STUDY GUIDE for Exam Two: STUDY EARLY AND STUDY WITH OTHERS!! Humidity What is the water cycle? What are the names of the phase changes of water and which ones require energy? Which ones release energy? What are the meanings of : specific humidity, relative humidity, dew point? How do they differ? Understand the specific humidity curve (Figure 4.6, p. 118). Be able to calculate relative humidity using the specific humidity curve or the psychrometric tables. Be sure you understand dew and frost formation. What does adiabatic mean? What are the dry and wet adiabatic rates? (Memorize the rates! In both standard and metric units) Why is the wet rate slower than the dry rate? How do they differ from the environmental lapse rate? Be able to work a problem using the adiabatic lapse rates and a parcel of air rising and descending over a mountain. Clouds, Fog, Thunderstorms Cloud formation, lifting condensation level, dew point, condensation nuclei, supercooled water Composition of clouds What are the two shape classes of clouds? What are the three altitude classes of clouds? Know their heights. Know the types of clouds within each altitude class and how to distinguish them from each other. Cumulonimbus clouds, thunderstorm development and anatomy, hail formation process Know the different types of fog. Know the cold cloud precipitation process and the warm cloud precipitation process. Atmospheric Pressure,Wind, Atmospheric Circulation Definition of atmospheric pressure Know the various values of normal atmospheric pressure at sea level.
How do Highs and Lows differ in cross section? Know the latitudes, pressure, characteristics and associated weather of the following: equatorial lows, subtropical highs, subpolar lows, Polar highs. What is wind? What influences wind speed and wind direction. Be able to explain what the Coriolis effect is and how it influences wind direction. Know latitudinal differences in Coriolis deflection. Know the direction of Coriolis deflection in the hemispheres. Know the surface wind directions around Highs and Lows in both hemispheres (Fig 5.15, p. 159). Know the wind direction around highs and lows in the upper atmosphere (Geostrophic) in both hemispheres (Fig 5.22, p. 166). Know the following wind zones: direction, strength, latitudes: Trade winds, doldrums, horse latitudes, polar easterlies, westerlies, polar front zone (Fig 5.16, p. 160). Know the actual locations of Highs and Lows in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres in January and July. Know the names of the High and Low systems (Fig 5.17, p. 161). What are Hadley cells? What are Rossby waves? What are jet streams and where are they located? Air Masses and Fronts Know definition of air masses. What is a source region? What characteristics of a source region determine the type of air mass? Know each air mass type, its source region, its temperature and moisture characteristics. Be able to compare and contrast cold and warm fronts in terms of relative stability, map symbol, associated weather and clouds, cross sectional profile, duration, speed. Be able to explain a stationary front and an occluded front. What is the difference between a cold occlusion and a warm occlusion? What are the symbols for stationary and occluded fronts?
Tornados and Hurricanes What are the stages of cyclogenesis and how are they related to occluded fronts? Be able to recognize the stages of cyclogenesis on weather maps. What are the vital statistics of a tornado (size, duration, speed, wind speed, average path, etc.)? Why do tornados frequent tornado alley and why do they occur in the spring (in U.S.) and late afternoon? How do tornados form? Know the meaning of the following: wind shear, mesocyclone, wall cloud, condensation funnel, debris cloud, hook echo Know the difference between a tornado watch and warning. Know the indoor and outdoor rules of tornado safety. What is the Fujita scale? Global Climate Classification Other names for hurricanes Where do hurricanes originate? How do hurricanes form? What are Easterly Waves? What wind speeds are associated with each storm level (depression, tropical storm, etc)? How do tornados and hurricanes compare? What are the parts of a hurricane? What causes the destruction in a hurricane? What is the Saffir Simpson scale? How do hurricane watches and warnings differ? Difference between weather and climate 3 general climate classes and their characteristics
4 low latitude climates: know their names and characteristics and location on maps. Study their climographs. 6 mid latitude climates: know names, characteristics, location on maps,. Study climographs. 3 high latitude climate types: know names, characteristics, location on maps,. Study climographs. TEXTBOOK READING: (These are important Figures to understand and things that were not discussed in lecture that you should know from the textbook). Chapter Four: Types of precipitation: orographic, convectional (pp.127 128) Unstable air Microbursts Air pollution (141 144) GOES Chapter Five: Wind shear Important Figures: 4.2, 4.6, 4.7, 4.10, 4.12, 4.16, 4.17, 4.22, 4.28, 4.34, El Nino and La Nina (p. 150 151; 171 175)) Pressure change with altitude Local winds: sea/land, mountain/valley ITCZ and monsoons Geostrophic winds Ocean currents and circulation (p. 170 174) Pacific decadal oscillation North Atlantic Oscillation Important Figures : 5.4, 5.7, 5.8, 5.13, 5.15, 5.16, 5.17, 5.18, 5.22, 5.23, 5.26, 5.30
Chapter Six : Chapter Seven: Weather associated with wave cyclones Cyclone tracks and cyclone families TRMM (p. 208 209) Important Figures: 6.4, 6.5, 6.6, 6.7, 6.10, 6.11, 6.20, 6.21, 6.25, Know the following climographs so that you could recognize them on the exam: wet equatorial (Fig 7.14), wet dry tropical (Fig 7.19), desert (Fig 7.24), dry midlatitude (Fig 7.33), moist continental (Fig 7.36), tundra climate (7.41) Important Figures: 7.5, 7.8, 7.13, 7.18, 7.21, 7.27, 7.30, 7.35, 7.37, 7.40