Stratospheric Knowledge
This layer of the atmosphere contains most weather phenomena and decreases in temperature with height.
What is the troposphere?
This force slows winds near Earth’s surface.
What is friction?
These high, wispy clouds are composed primarily of ice crystals.
What are cirrus clouds?
This is any form of water, liquid or solid, that falls from clouds and reaches the ground.
What is precipitation?
This force initiates wind by causing air to move from high to low pressure.
What is pressure gradient force?
The boundary between the troposphere and the stratosphere is called this.
What is the tropopause?
This apparent force is caused by Earth’s rotation.
What is Coriolis force?
This cloud type is associated with thunderstorms and severe weather.
What is a cumulonimbus cloud?
This precipitation type consists of ice pellets formed when raindrops refreeze before reaching the ground.
What is sleet?
Lines on a weather map that tell us about pressure
What are isobars?
This layer contains the ozone maximum and experiences temperature increases with height due to UV absorption.
What is the stratosphere?
This layer of the atmosphere is most directly influenced by surface friction.
What is the planetary boundary layer?
This occurs when liquid droplets remain unfrozen below 0°C.
What is supercooled water?
This lifting mechanism occurs when air is forced upward over mountains.
What is orographic lifting?
These steady tropical winds blow from east to west near the equator.
What are the trade winds?
This upper-level wind maximum forms along strong horizontal temperature gradients.
What is the jet stream?
This term describes a change in wind speed or direction with height.
What is wind shear?
Clouds form when air cools to this temperature.
What is the dew-point temperature?
This type of fog forms when warm, moist air moves horizontally over a colder surface.
What is advection fog?
This process cools air without adding or removing heat from the surrounding environment.
What is adiabatic cooling?
This occurs when air temperature increases with height instead of decreasing.
What is a temperature inversion?
When winds blow parallel to straight isobars with no friction, they are called these.
What are geostrophic winds?
This microscopic particle provides a surface for water vapor to condense upon in cloud formation.
What is a cloud condensation nucleus (CCN)?
When supercooled raindrops freeze on contact with surfaces, this type of precipitation occurs.
What is freezing rain?
The Coriolis force is zero at this latitude.
What is the equator?