Studied by 3 people
What are clouds?
liquid water drops
When do clouds form?
at the dew point
What is condensation nuclei?
surfaces on which condensation occur
What are the steps of a cloud forming?
air parcel cools to dew point water condenses droplets grown around nuclei clouds are born
What are cumulus clouds?
puffy, "popcorn-like" clouds
What are cumulus humilis clouds?
a type of cumulus clouds that form when there is fair weather; they are usually small
What are cumulus congestus clouds?
towering cumulus clouds
What causes cumulus congestus clouds to tower?
heating causes vertical updrafts
What are cumulonimbus clouds?
thunderstorm clouds; very large, thick clouds
What is a thunderstorm?
cumulonimbus clouds with lightning and thunder and commonly rain, but it doesn't have to produce rain
Where is the top of the cumulonimbus cloud?
near the top of the troposphere
What does a cumulonimbus cloud look like?
a mushroom or an anvil
Where is the base of a cumulonimbus cloud?
near the ground
What does congestus mean?
heap
What does humilis mean?
humble
What is another characteristic of cumulonimbus clouds?
they are turbulent because they have strong updrafts and downdrafts
If you cool a saturated air parcel what happens?
the dew point occurs
When will a thunderstorm end?
when the warm air source is removed
Why do warm air parcels rise?
they're less dense than the surrounding air
What happens when rain is dumped on warm air?
the thunderstorm stops
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Flashcard (72)