Wind and Weather Factors in Aviation

These flashcards cover the key vocabulary and concepts related to winds, weather patterns, and meteorological measurements important for aviation.

METAR

Meteorological Aerodrome Report providing current weather conditions.

Air will move vertically if it is

Heated or warmed, solar & earth radiation

Air pressure at sea level is:

14.7lb/inch

dose cold or warm air have higher presheor

cold

Coriolis Effect

An invisible force that deflects wind and ocean currents due to Earth’s rotation.

Pressure Gradient Force

The force that causes air to move from high to low pressure areas.

Geostrophic Flow

Wind that flows parallel to the isobars at higher altitudes, where pressure gradient and Coriolis forces are balanced.

Chinook Winds

Warm, dry winds that descend from mountain slopes, causing rapid temperature changes.

Katabatic Winds

Cold, dense air that flows down slopes, typically from high-pressure regions over snow-covered terrain.

Valley Breeze

Air that rises from heated mountain slopes during the day, creating a flow of warm air up to higher elevations.

Mountain Breeze

Cold air that descends into valleys at night, resulting from rapid cooling of the mountain slopes.

Isobars

Lines on a weather map connecting points of equal atmospheric pressure.

Cyclone

Any rotating storm system associated with low pressure, characterized by inward, counterclockwise winds in the Northern Hemisphere.

Anticyclone

A weather system associated with high pressure, leading to clear skies and clockwise winds in the Northern Hemisphere.

Surface Analysis Map

A map showing isobars which illustrate surface air pressure distributions.

Lenticular Clouds

Clouds formed by turbulence around mountains indicating mountain wave activity.

Vertical Air Flow

Movement of air that is crucial for maintaining high or low pressure in the atmosphere, associated with storm systems.

Wind Vane

An instrument used to measure wind direction.

divergont aloft is a resolt of a net

outflow

Geostophic flow

when gradent and coreolis is balenced

Vertical airflow is associated with

cyclones and anticyclones

Low pressure=

cyclone

chinook winds are

downslope winds

katabatic winds are

cold dense air moves downslope

Anemometer

An instrument that measures wind speed.