Metorology University Final Exam

Front 1

What is the most prominent gas in the atmosphere?

Back 1

Nitrogen

Front 2

Temperature layers in the Atmosphere. What are they?

Back 2

Troposphere
~Tropapause~
Stratosphere
~Stratopause~
Mesosphere
~Mesopause~
Thermosphere

Front 3

What are the 7 weather elements?

Back 3

Temperature
Precipitation
Wind
Visibility
Pressure
Clouds
Humidity (Dew point)

Front 4

What are the different types of storms from largest to smallest?

Back 4

Mid latitude storms - across the country from west-east 1000's of miles
Hurricanes - 100's of miles
Thunder Storms - 10's miles
Tornadoes - spawned from thunderstorms

Front 5

List the two most prominent gases in the atmosphere.

Back 5

Nitrogen and Oxygen

Front 6

Coriolis force

Back 6

this force causes moving particles (including wind) to deflect to the right in the Northern Hemisphere.

Front 7

Conduction

Back 7

Energy exchange through a solid

Front 8

Convection

Back 8

Energy exchange through air

Front 9

Radiation

Back 9

Energy exchange though electromagnetic waves

Front 10

What are the 4 controls of temperature?

Back 10

Latitude
Land and Water
Ocean Currents
Elevation

Front 11

temp controls - Latitude

Back 11

Average temp decrease poleward from the tropics and sub-tropics. With a greater variation in the winter than in summer.

Front 12

temp controls - Land and Water Distribution

Back 12

Solar energy is absorbed unequally by land and water. Land absorbs through a thin layer of soil but water absorbs deeply.

Front 13

temp controls - Ocean Currents

Back 13

Along the eastern margins warm ocean currents transport warm water poleward, while, along western margins they transport cold water equator-ward.

Front 14

temp controls - Elevation

Back 14

Due to less dense air at high elevations the absorption of solar radiation is less and there is a standard temp lapse rate of 3.6F per 1000 ft.

Front 15

Dew Point

Back 15

The Temperature to which air must be cooled for saturation to occur.

Front 16

High clouds
Middle clouds
Low clouds

Back 16

Cirro (high) 20000ft
Alto (middle) 6000ft
Stratus or Cumulus

Front 17

High Clouds

Back 17

Cirrus (Ci)
Cirrostratus (Cs)
Cirrocumulus (Cc)

Front 18

Middle Clouds

Back 18

Altostratus (As)
Altocumulus (Ac)

Front 19

Low Clouds

Back 19

Stratus (St)
Stratocumulus (Sc)
Nimbostratus (Ns)

Front 20

Clouds with Vertical Development

Back 20

Cumulus (Cu)
Cumulonimbus (Cb)

Front 21

What is an Isobar?

Back 21

Lines connecting points of equal pressure

Front 22

How does wind follow pressure?

Back 22

low pressure counter clockwise
high pressure clockwise

Front 23

As you go up in the atmosphere the temperature decreases by how many degrees per 1000ft.?

Back 23

5.5F/10C Dry
3.3F/6C Wet (after saturation)

Front 24

What are the 3 different ways to classify the atmosphere?

Back 24

Electrical
Gas
Temp Profile

Front 25

What is the temperature profile of the atmosphere as you go up?

Back 25

Temp goes down in the troposphere
Temp goes up in the
Stratosphere
Temp goes down in the
mesosphere
Temp goes way up in the Thermosphere

Front 26

Heterosphere and Homosphere which is which?

Back 26

Homosphere is the layer below the thermosphere where the air is mixed (78% nitrogen 21% oxygen)
In the Heterosphere air is unable to keep itself mixed and diffusion takes place. Gasses layer themselves according to molecular weight.

Front 27

When do you get the most radiational cooling?

Back 27

At night with no clouds

Front 28

If the wind is reported as a NW wind what direction is it coming from?

Back 28

North West

Front 29

What are the 3 states of H2O?

Back 29

Solid Gas Liquid

Front 30

What is the primary way you find water in the atmosphere?

Back 30

Gas (water vapor)

Front 31

What are the different types of fog?

Back 31

Radiation
Advection
Upsolpe
Evaporation

Front 32

The process by which a liquid changes into a gas.

Back 32

Evaporation

Front 33

The process by which water vapor becomes a liquid.

Back 33

Condensation

Front 34

When a front moves through what changes?

Back 34

Temperature
Wind changes 90degrees
Dip in pressure
Relative humidity changes

Front 35

How does the wind change when a front moves through?

Back 35

90 degrees
SW to NW if cold
NW to SW if hot

Front 36

What is the standard pressure at sea level?

Back 36

1013 mb/hpa or 29.92 in/Hg

Front 37

cPk

Back 37

Continental Polar Cold

Front 38

mPw

Back 38

Martime Polar Warm

Front 39

cPw

Back 39

Continental Polar Warm

Front 40

mPk

Back 40

Martime Polar Cold

Front 41

cTw

Back 41

Continental Tropical Warm

Front 42

mTk

Back 42

Martime Tropical Cold

Front 43

cTk

Back 43

Continental Tropical Cold

Front 44

mTw

Back 44

Martime Tropical Warm

Front 45

How are clouds formed?

Back 45

Convection
Lifting along topography
Convergence of air
Lifting along weather fronts

Front 46

Sea Breeze

Back 46

Type of thermal circulation caused by the uneven heating rates of land and water. During the day the land heats more quickly than the water and the intensive heating of the air above produces a shallow thermal low over the land. the air over the water remains cooler creating a shallow thermal high. The overall effect of this pressure distribution is a breeze that blows from the sea to land.

Front 47

Land Breeze

Back 47

at night the land cools more quickly than the water producing a high pressure over land and a Low over water. The high pressure fills in the low causing a breeze out to sea.

Front 48

Math problem

Back 48

-3 deg F cooling going up wet
+6 deg F warming coming down dry