Atc Basics Block 4 Lesson 23

Front 1

What is the name for the cloud of gas and suspended solids extending from the Earth’s surface? aka the protective bubble we live in.

Back 1

The Atmosphere

Front 2

What are the 5 layers that the atmosphere is subdivided into starting from the surface up to space?

Back 2

Troposphere

Stratosphere

Mesosphere

Thermosphere

Exosphere

Front 3

What level of the atmosphere contains almost all of the clouds and precipitation?

Back 3

Troposphere

Front 4

How does the temperature generally trend in the troposphere and the stratosphere?

Back 4

Temp decreases with altitude in troposphere

Temp generally increases with altitude in the stratosphere

Front 5

What is the transition between the Troposphere and Stratosphere called?

Back 5

Tropopause

Front 6

What is the average vertical depth of the Troposphere?

Back 6

36,000 ft but varies due to temp variations associated with latitude and season.

Ex. 65,000 at equator

20,000 at the poles

Front 7

What is it called when the temp increases with altitude in the troposphere?

Back 7

Inversion

Front 8

How far does the stratosphere extend?

Back 8

From troposphere up to 31 miles above the earths surface.

Front 9

What are the general characteristics of the stratosphere?

Back 9

Temp increases with alt

This makes it a stable layer generally devoid of significant weather (except the tops of some thunderstorms)

Front 10

What is the term for a hypothetical vertical distribution of the atmospheric temperature, pressure, and density, which is considered to be representative of the atmosphere for pressure-altimeter calibrations?

Back 10

Standard Atmosphere

Front 11

What is standard atmosphere used for?

Back 11

Pressure Altimeter Calibrations

Aircraft Performance Calculations

Aircraft Design

Weather-related processes

Front 12

What is the standard atmosphere for: Sea level pressures. Sea Level Temp. Lapse rate in Troposphere Pressure Altitude of the Tropopause

Back 12

29.92 In Mur

15º C 59º F

2º C 3.5º F per 1000 ft

36,000 feet (FL360)

Hint 12

Pg 6

Front 13

What is the term for the migrating stream of high-speed winds present at high altitudes?

Back 13

Jet Streams

Hint 13

Pg 7

Front 14

What are the two types of jet streams? And where are they usually located?

Back 14

Polar - 30-60º lat

Subtropical - 20-40º Lat

Hint 14

PG 7

Front 15

What way do Jet Streams flow?

Back 15

East to West

Hint 15

PG 7

Front 16

What are associated with boundaries between hot and cold air at high altitudes?

Back 16

Jet streams

Hint 16

PG 7

Front 17

What time of year are Jet Streams the Strongest?

Back 17

Winter

Hint 17

Pg 7

Front 18

What do Jet Streams often produce that are hazardous to Air Traffic?

Back 18

Clear Air Turbulance (CAT)

Front 19

Why Are jet streams important to ATC?

Back 19

They can cause the ground speed to increase or decrease severely resulting in traffic management issues

Hint 19

PG 7

Front 20

What is the term for the Gaseous form of Water?

Back 20

Water Vapor

Hint 20

Pg 8

Front 21

What is the term for the change from liquid to Gas? From Solid to gas?

Back 21

Liquid to gas - Evaporation

Solid to Gas - Sublimation

Front 22

What is the term for the numerical value representing the average kinetic energy of the atoms and molecules within matter?

Back 22

Temperature

Hint 22

PG 9

Front 23

Which can hold more water vapor warm or cold air?

Back 23

Warm

Hint 23

PG 9

Front 24

What is the term for the maximum possible quantity of water vapor that a parcel of air can hold at any given temp and pressure?

Back 24

Saturation

Hint 24

Pg 10

Front 25

If air is said to be saturated, what does that mean? What about unsaturated?

