Geostrophic winds Study guides, Class notes & Summaries

wx 201 test 2 erau questions and answers station pressure the actual air pressure computed at the observing station sea level pressure the standard level of pressure 29.92 inches ideal gas law the relationship PV=nRT, which describes the behavior of an ideal gas mercury barometer consists of a glass tube open at the bottom end and partially filled with mercury barometric pressure the pressure due to the weight of the atmosphere; also called air pressure or atmospheric p...

Chapter 5 The circulation of the OceansThe Ocean - correct answer Have high heat capacity. So, slight differences in incoming solar radiation from place to place have little impact on surface temperature of ocean (lateral temperature and density differ slightly). The Ocean - correct answer Therefore, the ocean does not circulate as a direct response to surface heating. Wind Stress - correct answer Wind over ocean causes friction at surface --> wind-drift currents (force of wind acting o...

Clouds and precipitation are frequently found on the downwind side of a large lake. This would indicate that the air on the downwind side is a. diverging and sinking b. diverging and rising c. Stable and rising d. converging and rising e. converging and sinking - Answer-e. converging and sinking A geostrophic wind is a wind that results from a balance between the ( ) force and the ( ) force. a. Coriolis; pressure gradient b. Coriolis; gravitational c. pressure gradient frictiona...

What is a constant pressure surface? - Answer Maps that show areas of constant pressure, similar to constant height maps How are low and high heights related to temperatures below that pressure surface? - Answer Low heights mean cool air below High heights mean warm air below How do you identify ridges and troughs on an upper air map? - Answer Ridges have are at the top of a hill Troughs are at the bottom, like a valley What is the pressure gradient force? In what direction does it ac...

any force has 2 measurable characteristics magnitude (size or strength) and direction Pressure Gradient Force (PGF) the gradient of any physical quantity is a measure of the difference in the value of that quantity at two different locations divided by the distance between those two locations PGF Equations X2 - X1 / D PGF moves from high pressure to low pressure isobars same pressure so PGF is perpendicular to isobars here Coriolis Effect the effect that ...

Constant Pressure - Answer A surface in the atmosphere where the pressure is equal everywhere along that surface Higher heights=____;Lower heights=____. - Answer Warmer air;colder air Isotherms - Answer Lines of equal temperature Ridges - Answer Elongated highs where air is warmer and indicating depressions Troughs - Answer Elongated lows where air is colder. Pressure gradient force (PGF) - Answer Directed from higher towards lower pressure at right angles to the isobars; force th...

WX 201 Final Review Exam Questions with Correct Answers Clouds and precipitation are frequently found on the downwind side of a large lake. This would indicate that the air on the downwind side is a. diverging and sinking b. diverging and rising c. Stable and rising d. converging and rising e. converging and sinking - Answer-e. converging and sinking A geostrophic wind is a wind that results from a balance between the ( ) force and the ( ) force. a. Coriolis; pressure gradient ...

One way to change air pressure is to.. - ANSWER-move up or down in the atmosphere Pressure decreases with.. - ANSWER-height Can a plane door really be opened while in flight? - ANSWER-Cant open the door, they open in first and then open out Air pressure outside of the plane is very low, the cabin pressure is much greater Adding cold air to an air column will.. - ANSWER-shorten the column Adding warm air to an air column will.. - ANSWER-expand/make the air column taller Horizont...

WX 201 Exam 2 Questions with Correct Answers Isobaric (constant pressure) surface - Answer-• Constant pressure at all points (altitude varies) • Higher (lower) heights form over warm (cold) air • High (low) heights correspond to regions of high (low) pressure • Stronger height gradient Þ stronger wind • Winds parallel to height contours (geostrophic) Sources of vertical motion - Answer-· May generate precipitation o 1. Convergence/divergence o 2. Orography (topography) o 3...

WX 201 Exam 3 with correct Answers The contour lines drawn on a 500 mb chart are lines of constant height The unit of pressure most commonly found on a surface weather map is millibars or hectopascals Isobaric surfaces are ____ in warm, less-dense air and ____in cold, more-dense air. higher; lower Because of friction, surface winds move ____ winds aloft with the same pressure gradient. more slowly than The pressure gradient force is directed from higher pressure toward l...