ATMO 201 EPIFANIO TAMU EXAM 3
Microscale - Answer -Seconds to minutes
Meters to 1 km
Turbulence, small cumulus clouds
Mesoscale - Answer -Minutes to hours to 1 day
Kilometers to hundreds of km
Thunderstorms, sea breezes, mountain circulations
Synoptic Scale - Answer -Days to weeks
Thousands of km
Warm & Cold fronts, cyclones, anticyclones (day to day weather)
Planetary Scale - Answer -Weeks to Months
Global
Planetary waves, el niño
Large Scale - Answer -Synoptic & Planetary
Geostrophic Balance - Answer -The PGF & Coriolis force are often very nearly in
balance because large scale flows evolve very slowly, so there's lots of time for the 2
forces to equilibrate.
Coriolis Force causes objects to deflect to the ____________ of their intended path in
the NH. - Answer -Right
Which way do low pressure systems like hurricanes and tropical cyclones circulate?
Why? - Answer -Counter-clockwise because of the coriolis force
Where is the coriolis force the strongest? - Answer -The poles
The PGF acts __________________ to the isobars on a surface map. - Answer -
Perpendicular
Wind is _____________ to isobars or height contours. - Answer -Parallel
What slows down winds? - Answer -Friction
Around low pressure, the air tends to __________________ into the center and rises,
which tends to produce clouds and precipitation. - Answer -Converge
Around high pressure, the air tends to ______________ from the center and sinks. -
Answer -Diverge
Microscale - Answer -Seconds to minutes
Meters to 1 km
Turbulence, small cumulus clouds
Mesoscale - Answer -Minutes to hours to 1 day
Kilometers to hundreds of km
Thunderstorms, sea breezes, mountain circulations
Synoptic Scale - Answer -Days to weeks
Thousands of km
Warm & Cold fronts, cyclones, anticyclones (day to day weather)
Planetary Scale - Answer -Weeks to Months
Global
Planetary waves, el niño
Large Scale - Answer -Synoptic & Planetary
Geostrophic Balance - Answer -The PGF & Coriolis force are often very nearly in
balance because large scale flows evolve very slowly, so there's lots of time for the 2
forces to equilibrate.
Coriolis Force causes objects to deflect to the ____________ of their intended path in
the NH. - Answer -Right
Which way do low pressure systems like hurricanes and tropical cyclones circulate?
Why? - Answer -Counter-clockwise because of the coriolis force
Where is the coriolis force the strongest? - Answer -The poles
The PGF acts __________________ to the isobars on a surface map. - Answer -
Perpendicular
Wind is _____________ to isobars or height contours. - Answer -Parallel
What slows down winds? - Answer -Friction
Around low pressure, the air tends to __________________ into the center and rises,
which tends to produce clouds and precipitation. - Answer -Converge
Around high pressure, the air tends to ______________ from the center and sinks. -
Answer -Diverge
