Cloud Identification

Cloud Identification--KEY Cumulus Nimbostratus Stratocumulus Stratus Altocumulus or Cirrocumulus Cirrus Cumulonimbus

Cloud Identification: #1

Cloud Identification: #2

Cloud Identification: #3

Cloud Identification: #4

Cloud Identification: #5

Cloud Identification: #6

Cloud Identification: #7

Precipitation Identification

Precipitation Identification—KEY 1. _____Sleet or Glaze_________________________ How do you know? Precipitation will fall, melt in the warm layer and then freeze in the underlying cold air. 2. _____Rain or Drizzle__________________________ How do you know? The air temperature is above freezing. This means that the precipitation will be in liquid form. 3. ____Hail__________________________ How do you know? Violent updrafts force liquid particles high up into the cloud. Here, water vapor freezes onto them and the fall. More violent updrafts keep this cycle going until the air can no longer support the particle. This particle that falls to the ground in called hail. This can only happen in a cumulonimbus cloud. 4. ___Snow___________________________ How do you know? The air temperature is below freezing. This means that the precipitation will not be in liquid form. The higher the relative humidity, the more water content in the snow. In this case, we’ll likely have “heavy/wet” snow.

Precipitation Identification: #1 A layer of warm air is overlying a layer of cold air. Which type of precipitation will likely occur? Why?

Precipitation Identification: #2 From the ground up to the cloud base, the air temperature is above freezing. Which type of precipitation will likely occur? Why?

Precipitation Identification: #3 A cumulonimbus cloud is forming. Pockets of very unstable air are being forced upward into the cloud, creating violent updrafts. Which type of precipitation will likely occur? Why?

Precipitation Identification: #4 From the ground up to the cloud base, the air temperature is below freezing. The relative humidity is 80%. Which type of precipitation will likely occur? Why?

Dew Point & Relative Humidity

Dew Point & Relative Humidity—KEY 57% 100% 25⁰C 5.25g/kg Yes! 100% saturation 0⁰C

Maximum Capacity of Water Vapor An air parcel has a temperature of 10⁰C. There are 4g/kg of water vapor in the air parcel. What is the relative humidity?

Maximum Capacity of Water Vapor An air parcel has a temperature of -30⁰C. There are 0.3g/kg of water vapor in the air parcel. What is the relative humidity?

Maximum Capacity of Water Vapor An air parcel has a relative humidity of 50%. There are 10g/kg of water vapor in the air. What is the temperature of the air parcel?

Maximum Capacity of Water Vapor An air parcel has a relative humidity of 75% and a temperature of -10⁰C. How much water vapor is in the air?

Maximum Capacity of Water Vapor A 15 ⁰C parcel of air is at 50% relative humidity evening. By morning, the moisture content has remained the same, but the temperature dropped by 10 ⁰C. Will there be dew on the grass in the morning? Explain your choice.

Maximum Capacity of Water Vapor An air parcel has a temperature of 10 ⁰C and is at 50% relative humidity. If the moisture content remains the same, to what temperature must the parcel be cooled to reach the dew point?

Air Stability

Air Stability—KEY 1. 15⁰C, 5⁰C, -5⁰C, -15⁰C 2. 15⁰C, 10⁰C, 5⁰C, 0⁰C 3. Air Parcel: 25⁰C, 15⁰C, 5⁰C, -5⁰C, -15⁰C, -25⁰C, -35⁰C Environment: 25⁰C, 19⁰C, 13⁰C, 7⁰C, 1⁰C, -6⁰C, -13⁰C  Stable air 4. Air Parcel: 15⁰C, 9⁰C, 3⁰C, -3⁰C, -9⁰C, -15⁰C, -21⁰C Environment: 15⁰C, 3⁰C, -9⁰C, -21⁰C, -33⁰C, -45⁰C, -57⁰C Unstable air 5. Air Parcel: 30⁰C, 24⁰C, 18⁰C, 12⁰C, -6⁰C, -6⁰C, -1⁰C Environment: 30⁰C, 22⁰C, 14⁰C, 6⁰C, -2⁰C, -10⁰C, -18⁰C  Unstable air

A rising, unsaturated air parcel will cool at a dry adiabatic rate of 10°C/1000 m. Assuming this lapse rate and an air parcel starting with a surface temperature of 15°C, what would be the temperature of the air parcel at 1000, 2000, and 3000 meters? Place your answers in the table below. Height (meters) Temperature (⁰C) 3000   2000 1000 Surface

A rising, saturated air parcel will cool at a variable wet adiabatic rate. Assume a lapse rate of 5°C/1000 m and an air parcel starting with a surface temperature of 15°C, what would be the temperature of the air parcel at 1000, 2000, and 3000 meters? Height (meters) Temperature (⁰C) 3000   2000 1000 Surface

Is this air stable or unstable? How do you know? A parcel of air is cooling at the dry adiabatic rate (10⁰C per 1000m). Its surface temperature is 25⁰C. The environmental lapse rate is 6⁰C. Is this air stable or unstable? How do you know?

Is this air stable or unstable? How do you know? A parcel of air is cooling at the wet adiabatic rate of 6⁰C/1000m. Its surface temperature is 15⁰C. The environmental lapse rate is 12⁰C. Is this air stable or unstable? How do you know?

Is this air stable or unstable? How do you know? A parcel of air is cooling at the wet adiabatic rate of 6⁰C/1000m. Its surface temperature is 30⁰C. The environmental lapse rate is 8⁰C. Is this air stable or unstable? How do you know?