METEOROLOGY.pdf 8/20/2026 METEOROLOGY.pdf
METEOROLOGY
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_dsp29y
1. Composition of Nitrogen 78%, Oxygen 21%, Other Gases 1%(carbon
air: dioxide & water vapor, etc.)
2. Troposphere 0-17 km above Earth's surface, site of weather, organ-
isms, contains most atmospheric water vapor.
3. Tropopause The boundary between the troposphere and the stratos-
phere.
4. Stratosphere 12 to 50 km, Ozone held here, absorbs UV radiation - CB
can penetrate
5. Stratopause The boundary between the stratosphere and the mesos-
phere
6. Mesosphere The layer of Earth's atmosphere immediately above the
stratosphere - 50 - 80 km
7. Mesopause The boundary between the mesosphere and the thermos-
phere
8. Thermosphere The uppermost layer of the atmosphere, in which temper-
ature increases as altitude increases
9. Inversion temperature increases with height
10. Isothermal temperature remains constant with height
11. Advection horizontal movement of air
12. Subsidience vertical downward motion of air. Air warms adiabatically in
descent
13. Convection upward motion of air - air cools adiabatically in ascent
14. convergence the inward horizontal motion of air - convergence at
ground means high pressure at surface and little or no
cloud
15. Divergence
METEOROLOGY.pdf METEOROLOGY.pdf METEOROLOGY.pdf
, METEOROLOGY.pdf 8/20/2026 METEOROLOGY.pdf
METEOROLOGY
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_dsp29y
the outward horizontal motion of air - divergence at height
means falling pressure at the surface and likely formation
of convective cloud
16. Insolation incoming solar radiation
17. Heat is distrib- - convection
uted by: - conduction
- radiation
- latent heat of condensation
- advection
- turbulent mixing
- absorption of long wave raadiation
18. Diurnal tempera- daily fluctuations of temperature:
ture - is highest when sky is clear and wind is weak
- is lowest when there is cloud cover and a strong wing
19. Conversion of double the speed in m/s to get the speed in knots
m/s to knots
20. ISA Lapse Rate 2 degrees / 1000ft or 0.65 degrees/100m
21. QFE Atmospheric pressure at aerodrome elevation - on airfield
with altimeter set it reads 0 - reference is height
22. QFF QFE reduced to MSL using the actual temperature. Used
on synoptic charts, surface weather charts.
23. QNH QFE reduced to MSL using ISA. On the airfield, the al-
timeter reads airfield elevation with QNH set
24. Isobar A line on a weather map that joins places that have the
same air pressure
- Isobar low - a pressure fall centre
- Isobar high - a pressure rise centre
25. high anticyclone. pressure at its highest in the centre. Wind
clockwise around a high
METEOROLOGY.pdf METEOROLOGY.pdf METEOROLOGY.pdf
, METEOROLOGY.pdf 8/20/2026 METEOROLOGY.pdf
METEOROLOGY
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_dsp29y
26. Low Depression or cyclone. Pressure at its lowest in the cen-
tre. Wind anticlockwise around a low
27. ridge an extension of a high
28. trough extension of a low
29. col region between two highs and two lows. Areas of light
winds due to the stable pressure gradient
30. Pressure altitude is equal to the true altitude only is standard atmospheric
conditions occur
31. Density altitude is equal to the true altitude only if standard atmospheric
conditions occur
32. Lowest usable - lowest value of QNH and highest negative temperature
flight level when deviation from ISA
conditions are: - safest when the temperature is more or equal to the ISA
33. Pressure gradi- - after a front has passed pressure increases - altimeter
ent reading decreases
- before a front has passed the pressure falls slightly -
reading increases slightly
34. adiabatic A process in which no heat is transferred to or from the
process system by its surroundings.
35. Dewpoint the temperature at which a mass of air must be cooled in
order to reach saturation - to get dew, fog or cooled the
temperature must be cooled further
36. Dewpoint spread the difference between outside air temperature and dew-
point
- Large spread - low humidity
- Small spread - high humidity
37. Humidity mixing ratio of mass of water vapour present relative to the mass
ratio of dry air in the air parcel. Expressed as g/kg of dry air
METEOROLOGY.pdf METEOROLOGY.pdf METEOROLOGY.pdf
METEOROLOGY
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_dsp29y
1. Composition of Nitrogen 78%, Oxygen 21%, Other Gases 1%(carbon
air: dioxide & water vapor, etc.)
