ATMOS Final UPDATED Actual Exam
Questions and CORRECT Answers
Microburst - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- an intense small-scale downdraft produced by a
thunderstorm or rain shower
Thunderstorm - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- a small storm produced by a cumulonimbus
cloud and always accompanied by lightning and thunder
a consequence of atmospheric instability and constitutes an overturning of air layers in order
to achieve a more stable density stratification
Determining Stability - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- 1. Temperature of the parcel (T parcel)
2. Temperature of the environment
(T environment)
Unstable or stable? - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- If Tparcel > Tenvironment continues to rise
vertically-> Unstable
If Tparcel < Tenvironment sinks back to original position -> Stable
Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate (DALR) - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Parcels that are not saturated
DALR = Γdry = 10C / km
Lifting Condensation Level (LCL) - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- The altitude at which a
parcel of air reaches saturation (RH=100%) and a cloud forms
Parcel will then rise at moist adiabatic lapse rate
,Moist (Wet) Adiabatic Lapse Rate (MALR) - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- The process of
condensation releases heat - this heat causes the air parcel to not cool as quickly
(varies from 5 - 9C / km) Γmoist ≈ 6C / km
Conditional Instability - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Stable unsaturated air that will result in
instability in the event that the air becomes saturated
Lower atmosphere must have a lot of moisture
Where meteorologists look for thunderstorms - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Meteorologists
look for regions with high dew points as a first guess of where thunderstorms might occur
Level of Free Convection (LFC) - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- The altitude at which a lifted
saturated air parcel first becomes warmer than the environment
If a parcel can reach its LFC, it's free!
Equilibrium Level (EQ) - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- The altitude at which a freely rising
saturated air parcel cools to its environment • Convection stops • Often near the tropopause
3 Requirements for Formation
Of Thunderstorm - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- • Moisture (high Td)
• need unstable or conditionally unstable atmosphere
• way to lift air
Single-Cell Thunderstorms size - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- 10 miles
Squall lines size - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- on order of 100+ miles wide; 1000 miles long
Super cells size - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- cloud up to 100 miles; rain area on order of 40-
50 miles
, Single-Cell Thunderstorms (time) - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- an hour or so
Squall lines (time) - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- several hours to a day or more
Supercells (time) - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- several hours
Most Thunderstorms are.....? - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Most thunderstorms are of the
ordinary variety
Termed: • Air-Mass Thunderstorms • Single Cell Thunderstorms
• Rather benign
• Resulting from the intrusion of maritime tropical (mT) air northward over land
• Produces scattered (non-organized) or isolated cells
entrainment - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Mixing of cooler, drier air into cloud
Rising parcels in a cumulus cloud MIX with their environment
lifecycle of a thunderstorm - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- 1. Cumulus Stage
2. Mature Stage
3. Dissipating Stage
Cumulus Stage - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Updrafts dominate
• Entrainment causes evaporation
• Evaporation is a cooling process
• Cooling air sinks and reduces buoyancy
Questions and CORRECT Answers
Microburst - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- an intense small-scale downdraft produced by a
thunderstorm or rain shower
Thunderstorm - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- a small storm produced by a cumulonimbus
cloud and always accompanied by lightning and thunder
a consequence of atmospheric instability and constitutes an overturning of air layers in order
to achieve a more stable density stratification
Determining Stability - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- 1. Temperature of the parcel (T parcel)
2. Temperature of the environment
(T environment)
Unstable or stable? - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- If Tparcel > Tenvironment continues to rise
vertically-> Unstable
If Tparcel < Tenvironment sinks back to original position -> Stable
Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate (DALR) - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Parcels that are not saturated
DALR = Γdry = 10C / km
Lifting Condensation Level (LCL) - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- The altitude at which a
parcel of air reaches saturation (RH=100%) and a cloud forms
Parcel will then rise at moist adiabatic lapse rate
,Moist (Wet) Adiabatic Lapse Rate (MALR) - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- The process of
condensation releases heat - this heat causes the air parcel to not cool as quickly
(varies from 5 - 9C / km) Γmoist ≈ 6C / km
Conditional Instability - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Stable unsaturated air that will result in
instability in the event that the air becomes saturated
Lower atmosphere must have a lot of moisture
Where meteorologists look for thunderstorms - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Meteorologists
look for regions with high dew points as a first guess of where thunderstorms might occur
Level of Free Convection (LFC) - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- The altitude at which a lifted
saturated air parcel first becomes warmer than the environment
If a parcel can reach its LFC, it's free!
Equilibrium Level (EQ) - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- The altitude at which a freely rising
saturated air parcel cools to its environment • Convection stops • Often near the tropopause
3 Requirements for Formation
Of Thunderstorm - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- • Moisture (high Td)
• need unstable or conditionally unstable atmosphere
• way to lift air
Single-Cell Thunderstorms size - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- 10 miles
Squall lines size - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- on order of 100+ miles wide; 1000 miles long
Super cells size - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- cloud up to 100 miles; rain area on order of 40-
50 miles
, Single-Cell Thunderstorms (time) - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- an hour or so
Squall lines (time) - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- several hours to a day or more
Supercells (time) - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- several hours
Most Thunderstorms are.....? - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Most thunderstorms are of the
ordinary variety
Termed: • Air-Mass Thunderstorms • Single Cell Thunderstorms
• Rather benign
• Resulting from the intrusion of maritime tropical (mT) air northward over land
• Produces scattered (non-organized) or isolated cells
entrainment - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Mixing of cooler, drier air into cloud
Rising parcels in a cumulus cloud MIX with their environment
lifecycle of a thunderstorm - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- 1. Cumulus Stage
2. Mature Stage
3. Dissipating Stage
Cumulus Stage - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Updrafts dominate
• Entrainment causes evaporation
• Evaporation is a cooling process
• Cooling air sinks and reduces buoyancy
