THOUGHT QUESTIONS – ATMOSPHERIC MOISTURE (part 2)
PSCI 131
DUE: Tuesday, March 25th
NAME: ________________________
25 pts
Write legibly. If I can’t read it, it gets zero points. You may work with others (but remember that, at
exam time, you are on your own). To answer these questions, you will need to read the chapter carefully,
and deduce the answers from what you read. Most answers are not given directly in the text. In
calculations, use correct units wherever applicable.
1. Why is the wet adiabatic rate always less than the dry adiabatic rate? (2 pts)
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2.
What is the difference between the environmental lapse rate and the wet and dry adiabatic rates? (3 pts)
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3. Which of the four processes that cause air to rise is least likely to occur in Michigan, and why? (2 pts)
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4. If Florida were a mountainous peninsula instead of a flat one, would it still have a lot of thunderstorms?
Why or why not? (3 pts)
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5. If the environmental lapse rate for an air parcel is (less than/greater than) the wet adiabatic rate, a
condition of absolute stability will prevail.
6. Under conditions of conditional instability, a rising air parcel cools __________ than the surrounding
atmosphere while the parcel is below its ___________________. Above this, the parcel cools
________________ than the surrounding atmosphere. (3 pts)
7. Describe the condition of absolute instability in terms of the environmental lapse rate, the wet and dry
adiabatic rates, and the type of weather generally associated with this condition. (4 pts)
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8. Which cloud type is most likely to be produced under conditions of absolute instability and high vapor
content? (Circle one answer.)
a. Cirrus
b. Nimbostratus
c. Cumulonimbus
d. Cirrostratus
e. Altostratus
f. A and B
g. B and C
h. None of the above
9. Why do cumulus clouds on a sunny summer day typically not last very long? (2 pts)
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10. Match each picture below with the correct cloud name: (4 pts)
a. Cirrostratus
b. Cirrocumulus
c. Nimbostratus
d. Cirrus
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