Meterology Final

Most abundant gas in atmosphere today

Nitrogen and oxygen

abundant gas 4.6 billion years ago

hydrogen and helium

characteristic of air that provides average speed of atoms and molecules

temperature

atmospheric concentration that can vary depending on time and location

water vapor

where weather occurs

troposphere

nighttime radiation inversion occurs

clear calm night

thin wispy clouds with streamers

cirrus clouds

seasons are regulated by

length of daylight hours and angle of sunlight

warm moist air moving over cold surface

advection fog

cloud in stable atmosphere

cumulonimbus

parcel rises and cools by ___ per 1000m saturated

5 celcius

force created by earths rotation

coriolis force

parcel rises and cools by ___ per 1000m unsaturated

10 celcius

accounts for majority of water vapor in amosphere

ocean evaporation

el nino

surface waters are warmer in tropical eastern pacific

wind around low pressure center

blow inward toward the center

causes wind to blow

pressure gradient force

lifted parcel of air is colder than surrounding

absolutely stable

heat index

combination of air temp and relative humidity

lapse rate is less than dry adiabatic but more than moist

conditionally unstable

lapse rate is more than moist and dry

absolutely stable

create pressure gradients that cause sea and land breezes to blow

differences in temperature

monsoon

seasonally changing winds

horizontal transfer of any atmospheric property by wind

advection

transfer of heat molecule to molecule within a substance

conduction

transfer of heat through mass movement of fluid

convection

energy from electromagnetic waves

radiation

we see red because of

absorbing all visible radiation except red

the sky is blue because of

selective scattering of visible light by air molecules

only the longest waves of visible light are striking your eye

sun is red

halos

refraction of light passing through ice crystals

clouds with halo or sundog

cirrus

koppen scheme for classifying climates annual and monthly averages

temperature and precipitation

positive feedback mechanism

acts to reinforce an initial change

clouds effect

net cooling on climate

region of humid subtropical climate

southeast

precession

earth rotates on its axis and wobbles like a spinning top

hurricane energy comes from

latent heat of condensation

supercell storm

intense long lasting thunderstorm with single rotating updraft

air mass is characterized by horizontal direction of

temperature and humidity

3 ingredients of thunderstorm development

moisture stability and lifting mechanisms

initial stage of ordinary cell thunderstorm

cumulus

where is tornado valley

the central plains

mid latitude cyclonic storms better develop during colder months because

polar jet streams move further south in the winter

best region of air mass

generally flat areas of uniform composition with light surface winds

dryline

separates warm dry air from warm moist air

squall line

line of thunderstorms that forms ahead of an advancing front

arctic

colder than polar

jet streams

move cold air to the equator

mirage

bending light by air of different densities

hook shaped echo

presence of tornado producing

isotherms

lines of constant temperature

coldest air mass

cA

why are you cold coming out the pool when its hot

latent heat

hot muggy summer weather is eastern US

mT

hurricane development scale

disturbance, depression, storm, hurricane

cloud iridescence

caused by diffraction

eyewall

heaviest rain during hurricane

ensemble forecasting

several versions of forecast with slight variations

la nina

surface water is colder in tropical eastern pacific

pressure gradient force

always points toward low pressure

ozone

found in stratosphere

earths radiation

infrared

sun radiation

ultraviolet

heat index

how hot it feels based on air temperature