ATMOS 1010 EXAM 3 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
adiabatic assumption - Answers - no heat exchange between air parcels
dry adiabatic lapse rate - Answers - the rate at which unsaturated air cools as it rises
moist adiabatic lapse rate - Answers - the rate at which saturated air cools as it rises
why is the moist adiabatic lapse rate always less than the dry adiabatic lapse rate? -
Answers - some water vapor in saturated air parcels with undergo condensation, which
will oppose cooling by expansion (making it less)
environmental lapse rate - Answers - the rate of temperature decrease with increasing
height in the troposphere
level of free convection - Answers - the altitude at which air rises because of its own
buoyancy
inversion layer - Answers - a layer of air that is warmer than the air below
is the inversion layer (vertically) stable or unstable? - Answers - unstable
what are the external lifting mechanisms that could potentially allow air parcels to reach
the LFC? - Answers - surface convergence, advancing frontal boundary, orographic
lifting
how can you tell whether the prevailing winds aloft are strong or weak? - Answers -
weak with vertical cell/cloud growth
during what stage in the evolution of an air mass thunderstorm do updrafts occurs
throughout the entire cell? - Answers - developing stage
during what stage does precipitation formation occur? - Answers - mature stage
what is the average life span of an air mass thunderstorm cell? - Answers - half hour to
an hour
why do air mass thunderstorms occur in small clusters? - Answers - downdrafts from
mature thunderstorms can create gust fronts, which can lead to the creation of more
thunderstorms
squall line - Answers - a row of severe thunderstorms
how do frontal squall lines form? - Answers - the progression of a frontal boundary
allows for moist air to be fed into the updrafts of thunderstorm cells
adiabatic assumption - Answers - no heat exchange between air parcels
dry adiabatic lapse rate - Answers - the rate at which unsaturated air cools as it rises
moist adiabatic lapse rate - Answers - the rate at which saturated air cools as it rises
why is the moist adiabatic lapse rate always less than the dry adiabatic lapse rate? -
Answers - some water vapor in saturated air parcels with undergo condensation, which
will oppose cooling by expansion (making it less)
environmental lapse rate - Answers - the rate of temperature decrease with increasing
height in the troposphere
level of free convection - Answers - the altitude at which air rises because of its own
buoyancy
inversion layer - Answers - a layer of air that is warmer than the air below
is the inversion layer (vertically) stable or unstable? - Answers - unstable
what are the external lifting mechanisms that could potentially allow air parcels to reach
the LFC? - Answers - surface convergence, advancing frontal boundary, orographic
lifting
how can you tell whether the prevailing winds aloft are strong or weak? - Answers -
weak with vertical cell/cloud growth
during what stage in the evolution of an air mass thunderstorm do updrafts occurs
throughout the entire cell? - Answers - developing stage
during what stage does precipitation formation occur? - Answers - mature stage
what is the average life span of an air mass thunderstorm cell? - Answers - half hour to
an hour
why do air mass thunderstorms occur in small clusters? - Answers - downdrafts from
mature thunderstorms can create gust fronts, which can lead to the creation of more
thunderstorms
squall line - Answers - a row of severe thunderstorms
how do frontal squall lines form? - Answers - the progression of a frontal boundary
allows for moist air to be fed into the updrafts of thunderstorm cells
