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Topic 7:Weather D
Atmospheric Moisture, pgs. (137-142)
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Define water vapor: | Gaseous physical phase state of H2O. (Highest energy level) |
| State the source of most atmospheric moisture. | Oceans which cover about 70% of Earth's surface. |
| State the two ways that moisture primarily enters the atmosphere. | Evaporation and Transpiration (vapor that enters the atmosphere having passes through plants). |
| Is evaporation a warming or cooling process in terms of the atmosphere? | Cooling; as it requires 2260 joules per gram to accomplish the phase change from liquid to gas. |
| Define arid: | Dry air with little to no moisture content (low relative humidity). |
| Define humid: | Air with about as much moisture content as is possible (high relative humidity) |
| List four (4) factors that affect the rate of evaporation. | *Surface area, Temperature, Wind, degree of air saturation with moisture, |
| Which sample can hold more vapor, hot or cold air? | Hot air, more energy and more space between the air molecules. |
| Define dew point: | The temperature at which condensation will begin to occur. |
| Describe "saturated". | Filled to capacity. |
| When air temperature = dew point, the air is said to be saturated. What will occur? | Condensation, cloud formation, precipitation. |
| Define relative humidity: | The percentage of the atmosphere filled with moisture - relative to the total holding capacity of the air. |
| State the relative humidity when air temperature = dew point. | 100% Relative Humidity, air saturated, ("C-C-P") |
| As air temperature cools and falls towards dew point, what occurs to relative humidity? | It rises towards 100 %, humidity rises. |
| As air temperature warms and rises away from dew point, what occurs to relative humidity? | It falls towards 0 &, air gets drier. |
| Name the instrument used to determine dew point and relative humidity. | Sling Psychrometer. *Two thermometers, dry and wet bulbs. |
| Can you employ the dry and wet bulb temperature readings to compute the dew point and relative humidity using ESRT pg 12? | *See pages (139-140) for instructions!! |
| List the four (4) kinds of precipitation. | Rain, Snow, Sleet, and Hail. Precipitation must be falling!! |
| Describe fog. | Cloud cover at ground level where air temperature must equal dew point, relative humidity must equal 100%, and condensation, cloud formation takes place. |
| Is condensation/cloud formation a warming or cooling process for the atmosphere? | Warming, releasing 2260 joules per gram back into the atmosphere. |
| List the three major cloud types. | Cumulus, Stratus, and Cirrus. |
| What does the term, "nimbo" suggest? | Precipitation. Thus, nimbostratus clouds. Or, cumulonimbus clouds. |
| Explain atmospheric transparency. | How easily the insolation passes through the atmosphere. |
| Define Visibility: | How far one can see out into the distance through the atmosphere. |
| Discuss the role of condensation nuclei. | Condensation must take place upon some surface like an aerosol, dust particle, or other rain drop. No nuclei, no condensation. |
| Please complete the multiple choice questions found on pages 142-144, questions (36 - 60). | Which questions are most difficult to grasp and correctly answer? |