Weather Exam 2- WX 201 ERAU Questions
and Answers
Radar Reflectivity
The amount of energy received by the radar that is scattered back to it, usually by precipitation
particles
Attenuation
Reduction of radar power by absorption of radiation by targets
WSR-88D
Weather Surveillance Radar 1988 Doppler
dopplar radar
specialized radar that can detect precipitation and movement of small particles and can approximate
wind speed
Aircraft Radar
Low power(300-500w), 3cm wavelength, more sensitive to precipitation, and more attenuation
Ground Radar
High power(750,000w), 10cm wavelength, less sensitive, and less attenuation
Warm Clouds
Clouds that have above-freezing temperatures at all levels
Cold clouds
clouds that have temperatures below freezing
collision-coalescence
The process by which cloud droplets merge to form raindrops
Factors influencing collision-coalescence
- Warm clouds
- Amount of water in the cloud, diversity of drop sizes, thickness of the cloud, updrafts in the cloud,
and electrical charges
Bergeron Process
- Cold clouds
- Growth of ice crystals through deposition
- Supercooled water, water vapor, and Ice crystals
supercooled water
water droplets having tempatures below freezing that remain in liquid state
, Supersaturated
increase the concentration of (a solution) beyond saturation point.
Riming
Supercooled water droplet freezes onto snowflake producing groupel
Aggregation
snowflakes or ice crystals combine
Graupel
soft, white balls of ice: snowflakes covered in rime
Virga
Precip that evaporates before hitting the ground
Sleet
Ice pellets that form when rain falls through a layer of freezing air
Freezing rain
raindrops that freeze after they hit the ground or other cold surfaces
Hail
precipitation of ice pellets when there are strong rising air currents
Adiabatic process
A process in which no heat is transferred to or from the system by its surroundings.
Air parcel
theoretical bubble of air, poor conductor of heat, adiabatic, not interact energetically with
environment
DALR
dry adiabatic lapse rate
10C per 1Km or 3C per 1000ft
SALR
the saturated adiabatic lapse rate, parcel cooling more slowly as it rises due to latent heat from
condensation
ELR
environmental lapse rate
2C per 1000ft is typical lapse rate
Pressure Gradient Force (PGF)
and Answers
Radar Reflectivity
The amount of energy received by the radar that is scattered back to it, usually by precipitation
particles
Attenuation
Reduction of radar power by absorption of radiation by targets
WSR-88D
Weather Surveillance Radar 1988 Doppler
dopplar radar
specialized radar that can detect precipitation and movement of small particles and can approximate
wind speed
Aircraft Radar
Low power(300-500w), 3cm wavelength, more sensitive to precipitation, and more attenuation
Ground Radar
High power(750,000w), 10cm wavelength, less sensitive, and less attenuation
Warm Clouds
Clouds that have above-freezing temperatures at all levels
Cold clouds
clouds that have temperatures below freezing
collision-coalescence
The process by which cloud droplets merge to form raindrops
Factors influencing collision-coalescence
- Warm clouds
- Amount of water in the cloud, diversity of drop sizes, thickness of the cloud, updrafts in the cloud,
and electrical charges
Bergeron Process
- Cold clouds
- Growth of ice crystals through deposition
- Supercooled water, water vapor, and Ice crystals
supercooled water
water droplets having tempatures below freezing that remain in liquid state
, Supersaturated
increase the concentration of (a solution) beyond saturation point.
Riming
Supercooled water droplet freezes onto snowflake producing groupel
Aggregation
snowflakes or ice crystals combine
Graupel
soft, white balls of ice: snowflakes covered in rime
Virga
Precip that evaporates before hitting the ground
Sleet
Ice pellets that form when rain falls through a layer of freezing air
Freezing rain
raindrops that freeze after they hit the ground or other cold surfaces
Hail
precipitation of ice pellets when there are strong rising air currents
Adiabatic process
A process in which no heat is transferred to or from the system by its surroundings.
Air parcel
theoretical bubble of air, poor conductor of heat, adiabatic, not interact energetically with
environment
DALR
dry adiabatic lapse rate
10C per 1Km or 3C per 1000ft
SALR
the saturated adiabatic lapse rate, parcel cooling more slowly as it rises due to latent heat from
condensation
ELR
environmental lapse rate
2C per 1000ft is typical lapse rate
Pressure Gradient Force (PGF)
