GEOG 1112 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Meteorology, Atacama Desert, Weather Map

• School: University of Georgia
• Department: Geography
• Course: GEOG 1112
• Professor: Stan Hopkins

Document Summary

** a thunderstorm (t-storm) is a cumulus cloud which has developed sufficiently to produce precipitation and thus be classified as a cumulonimbus (cn) cloud. It also is producing the characteristic events of lightning and thunder. Warm, moist air : which releases latent energy when lifted to provide buoyancy and maintain lift. High surface temperatures: enhances instability, air parcel warming and uplift. Cumulus stage: initial build- up of cumulus clouds fueled by updrafts (up to 160 kph) or warm, moist air cooling adiabatically; droplet formation by bergeron process & collision- Mature stage in which raindrops start to fall, initiating downdrafts. The process of entrainment (an influx of cool, dry surrounding air) helps to fuel the downdrafts. Heavy rains, lightning, & thunder, are most intense during this stage. (mixture of updrafts and downdrafts in this stage. ) Dissipating stage occurs as the rate and amount of rain lessens with the loss of warm, moist air.