Atmospheric Dynamics Flashcards
6 cards from real AMS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Atmospheric Dynamics flashcards as text
What is the thermal wind relationship?
Answer: Vertical wind shear is related to horizontal temperature gradients
The thermal wind relationship states that vertical wind shear in geostrophic flow is proportional to horizontal temperature gradients.
Which flow regime is characterized by a small Rossby number and quasi-geostrophic balance?
Answer: Synoptic-scale flow
Synoptic-scale systems have small Rossby numbers, making quasi-geostrophic balance a good approximation.
What does divergence in the upper atmosphere typically indicate at the surface?
Answer: Surface low pressure and rising motion
Upper-level divergence removes mass from a column, lowering surface pressure and promoting rising motion.
What is the primary driving mechanism for the jet stream?
Answer: Horizontal temperature gradients in the troposphere
The jet stream is driven by strong horizontal temperature gradients, particularly between polar and tropical air masses.
In ageostrophic wind theory, what causes air to deviate from pure geostrophic flow?
Answer: Acceleration, friction, and curvature effects
Ageostrophic motions arise from accelerations, friction, and curvature terms not captured by pure geostrophic balance.
The omega equation in quasi-geostrophic theory diagnoses which atmospheric variable?
Answer: Vertical motion (pressure velocity)
The omega equation relates vertical motion (ω = dp/dt) to vorticity advection and temperature advection.