Cloud Formation：.ppt

Warm Up 3/14 Which gas is most important for understanding atmospheric processes? a. water vapor c. carbon dioxide b. oxygen d. ozone What is true about warm, saturated air? a. It contains less water vapor than cold air. b. It contains more water vapor than cold air. c. It does not contain any water vapor. d. It contains the same amount of water vapor as cold air. If the water-vapor content of air remains constant, lowering air temperature causes a(n) ____. a. decrease in relative humidity b. increase in relative humidity c. increase in evaporation d. temperature inversion Answers: 1) a. 2) b. 3) b. Cloud Formation Chapter 18. Section 2 Air Compression and Expansion Temperature changes that happen even though heat isn’t added or subtracted are called adiabatic temperature changes When air is allowed to expand, it cools, and when it is compressed, it warms Any time a volume of air moves upward, it passes through regions of successive lower pressure Dry Adiabatic Rate – the rate of adiabatic warming or cooling in unsaturated air (1oC/100 m) Wet Adiabatic Rate – the rate of adiabatic temperature change in saturated air; it is always less than the dry adiabatic rate Cloud Formation by Adiabatic Cooling Concept Check What happens to heat stored in water vapor when it is cooled to its dew point? Latent heat is released. Orographic Lifting and Frontal Wedging Four mechanisms that can cause air to rise are orographic lifting, frontal wedging, convergence, and localized convective lifting Orographic Lifting – mountains acting as barriers to the flow of air, forcing the air to ascend Many of the rainiest places on Earth are located on windward mountain slopes By the time the air has reached the leeward side of the mountain, much of its moisture has been lost Front – the boundary between two adjoining air masses having contrasting characteristics The cooler denser air acts as a barrier over which the warmer, less dense air rises Orographic Lifting