What are four characteristics of stable air?
Explanation: characteristics of stable air: stratiform clouds, continuous precipitation, smooth air, poor visibility. A and B are incorrect because of the following characteristics of unstable air: cumulus clouds, showery precipitation, turbulence, good visibility.
What is a characteristic of stable air quizlet?
What is a characteristic of stable air? Stratiform clouds. Explanation: Stable air masses are calm; stratiform clouds are smooth and they do not build vertically like cumulus clouds.
Which of the following is a characteristic of a stable air mass?
Stable air masses are also characterized by smooth, undisturbed air. This quality can be seen mainly by pilots or air travelers. People flying through stable air masses will not experience violent turbulence or disturbances as they would in unstable air masses.
What are stable air conditions?
The atmosphere is said to be absolutely stable if the environmental lapse rate is less than the moist adiabatic lapse rate. This means that a rising air parcel will always cool at a faster rate than the environment, even after it reaches saturation.
What are the characteristics of stable air pilot?
Stable Air vs Unstable Air
| Stable Air | Unstable Air | |
|---|---|---|
| Icing | Rime, freezing rain, or clear ice | Moderate to heavy clear ice |
| Visibility | Restricted for long periods | Good, outside areas of precipitation |
| Other | Frost; dew; temperature inversions; little or no turbulence | High and/or gusty winds; potential for turbulence; lightning |
How does stable air differ from unstable air?
Stable air resists upward movement, whereas unstable air does not. Clouds formed when stable air is forced to rise are generally thin and precipitation, if any, is moderate or light. Conversely, when unstable air rises, clouds are often towering and precipitation can be heavy.
What are characteristics of moist unstable air?
What are characteristics of a moist, unstable air mass? Turbulence and showery precipitation.
What conditions cause a stable air mass quizlet?
Indicates stability: stability of the atmosphere is determined by vertical movements of air. Warm air rises when the air above is cooler. Cooling from below: surrounding air is warmer, which would increase the stability of an air mass.
What is stable air mass?
Air mass having a stable stratification in its lower layer, and consequently free from convection, having a low degree of turbulence, and containing either stratiform clouds, fog, or no clouds at all.
What characteristics indicate unstable air?
Let's examine. Air is considered unstable, in the lowest layers of an air mass when the air is warmer and or more humid than the surrounding air. When this occurs the air will rise, as that air parcel is warmer than the air surrounding it. In an unstable environment, the weather can change suddenly and can be violent.
What is the difference between stable and unstable air quizlet?
stable air – happens when warm air stays above cold air. The weather is likely to remain calm. unstable air – happens when there is a quick change in temperature.
How is the stability of air determined?
The degree of stability or instability of an atmospheric layer is determined by comparing its temperature lapse rate, as shown by a sounding, with the appropriate adiabatic rate. A temperature lapse rate less than the dry adiabatic rate of 5.5°F.
What makes air stable or unstable?
What makes air stable or unstable? It is the vertical profile of temperature, or lapse rate of the atmosphere, which determines whether an air mass is stable or not.
What are characteristics of a most unstable air mass?
To be "unstable", the lowest layers of an air mass must be so warm and/or humid that, if some of the air rises, then that air parcel is warmer than its environment, and so it continues to rise. This is called moist convection.
Which air mass is more stable?
If warm air is over cold air, this is stable. If cold air is over warm air this is unstable. For this reason, tropical air masses are usually less stable than polar air masses.
What increases the stability of an air mass?
Cool air moving over a warm surface is heated from below, generating instability and increasing the possibility of showers. Warm air moving over a cool surface is cooled from below, increasing stability. If air is cooled to its dew point, stratus and/or fog forms.
What does it mean if air is stable or unstable?
Weather is strongly affected by how stable or unstable the atmosphere is. Stable air means that the weather is likely to be calm. It may rain or snow slowly and steadily, it may be sunny, but the weather will not change quickly. Unstable air means that the weather might change quickly with very little warning.
What affects air stability?
Three characteristics of the sounding then determine the stability of the atmospheric layer in which the parcel of air is embedded. These are: (1) The temperature lapse rate through the layer; (2) temperature of the parcel at its initial level; and (3) initial dew point of the parcel.
What are the factors that affect the stability of air?
The value of the environmental lapse rate is one of the main factors that determines whether the atmosphere will be stable or unstable. Warming the air above the ground and/or cooling the air next to the ground will make the atmosphere more stable. The ground and the air above it cool during the night.
How is the stability of air determined quizlet?
Stability is determined by comparing the density of air parcel to the environmental air surrounding the parcel. Air parcels displaced upward that become more dense than their environment will return to their original position indicating a stable environment.
What measure can be used to determine the stability of the atmosphere?
The degree of stability or instability of an atmospheric layer is determined by comparing its temperature lapse rate, as shown by a sounding, with the appropriate adiabatic rate. A temperature lapse rate less than the dry adiabatic rate of 5.5°F.
What clouds form in a stable atmosphere?
Any clouds that form as a result will be thin and horizontal such as cirrostratus, altostratus, nimbostratus, and stratus clouds. All of these cloud types are associated with stable air.