METOC Analyst (301) Study Guide Flashcards

Vocabulary practice flashcards generated from METOC Analyst study notes covering atmospheric pressure heights, cloud classifications, thunderstorm lifecycles, operational commands, flight categories, and meteorological tools.

300mb Pressure Height Chart Uses

Corresponds to a height of 30,000 ft and is used for Jet and Jet maxes.

500mb Pressure Height Chart Uses

Corresponds to a height of 18,000 ft and is used for Vorticity, Troughs/Ridges, and upper level fronts.

850mb Pressure Height Chart Uses

Corresponds to a height of 5,000 ft and is used for Temperature advection and upper level fronts.

Lifecycle of a Low Pressure System

The four stages of a low are Stable, Unstable, Mature, and Decaying.

Warm Front Cloud Progression (CCANS)

The cloud progression ahead of a warm front: Cirrus, Cirrostratus, Altostratus, Nimbostratus, and Stratus.

Warm Front Weather Characteristics

Associated with Stratiform clouds and continuous precipitation.

Cold Front Weather Characteristics

Associated with Cumuliform clouds and intermittent (showery) precipitation.

Low Pressure Movement Speeds

Lows move 480 miles/day in the summer and 720 miles/day in the winter.

Low Etage Heights

SFC-6500FT, containing Stratus, Stratocumulus, Cumulus, and Cumulonimbus clouds.

Mid Etage Heights

6500-18500FT, containing Altostratus, Nimbostratus, and Altocumulus clouds.

High Etage Heights

16500-45000FT (or 23000FT dependent on location), containing Cirrostratus and Cirrocumulus clouds.

Five Types of Fog

Advection, Radiation, Frontal, Evaporation, and Upslope.

Towering Cumulus Stage

The initial stage of a thunderstorm where cumulus clouds grow vertically up to 20,000 feet driven by updrafts, with no rain.

Mature Stage (Thunderstorm)

The most dangerous thunderstorm stage reaching 40,000 to 60,000 feet in depth, where strong updrafts and downdrafts coexist, causing large hail, damaging winds, and flash flooding.

Dissipating Stage (Thunderstorm)

The final stage where downdrafts cut off updrafts, cutting off the supply of warm moist air and leaving behind light rain, weak winds, and a remnant anvil top.

Thunderstorm Ingredients

Moisture, Instability, and Lift.

Trough

A U-shaped upper-air pattern where air rises to the east allowing for precipitation, with counterclockwise wind flow around it in the Northern Hemisphere.

Ridge

An upside-down U-shaped upper-air pattern associated with fair, hot, and dry weather due to sinking air, with clockwise wind flow around it in the Northern Hemisphere.

Earle, NJ Fleet Concentration Area

Ammo Offload.

KNGU

ICAO code for NAS Chambers Field in Norfolk, VA.

KNKT

ICAO code for MCAS Cherry Point in Cherry Point, NC.

KNRB

ICAO code for NS Mayport in Mayport, FL.

USNORTHCOM

Unified Combatant Command located in Colorado Springs, CO.

USCENTCOM

Unified Combatant Command located in Tampa Bay, FL.

5th Fleet Location

Manama, Bahrain.

7th Fleet Location

Yokosuka, Japan.

Low Instrument Flight Rules (LIFR)

Flight category with ceiling below 500 feet AGL and/or visibility less than 1 mile (represented by a magenta sky symbol).

Instrumented Flight Rules (IFR)

Flight category with ceiling 500 to below 1,000 feet AGL and/or visibility 1 mile to less than 3 miles (represented by a red sky symbol).

Marginal Visual Flight Rules (MVFR)

Flight category with ceiling 1,000 to 3,000 feet AGL and/or visibility 3 to 5 miles (represented by a blue sky symbol).

Visual Flight Rules (VFR)

Flight category with ceiling greater than 3,000 feet AGL and visibility greater than 5 miles (represented by a green sky symbol).

WEAX

Weather forecast for a ship.

GWEAX

Graphical Weather Forecast providing a 24/48hr Hazardous Weather Display picture with the ship's track overlaid.

MOVREP

Movement report submitted by Quartermasters to the Navigator for approval by the ship's Commanding Officer, which is sent to OTSR to formulate a forecast.

WEBSAR

Internet-based search and rescue software accurate within 50 NM from shore that provides model-derived set/drift forecasts, currents, sea water temperature, and survival time, used during Man Overboard incidents.

HWDDC

Hazardous Weather Detection and Display Capability; displays doppler radar weather info from tactical scans of SPS-48 without affecting operational capabilities.

SMQ-11

A stand-alone environmental satellite receiver that receives raw imagery data (IR/VIS/Water Vapor) from military DMSP and NOAA polar orbiting satellites.

CHARLIE ELEMENTS

A numeric code taken from AFW-WEBS used to sync the satellite with the SMQ-11 so that it continuously receives real-time satellite feed at sea.

SATELLITES (Retrieve sate products)

WV-Jets

IR- High clouds

VIS- Higher resolution more detail can see land features