Meteorology

water vapor

Cloud base = temperature/dewpoint = #/4.4 per 1000ft
-> Example:
(70F-48F)/4.4 * 1000
- surface is 1000 MSL so 5000+1000 = 6000

Forms when moist, stable air is lifted

- temp/dewpoint is small and decreasing
- temperature is above freezing
- water condenses

- warm moist air
- flatland area
- a clear calm night

- when a layer of warm air moves over a cooler surface via the wind transporting warm air over a cooler surface
- common under cloudy skies
- mostly occurs on coastlines

- low level turbulance
- hazardous icing

- cumuliform clouds
- showey precipitation

- stable
- smooth air
- poor visibility

- the temperature in which air must cool to become saturated

- temp of collecting surface has to be a lower temp than the dewpoint of air
- dewpoint must be below freezing

- is the decrease in temp with an increase in altitude
- indicates unstable air
- low lapse rate is an indicator of the stability in the atmosphere

- warm stable air travels upslope

it will cause a cloud with vertical development and turbulance

height range

- the most turbulant cloud
- needs lifting action and unstable conditions
- one of the tallest clouds

- cumlumus stage: has lifting action and vertical movement resulting in continus updraft
- Mature Stage: the stage of the greatest intensity
- Dissipating Stage: characterized by a ton of downdrafts and weak updrafts. releases latent energy

- created by air downwash from the creation of lift
- intensity depends on aircraft weight, speed, and configuration
- greatest strength occurs when the aircraft generating the lift is heavy, clean, and slow
- be cautious of quartering tailwind when avoiding wake turbulance, because it was the most hazardous

- almond shapped lens cloud
- looks stationary
- can have 50KTs of turbulance
- lenicular cloud
- pilots can expect it in winds of 40 KTS below a mountain ridge

- can occur at any altitude
- expected in areas of low level temperature inversion, frontal zones, and clear air turbulance
- can be expected in temp inversions, when wind speed is 2000-4000 ft above surface at least 25 KTS

- narrow bands of thunderstorms
- develops ahead of a cold front
- contain severe steady state thunderstorms
- presents the most hazardous conditions infront of an aircraft