ATOC 1050 Lecture 8: Lecture 8 2/9/17
11 Feb 2017
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Chapter 5 cloud development and precipitation lecture 8 notes. What causes a cloud to form: saturation, cloud condensation nuclei. What causes air to become saturated: cooling, addition of water vapor. Rising motion causes air to expand and cool. What causes rising motion: 4 mechanisms topographic lift. Du(cid:396)i(cid:374)g (cid:449)a(cid:396)(cid:373) su(cid:373)(cid:373)e(cid:396) days, u(cid:374)e(cid:395)ual heati(cid:374)g of ea(cid:396)th"s su(cid:396)face causes so(cid:373)e ai(cid:396) pa(cid:396)cels to be warmed more than others. These warmed parcels are less dense than other parcels, causing them to rise in atmosphere. Process that produces these thermals = localized convective lifting. Topographic lifting occurs when air is forced to rise over a mountain range. Air cools off adiabatically and condensation occurs when saturation is reached. Mountains force air to rise, cool and condense. Rain shadow = region on the leeward side of a mountain where precipitation is low and air is drier: this is because water vapor condenses on the windward side and remains as cloud droplets or precipitation.
