states of water: related to energy and
motion, solid, liquid, vapor, melting, evaporation, sublimation, freezing, condensation, deposition;
absolutehumidity - mass of water in a given volume of air (g/kg); vapor content of air
relative humidity - "fullness" of the air,
capacity is temperature dependent (as T increases, capacity increases),
measured in percent
amount of vapor x 100
max. capacity
dew point- temperature where RH = 100% air reaches saturation and condensation overwhelms evaporation, measures the amount of moisture in the air
fog: air cooled by cold surface, radiation fog, advection fog (San Francisco type)
clouds: adiabatic cooling, as air rises, it expands and temperature decreases, relative humidity increases, if RH=100% condensation occurs and clouds form
Causes of uplift- convectional (thermal uplift, warm air rises), orographic
lifting , frontal lifting, convergence
classification of clouds: cirrus, stratus, cumulus,
lenticular, fog
Precipitation: rain,
snow, sleet, hail, freezing rain (glaze)
Describe the three states of H2O
and the
processes that connect them.
Explain relative humidity. How is it calculated? What is its relationship to dew point? Explain how relative humidity can be raised or lowered.
Be able to interpret the graph of water vapor content vs. temperature. (homework) Be able to determine the vapor capacity of air at a given temperature, to calculate the relative humidity given temperature and vapor content, to determine the dew point if given vapor content, and to use dew point to determine vapor content.
What is fog? Describe two ways in which
it forms. What role does wind play in each?
Describe how uplift and adiabatic cooling causes clouds to form. Describe the main types of clouds.
Describe the main ways of causing the
initial uplift of air masses. What type of clouds are associated
with surface heating and convection? What type of clouds are
associated with orographic lifting?
Compare and contrast the types of
precipitation: rain, snow, sleet, freezing rain, hail.
Which requires a strong updraft in order to form?
Be able to identify clouds from photographs.