Back 25

Saturated = air parcel contains all the water vapor it can hold

Unsaturated = air parcel has the capacity to hold more water vapor

Hint 25

Pg 10

Front 26

What is the term for the temp an air parcel must be cooled at constant pressure and constant water vapor pressure to allow the water vapor in the parcel to condense into water

Back 26

Dew Point

Hint 26

Pg 10

Front 27

What is the term for the ratio, usually expressed as a percentage, of water vapor actually in the air parcel compared to the amount of water vapor the air could hold at a particular temp and pressure

Back 27

Relative Humidity

Hint 27

PG 10

Front 28

Does relative humidity indicate the actual water vapor content?

Back 28

No it shows how close to saturation the air is.

Hint 28

Pg 10

Front 29

What is the term for the difference between air parcels temp and its dew point temp?

Back 29

The Dew Point Spread or Depression.

Hint 29

Pg 11

Front 30

What happens when the dew point spread is decreased to zero?

Back 30

The air becomes saturated causing condensation resulting in the formation of Dew or fog.

Front 31

What is the term for the phase when vapor is changed into a liquid.

Back 31

Condensation

Hint 31

Pg 11

Front 32

What is the term for the visible aggregate of minute water droplets and/or ice particles in the atmosphere above the Earths Surface?

Back 32

Clouds

Hint 32

Pg 13

Front 33

When do clouds form? When do they dissipate?

Back 33

The spread decreases and there is sufficient lift

Spread increases and the air is sinking

Hint 33

PG 14-15

Front 34

Why does the air temp cool as it rises?

Back 34

The air uses energy to expand and this causes it to lose heat

Front 35

Why does the air temp warm when it sinks?

Back 35

The surrounding atmosphere does work compressing the parcel which adds heat to the air

Hint 35

Pg 14 - 15

Front 36

What are the three cloud forms?

Back 36

Stratiform

Cumuliform

Cirriform

Hint 36

Pg 16

Front 37

What type of cloud is characterized at High Level clouds composed of Ice crystals, that are thin and white in appearance and contains no significant icing?

Back 37

Cirriform

Hint 37

Pg 16

Front 38

What type of cloud is characterized by looking like “White fluffy cotton balls” that has icing, Turbulence and other hazards?

Back 38

Cumuliform

Hint 38

Oh 17

Front 39

What is the type of cloud that is Latin for “blanket” or “Layer” and consists of featureless low layer cover that produced wide area IFR conditions?

Back 39

Stratiform

Front 40

What does adding the prefix “nimbo” or the suffix “nimbus” mean?

Back 40

The clouds are raining.

Hint 40

Pg 16

Front 41

What is the term for air in motion relative to the surface?

Back 41

Wind

Hint 41

Pg 17

Front 42

What component of wind is usually less important but plays a big role on cloud formation and dissipation and precipitation

Back 42

Vertical component

Front 43

What is the term for a Maximum of atmospheric pressure that is also known as an Anticyclone?

Back 43

High Weather Effect

Front 44

What are the characteristics of a high weather event?

Back 44

Air Floe diverges around a High in a clockwise motion and sinks.

the sinking air compresses and warms causing the clouds to dissipate.

Hint 44

Pg 18

Front 45

What is the term for a minimum of atmospheric pressure that is also known as a cyclone?

Back 45

Low Weather Effect.

Front 46

What are the characteristics of a Low Weather event?

Back 46

Air flow converges around a low in a counterclockwise motion and rises.

This causes the air to expand and cool resulting in the dew point spread to lower making clouds form

Front 47

What are the temperature properties used for Air mass classification? And where are they located?

Back 47

Arctic (A) - over ice

Polar (P) - over high lat

Tropical (T) - over low lat (equator0

Front 48

What are the Moisture Properties used for Air Mass Classification? And where are they located?

Back 48

Continental (c) - over land

Maritime (m) - over water

Hint 48

Pg 20

Front 49

What happens when a Cold air Mass moves over a warm surface area?

Back 49

Unstable Air Which is associated with: Turbulence, Good Vis, and Cumuliform clouds and showers

Front 50

What happens when a Warm Air front passes over a cool surface area?

