ATMO 9/23 Test Review

Exam Topics:
- Composition: 2
- Kinetic Model: 1
- Vertical Structure: 2 (1 short answer)
- Water in Atmosphere/Phase changes: 4 (1 short answer)
- Skew-T: 3
- Move parcels up & down/Cloud formation: 2 (2 s.a.)
- Compute RH, Td: 2
- Hurricanes: 7 (2 s.a.)
- Energy transfer/human comfort: 1 (2 s.a.)

- Total Multiple Choice: 24
- Short Answer: 4/8
- Dew forms when dew point is above 0C
- Rising parcels of air cool because the parcel expands as the air pressure around it decreases
- *KNOW* RH = U (Td) / Us (T)
- *KNOW* U = RH*Us
- *BRING* Calculator!
- 500 mb level winds direct storms
- Air moves upward because of convergence in the lower troposphere (Surface Low) OR diverging air in the upper troposphere
- Storms are named at the tropical storm strength
- The lower the surface pressure, the stronger the storm
- Air pressure decreases as altitude increases because of the weight of the air above you decreases
- As altitude increases, air pressure decreases and the saturation vapor pressure decreases which allows water to boil at a lower temperature with increasing altitude
- Misters spraying water into the air causes the air temperature to drop due to evaporation and the relative humidity goes up (because U or Td is rising, and Us or T is dropping)
- Latent heat is the heat absorbed or given off by water during phase changes. (Evaporation causes heat to be removed from the lower Troposphere, and when it condenses in the upper troposphere it will release the energy, giving off latent heat) (*Use evaporation and condensation in your answer)
- Lower RH allows sweat to evaporate at a faster rate which allows the body to cool more efficiently than in higher humidities. Sitting in front of a fan can help someone suffering from hyperthermia because the increased winds increases the rate of evaporation. The fan also increases the rate of heat loss by "forced convection" (removes the thin layer of warm air around your body/skin)
- Compression causes a parcel of air to increase temperature when it's moving downward. Evaporation of rain drops also causes temperature to increase.

- Hurricanes have air converging in at the bottom and rising to diverge at the top
- The peak in the Atlantic Hurricane season is Sept. 10th
- Western North Pacific Ocean where typhoons occur is where there is the most storms
- Rising vertical air will most likely be found above a surface low
- The argument of global warming causing increasing hurricane damages is basically correct. The conclusions aren't valid because it doesn't consider the multi-decadal cycle and the presence of wind shear.
- Tends to be about 90-100 hurricanes per year even with the warmer sea surface temperatures
- Warning area is much larger than the area forecast to get hit by hurricane force winds because of the inaccuracy of forecasts. (24 hours could be 100 mile off)
- Right-front quadrant will have the most destructive winds and storm surge
- More uncertainty about strengthening or weakening than forecasting location (A cat2 could become a cat5 without much warning)