Exam 6: Stability and Cloud Development

Usually when a cumulonimbus cloud begins to dissipate, the bottom half of the cloud dissipates first.

If an air parcel is given a small push upward and it continues to move upward on its own accord, the atmosphere is said to be ____.

Inversions that form as air slowly sinks over a large area are called ____ inversions.

If an air parcel is given a small push upward and it falls back to its original position, the atmosphere is said to be ____.

A knowledge of air stability is important because it determines ____.

A hot "bubble" of air is called a ____________________.

If the environmental lapse rate is less than the moist adiabatic rate, the atmosphere is ____.

If you were to take a trip during the summer from Ohio to Nevada, you would most likely observe that afternoon cumulus clouds as you travel west.

When rising air cools to its dew-point temperature, its relative humidity typically is ____ percent.

What is a stable atmosphere, and how can it form?

It is possible for a layer of air to be convectively unstable and absolutely stable at the same time.

Which environmental lapse rate represents the most UNSTABLE atmosphere in a layer of unsaturated air?

How does daytime heating at the ground during the day affect atmospheric stability?

When cloud elements become arranged in rows they are called cloud ____.

The stability of the atmosphere above the condensation level plays a major role in determining the vertical growth of a cumulus cloud. When a deep conditionally unstable layer exists above the cloud base, ____ are likely to grow.

The potential instability brought about by the lifting of a stable layer whose surface is humid and whose top is "dry" is called ____________________.

The elevation where clouds form is called ____ level.

At Earth's surface, a rising saturated air parcel cools at the ____.

Dry adiabatic cooling and warming rates are approximately ____ of change in elevation.

Which of the following is NOT a typical reason surface air warms?