Homework - Stability PDF

EAE 105 Name: Kal Vose Homework _____________________________________________________________________________________ Stability NOAA’s Jet Stream Program https://www.noaa.gov/jetstream/upperair/parcel-theory Go to the website listed above hosted by...

EAE 105 Name: Kal Vose Homework _____________________________________________________________________________________ Stability NOAA’s Jet Stream Program https://www.noaa.gov/jetstream/upperair/parcel-theory Go to the website listed above hosted by NOAA’s Jet Stream Online School for Weather Program and read the sections on the “Upper Air” and read through the sections on ‘Parcel Theory’, ‘Stability’, and “Radiosondes’ to answer the following questions. Give your answers in color and in as few words as possible. (2 pts each, 20 pts total) Parcel Theory 1. What force helps cause a less dense air parcel to rise and a more dense parcel to sink? Gravity 2. What process causes air to rise to cause thunderstorms? Cooler, more dense air undercuts less dense, warmer air and forces it up into the atmosphere. 3. What is a parcel of air? Bubble of air of no definite size that retains its shape and general characteristics as it rises or sinks in the atmosphere. 4. What is the lapse rate (how much it cools per elevation rise) an unsaturated parcel of air? It will cool at a fixed rate of 9.8°C per 1,000 meters. 5. Why does a saturated parcel of air cool at a slower rate? Because the process of water vapor condensing into a liquid releases heat. 6. What does it mean when you say the atmosphere is unstable? The atmosphere is unstable when rising air parcel is warmer than the surrounding air as it rises and the parcel continues to rise. We call this unstable because it can lead to clouds forming and thunderstorms. Stability / Instability 7. (Fill in the Blank) If a parcel of air returns to its initial starting point, then it is considered to be _____. Stable 8. What does it mean when we say the atmosphere is “Conditionally Unstable”? When a force is applied to a parcel that makes it move and it continues to move when the force is removed. Radiosondes 9. What is a Radiosonde? A small instrument package lifted into the atmosphere with a balloon filled with hydrogen or helium. 10. What does a Radiosonde measure? Pressure, temperature, and relative humidity.