Meteorology Concepts on Dew Point, Cloud Composition, and Fog Types

This set of flashcards covers key concepts related to dew point, cloud composition, and types of fog as discussed in the meteorology lecture.

What is the dew point?

The temperature at which water vapor saturates from an air mass into liquid or solid, usually forming rain, snow, frost, or dew.

What occurs at a dew point of below freezing?

It is referred to as the frost point.

What is condensation in meteorology?

The change in state of matter from vapor to liquid that occurs with cooling, releasing latent heat energy.

What is latent heat?

The energy required to change a substance to a higher state of matter, released when the change of state is reversed.

How is relative humidity defined?

The ratio between the actual amount of water vapor held in the atmosphere and the amount required for saturation.

What are the primary components of clouds?

Water droplets, ice crystals, or a mixture of both.

What is a condensation nucleus?

A particle that clouds require in order to form.

What is cloud seeding?

The process of adding substances like silver iodine to encourage cloud formation and rain.

What is geoengineering?

Manipulating the environment for a desired outcome.

List the types of clouds.

Cirrus, Cirrocumulus, Cirrostratus, Altocumulus, Altostratus, Nimbostratus, Stratocumulus, Stratus, Cumulus, and Cumulonimbus.

What is radiation fog?

A type of fog generated by near surface cooling by radiation loss during the evening hours, typically found in valleys and low-lying areas.

What is advection fog?

Fog generated when winds flow over a surface with a different temperature.

What are the two types of advection fog?

Contact cooling fog produced by warm air over a cold surface and evaporation fog produced by cold air over a warm moist surface.

Where does evaporation fog commonly occur?

Over oceans and cold currents.