Meteorology and the Bronze C

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Meteorology and the Bronze C

• Kent Gliding Club

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The Atmosphere
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21
78
water (vapour or liquid)
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The Atmosphere

• 1kg / cm2
• 14.7 lbs / in2
• 1 bar 1,000 mb
• ICAO Standard Atmosphere 1013.2 mb 15C

200 miles (1m feet)
1 mb per 30 to 5,000
30,000 ft
5,000 ft
Not to scale
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Pressure
High
Low
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Pressure
High
ISOBARS Lines of equal pressure
Low
Depression
Anticyclone
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(No Transcript)
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Gradient wind
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Coriolis Force
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Buys-Ballots Law
LOW
Northern Hemisphere
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Terminology

• LEVEL
• ALTITUDE
• HEIGHT

• In hundreds of feet above1013.2mb
• Position varies, setting constant

In feet above mean sea level Position constant,
setting (QNH) varies
In feet above local ground level Position
varies, setting (QFE) varies
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Worked examples
FL 55
QFE Challock 983mb
(600amsl)
4,600
A
983mb
5,500
5,200
600
300
1013mb
FL 55

QNH 1030mb
5,410
5,500
B
1013mb
600
510
1030mb
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Transfer of energy
Colder
Air
ENERGY
Warmer
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Transfer of heat

• Radiation
• Conduction
• Convection

HOT
COLD
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Heating the planet
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Fronts
L
WARM FRONT
COLD FRONT
WARM SECTOR
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Active Warm Front
L
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Active warm front
600 Nm
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Active Cold Front
L
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Active Cold Front
50 Nm
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Thunderstorms
Hail Rain
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Frontal wave
L
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Frontal wave
L
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Frontal wave
L
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Frontal wave
L
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Sea breeze
LIGHT SURFACE WIND
Challock
WARM AIR 22C
COLD SEA AIR 16C
Ringmer
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Temperature and height
5,000
Lapse Rate
30C
0
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Temperature and height
5,000
Lapse Rate
Inversion
30C
0
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Temperature and height
5,000
Environmental Lapse Rate
30C
0
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Adiabatic compression
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Temperature and height
SALR 1.5C / 1,000
5,000
Freezing level 0C _at_ 10,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
DALR 3C / 1,000
1,000
Dewpoint 11C
0
5C
10C
15C
20C
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Calculation of cloudbase
Ground temperature 26C Dewpoint
17C DALR 3C per 1,000 So, cloudbase is
26 17 x 1,000 3 9,000
3,000 3
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DAY
NIGHT
Sun 6,000C
Clear sky minus 200C
10C
- 5C
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Orographic cloud
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Lee wave
Strongest
wind
Lenticulars
UP WIND TILT
Cloud cap
ROTOR
Temp
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Wind gradient
Windspeed
30
Airspeed
28
55
25
20
50
15
10
5
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