Name ______Pd. ______Date ______

ESGT 2012-2013 Study Guide – Water in the Atmosphere

Vocabulary:

Latent heat relative humidity adiabatic cooling rain

Precipitation dew point advective cooling sleet

Evaporation psychrometer condensation level

Condensation hygrometer stratus clouds (alto, cirrus, cumulus, nimbo)

Sublimation cloud cumulus clouds (cirro, alto, nimbus )

Absolute humidity condensation nuclei cirrus clouds

Advective fog radiation fog steam fog snow

Upslope fog coalescence super cooling hail

Freezing nuclei rain guage Doppler radar glaze

Cloud seeding transpiration deposition

Focus Questions:

1.  Label the diagram with the release or absorption of energy (Heat) in each case of water changing phase

2.  Define the term “latent heat” and explain how latent heat leads to the cooling of surfaces that have water evaporate from them.

3.  How does most water vapor end up in the atmosphere? Be specific…. how and from where?

4.  Compare relative and absolute humidity

5.  The readings on a sling psychrometer are 22oC for the dry-bulb thermometer and 17oC for the wet-bulb thermometer. What is the relative humidity? Show your work by filling in the table below.

Dry Bulb Temp. / Wet Bulb Temp. / Difference between Wet & Dry Bulbs / Relative Humidity

6.  The readings on a sling psychrometer are 4oC for the dry-bulb thermometer and 0oC for the wet-bulb thermometer. What is the Dew Point? Show your work by filling in the table below.

Dry Bulb Temp. / Wet Bulb Temp. / Difference between Wet & Dry Bulbs / Dew Point

7.  Suppose the relative humidity of the air is 76% and the reading of the dry-bulb thermometer is 100C. What is the reading of the Dew Point? Show your work by filling in the table below.

Dry Bulb Temp. / Wet Bulb Temp. / Difference between Wet & Dry Bulbs / Dew Point

8.  The relative humidity in one area is 65%, the relative humidity in another area is 70%. You see that clouds have formed in the area with 65% relative humidity. What could explain this phenomenon?

9.  Clouds form because a mass of air with a given amount of water vapor rises until it

reaches its ______. At this point water vapor ______

around particles called ______.

10.  What will be the altitude of the condensation level if the temperature at sea level is 30°C and the air’s dew point is 20°C? (hint: the average atmospheric lapse rate is 6.5°C/km).

11.  Cloud classification is defined by the clouds ______and their ______.

12.  What are the characteristics that help you identify of Stratus clouds, cumulus clouds, and cirrus clouds.

13.  What does the term “nimbus” mean when describing clouds.

14.  What weather might you expect if you see the following cloud types

a. Cirrus
b. cirrocumulus
c. altocumulus
d. altostratus
e. stratocumulus
f. cumulus
g. cumulonimbus

15.  Compare and contrast the different types of fog.

16.  What temperature profiles are necessary to produce: rain, sleet, snow, hail, glaze

17. What are the 2 causes of precipitation?

19. Describe cloud seeding.