Cloud Formation

8/14/02


Click here to start


Table of Contents

Cloud Formation

Clouds may then be further classified according to species and varieties terms.

Cloud Development

Cumulonimbus

Stratiform Clouds: Flat layered appearance.

Stratus

Stratocumulus: May be caused by either thermal updrafts or turbulent eddies or both.

Processes causing saturation

2. Adding moisture: Dew Point increases to Temperature.

3. Mixing of two unsaturated parcels.

Example problem, pg. 149

Clouds and upslope fog

Other Fogs

zi = thinkness of layer

Radiation Fog: Infrared radiation at night from the ground surface lowers the temperature of the ground and results in lowering of the air in contact with the ground. If the temperature drops to, or below, the dew point temperature, fog forms.

The time the radiation fog begins to form can be approximated by the empirical formula: (7.10) where,

Residual Layer

FA: Free atmosphere layer

Within Atmospheric Boundary Layer

At night: Turbulence in the EZ ceases, leaving a non-turbulent separation layer called the capping inversion (CI), which is strongly statically stable.

The depth of the radiation fog layer can be determined by: (7.11)

Problems

Author: Alcorn

Email: alcorn@ariel.met.tamu.edu

Download presentation source