Humidity & Water Vapor
What is the most variable gas in the atmosphere, important for energy exchange and weather formation?
Water vapor
What does “adiabatic” mean in the context of atmospheric processes?
Temperature changes occur without heat exchange with the environment
What two conditions are required for clouds to form?
Cooling of air to the dew point and condensation on nuclei
What is fog?
A cloud that forms at or near the ground
Define “stability” in the atmosphere.
The tendency of air to resist vertical motion
What term refers to the amount of water vapor in the air?
Humidity
What is the Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate (DALR)?
10°C per 1000 meters
What is the altitude where rising air reaches saturation?
Lifting Condensation Level (LCL)
Which type of fog forms when air cools overnight due to radiational cooling?
Radiation fog
When does an air parcel rise freely through the atmosphere?
When it is warmer (less dense) than its surroundings
What is the ratio of the actual amount of water vapor to the maximum possible at a given temperature?
Relative humidity
What is the Moist Adiabatic Lapse Rate (MALR)?
6°C per 1000 meters
Which lifting mechanism occurs when air is forced to rise over a mountain barrier?
Orographic lifting
Which type of fog forms when warm, moist air moves over a cold surface?
Advection fog
What type of stability occurs when the ELR is greater than the DALR?
Absolute instability
What happens to relative humidity when air temperature increases but water vapor content remains the same?
Relative humidity decreases
What is the Environmental Lapse Rate (ELR)?
The actual measured rate of temperature change with height in the atmosphere
Which lifting mechanism occurs when warm and cold air masses meet?
Frontal lifting
Which fog forms when air is forced up a slope and cools adiabatically?
upslope fog
What type of stability occurs when the ELR is between the MALR and DALR?
Conditional instability
What temperature must air cool to in order to reach saturation?
Dew point temperature
When is air considered absolutely stable?
When the ELR is less than the MALR
Which type of cloud has a vertical development and is associated with thunderstorms?
Cumulonimbus
What is the difference between drizzle and rain according to droplet size?
Drizzle has smaller droplets than rain
What weather conditions are typically associated with unstable air?
cloudy, stormy, turbulent weather