ATSC 110 Test 3 Questions with All Correct Answers
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Course
ATSC 110
Institution
ATSC 110
ATSC 110 Test 3 Questions with All Correct Answers
What cause wind gusts? - Answer- -near the surface, wind flows over the irregular landscape and objects
-wind breaks into a series of irregular, twisting eddies that can influence the air flow for hundreds of meters above the surface
-within ...
ATSC 110 Test 3 Questions with All
Correct Answers
What cause wind gusts? - Answer- -near the surface, wind flows over the irregular
landscape and objects
-wind breaks into a series of irregular, twisting eddies that can influence the air flow for
hundreds of meters above the surface
-within each eddy, the wind speed and direction fluctuate rapidly producing the irregular
air motion known as "wind gusts"
What is the height of the 'planetary boundary' or 'friction' layer'? - Answer- -height is
normally from the surface to 1000m AGL
-this height can be higher in areas where the terrain is rough, or where the winds are
stronger since both increase the height of the frictional force above the surface
Why are winds near the surface typically stronger and more gusty in the afternoon? -
Answer- -thermal turbulence increases with increasing surface heating and instability
-greater instability also leads to a greater exchange of faster moving air from upper
levels with slower moving air at lower levels
-this exchange increases the average wind speed near the surface during the afternoon
since the daytime heating of the earth's surface increases the instability of the lower
atmosphere during afternoon hours
What three factors contribute to the depth of mixing and hence, frictional influence in the
planetary boundary (friction) layer? - Answer- 1. Surface heating --> produce a steep
lapse rate and strong thermal turbulence
2. Strong wind speeds --> produce strong mechanical turbulent motions
3. Rough or Hilly Landscape --> produce strong mechanical turbulence
Define Wind Shear - Answer- a sudden change in wind speed or direction (or both)
-the greater the change over a uniform distance, the greater the wind shear value
Define Clear Air Turbulence - Answer- -wind shears create forces that produce eddies
within a mixing zone
-on top of the mixing zone you have strong winds and on the bottom lighter winds
-if eddies form in the mixing zone in clear air, this form of turbulence is clear air
turbulence or CAT
-on occasion cloud formations within the mixing zone will give visual evidence of CAT
(known as Kelvin-Helmholtz Waves)
, Explain how shelterbelts protect crops from wind damage. - Answer- -they consists of a
mixture of conifer and deciduous trees so the wind blowing through the shelterbelt will
break down into small eddies
-these smaller eddies have little mixing effect on the air near the surface which
minimizes the damage to sensitive crops or reduce the amount of soil erosion on bare
fields
What three factors determine the height of "wind created waves" over a body of water? -
Answer- -wind speed
-length of time the wind has been blowing
-the fetch (distance over water the wind blows)
A wind direction is reported as 310 degrees. From what compass direction is the wind
coming from? - Answer- Northwest to southeast
-winds are named from which they came
Wind direction is given as the direction from which the wind is blowing. some localized
winds may be expresses differently relating to the wind's interaction with land vs water
or terrain. Identify a few of these winds. - Answer- -Onshore Wind --> wind blowing from
water onto land (daytime)
-Offshore Wind --> wind blowing from land to water (nighttime)
-Upslope Wind --> air moving uphill (daytime)
-Downslope Wind --> air moving downhill (nighttime)
What is a "prevailing wind"? What is the prevailing wind in ND? - Answer- -the name
given to the wind direction most often observed during a time period of one year
-prevailing wind in ND is a northwest wind
Explain how a "thermal circulation" develops. - Answer- -its produced by the unequal
heating and cooling of the atmosphere near the surface
-air movement is initiated aloft where warm air from the high pressure ridge moves
toward the colder air associated with the low pressure trough
-the transfer of air away from the ridge will cause a low pressure system to form at the
surface and a high pressure system to form at the surface above the region where the
air is moving to
Give an example where the development of a 'thermal circulation' cell can influence the
weather. - Answer- -the development of land and sea breeze across Florida during the
summer months
-the interaction between the temperature differences of the land an surrounding water
during the day and night will cause a reversal of the daily wind pattern which can
influence the development of thunderstorm activity across the Florida peninsula
What is the difference between a "valley" and "mountain" breeze? when do they form? -
Answer- -Valley: a gentle up slope wind; forms with the onset of surface heating on the
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