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 force causes wind to deflect to the right in the Northern Hemisphere?
Answer: Coriolis force
The Coriolis force, caused by Earth's rotation, deflects moving air to the right in the Northern Hemisphere.
In geostrophic balance, which two forces are equal and opposite?
Answer: Pressure gradient force and Coriolis force
Geostrophic balance occurs when the horizontal pressure gradient force exactly balances the Coriolis force.
What is the Rossby number used to measure?
Answer: Relative importance of rotation vs. inertia in atmospheric flow
The Rossby number compares inertial forces to Coriolis forces, indicating when rotation becomes dynamically important.
Vorticity in meteorology refers to which property of atmospheric flow?
Answer: Spinning or rotating motion
Vorticity measures the local rotation or spin of air parcels within the atmosphere.
What does potential vorticity conservation imply for a column of air that stretches vertically?
Answer: Its relative vorticity increases
When an air column stretches, relative vorticity must increase to conserve potential vorticity.
Which equation describes the conservation of mass in atmospheric dynamics?
Answer: Continuity equation
The continuity equation ensures that mass is neither created nor destroyed within an air volume.