Back 50

Produced Stable Air resulting in: Smooth Air, Poor Visibility, and Stratiform Clouds, fog, drizzle

Hint 50

Pg 23

Front 51

What is the term for a boundary or transition zone between two air masses of different density and thus different temperatures

Back 51

Front

Hint 51

Pg 24

Front 52

What are the 4 Frontal Types? And what do they do?

Back 52

Cold Front - Cold Replaces Warm

Warm Front - Warm rep Cold

Stationary Front - Neither is stronger enough to move the other

Occluded Front - Composite of two fronts as a cold overtakes a warm or stationary

Hint 52

Pg 24

Front 53

How are Fronts Detectable at the surface?

Back 53

Significant Temp differences

Winds come together

Pressure typically increases as the front approached and decreases as the front passes

Hint 53

Pg 25

Front 54

What are the characteristic of a Cold front?

Back 54

Steep Slope and air is forced upward abruptly

Narrow band of cumulus clouds, showers, and thunderstorms

Good Visibility and turbulence

Front 55

What are the characteristics of a Warm Front?

Back 55

Gentle slopes so air rises gradually

Widespread layered or stratiform clouds and precipitation

Poor Visibility, smooth air and steady precipitation

Hint 55

PG 26

Front 56

What are the characteristic of Occluded Fronts?

Back 56

Combines the effects of both cold and warm front. Clouds and precipitation can occur both ahead of, and i the areas of frontal lift of an occluded front

Usually clouds and prolonged precipitation

Hint 56

Pg 27

Front 57

What is the term for water particles that fall from the atmosphere and reach the ground?

Back 57

Precipitation

Front 58

What are the three ingredients to form precipitation?

Back 58

Water Vapor, Lift, and Growth Process

Hint 58

Pg 30

Front 59

What are the primary sources of water vapor in the US?

Back 59

Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf, Great Lakes

Hint 59

Pg 31

Front 60

What causes lift for precipitation?

Back 60

Converging wings around surface Lows and Fronts

Hint 60

Pg 30

Front 61

What is the term for what allows water particles to grow large and heavy enough to fall as precipitation?

Back 61

Growth Process

Hint 61

Pg 30

Front 62

What are the types of Precipitation?

Back 62

Snow, Ice Pellets (Sleet), Freezing Rain, and Rain

Hint 62

Pg 31-34

Front 63

What type of Precipitation results when the temp remains below freezing throughout the entire depth or the atmosphere?

Back 63

Snow (SN)

Hint 63

Pg 31

Front 64

What type of Precipitation results when there is a shallow layer aloft with above freezing temps, with a deep layer of below freezing air based at the surface?

Back 64

Ice Pellets (PL)

Hint 64

Pg 32

Front 65

What are the diameter to classify as Ice Pellets?

Back 65

At or Below .2 in it 5 mm

Hint 65

Pg 32

Front 66

What type of Precipitation results from a deep layer aloft with above freezing temp with a shallow layer of below freezing air at the surface?

Back 66

Freezing rain (FZRA)

Hint 66

Pg 33

Front 67

What type of Precipitation result when there is a deep layer of above freezing air based at the surface?

Back 67

Rain (RA)

Hint 67

Pg 34

Front 68

What Agency is the national weather service under?

Back 68

the Department of Commerce (DOC)

And

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin (NOAA)

Hint 68

Pg 38

Front 69

What are the NSW three offices discussed? And how many are there?

Back 69

Meteorological Watch Offices (MWO) - 8

Weather Forecast Office (WFO) - 122

Center Weather Service Units (CWSUs) - in each ARTCC

Hint 69

Pg 37

Front 70

What aviation weather products do the MWO and WFO issue?

Back 70

AIRMETS, SIGMETS, CONVECTIVE SIGMETS, and TAF’S

Hint 70

PG 37

Front 71

What info does the CWSU provide to the centers?

Back 71

Weather impact on their mission, equipment outages, and repairs, and staffing.

Hint 71

Pg 38

Front 72

What information does the CWSU issue?

Back 72

Center Weather Advisories (CWAs) and Meteorological Impact Statements (MIS)

Hint 72

Pg 38