ad free experience!