2. Troposphere 0-17 km above Earth's surface, site of weather, organ-
isms, contains most atmospheric water vapor.
3. Tropopause The boundary between the troposphere and the stratos-
phere.
4. Stratosphere 12 to 50 km, Ozone held here, absorbs UV radiation - CB
can penetrate
5. Stratopause The boundary between the stratosphere and the mesos-
phere
6. Mesosphere The layer of Earth's atmosphere immediately above the
stratosphere - 50 - 80 km
7. Mesopause The boundary between the mesosphere and the thermos-
phere
8. Thermosphere The uppermost layer of the atmosphere, in which temper-
ature increases as altitude increases
9. Inversion temperature increases with height
10. Isothermal temperature remains constant with height
11. Advection horizontal movement of air
12. Subsidience vertical downward motion of air. Air warms adiabatically in
descent
13. Convection upward motion of air - air cools adiabatically in ascent
14. convergence the inward horizontal motion of air - convergence at
ground means high pressure at surface and little or no
cloud
15. Divergence
METEOROLOGY.pdf METEOROLOGY.pdf METEOROLOGY.pdf
, METEOROLOGY.pdf 8/20/2026 METEOROLOGY.pdf
METEOROLOGY
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_dsp29y
the outward horizontal motion of air - divergence at height
means falling pressure at the surface and likely formation
of convective cloud
16. Insolation incoming solar radiation
17. Heat is distrib- - convection
uted by: - conduction
- radiation
- latent heat of condensation
- advection
- turbulent mixing
- absorption of long wave raadiation
18. Diurnal tempera- daily fluctuations of temperature:
ture - is highest when sky is clear and wind is weak
- is lowest when there is cloud cover and a strong wing
19. Conversion of double the speed in m/s to get the speed in knots
m/s to knots
20. ISA Lapse Rate 2 degrees / 1000ft or 0.65 degrees/100m
21. QFE Atmospheric pressure at aerodrome elevation - on airfield
with altimeter set it reads 0 - reference is height
22. QFF QFE reduced to MSL using the actual temperature. Used
on synoptic charts, surface weather charts.
23. QNH QFE reduced to MSL using ISA. On the airfield, the al-
timeter reads airfield elevation with QNH set
24. Isobar A line on a weather map that joins places that have the
same air pressure
- Isobar low - a pressure fall centre
- Isobar high - a pressure rise centre
25. high anticyclone. pressure at its highest in the centre. Wind
clockwise around a high
METEOROLOGY.pdf METEOROLOGY.pdf METEOROLOGY.pdf
, METEOROLOGY.pdf 8/20/2026 METEOROLOGY.pdf
METEOROLOGY
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_dsp29y
26. Low Depression or cyclone. Pressure at its lowest in the cen-
tre. Wind anticlockwise around a low
27. ridge an extension of a high
28. trough extension of a low
29. col region between two highs and two lows. Areas of light
winds due to the stable pressure gradient
30. Pressure altitude is equal to the true altitude only is standard atmospheric
conditions occur
31. Density altitude is equal to the true altitude only if standard atmospheric
conditions occur
32. Lowest usable - lowest value of QNH and highest negative temperature
flight level when deviation from ISA
conditions are: - safest when the temperature is more or equal to the ISA
33. Pressure gradi- - after a front has passed pressure increases - altimeter
ent reading decreases
- before a front has passed the pressure falls slightly -
reading increases slightly
34. adiabatic A process in which no heat is transferred to or from the
process system by its surroundings.
35. Dewpoint the temperature at which a mass of air must be cooled in
order to reach saturation - to get dew, fog or cooled the
temperature must be cooled further
36. Dewpoint spread the difference between outside air temperature and dew-
point
- Large spread - low humidity
- Small spread - high humidity
37. Humidity mixing ratio of mass of water vapour present relative to the mass
ratio of dry air in the air parcel. Expressed as g/kg of dry air
METEOROLOGY.pdf METEOROLOGY.pdf METEOROLOGY.pdf
