This topic contains a solution. Click here to go to the answer

Author Question: Under what conditions can a cloud form when air is sinking? What will be an ideal ... (Read 34 times)

swpotter12

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 527
Under what conditions can a cloud form when air is sinking?
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

What kinds of information about clouds could you hope to determine using infrared and visible satellite photographs?
  What will be an ideal response?



Related Topics

Need homework help now?

Ask unlimited questions for free

Ask a Question
Marked as best answer by a Subject Expert

jessofishing

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 329
Answer to Question 1

ANSWER: Most clouds form in rising air, but the mammatus forms in sinking air. Mammatus clouds derive their name from their appearancebaglike sacs that hang beneath the cloud and resemble a cow's udder. Although mammatus most frequently form on the underside of cumulonimbus, they may develop beneath cirrocumulus, altostratus, altocumulus, and stratocumulus. For mammatus to form, the sinking air must be cooler than the air around it and have a high liquid water or ice content. As saturated air sinks, it warms, but the warming is retarded because of the heat taken from the air to evaporate the liquid or melt ice particles. If the sinking air remains saturated and cooler than the air around it, the sinking air can extend below the cloud base, appearing as rounded masses we call mammatus clouds.

Answer to Question 2

ANSWER: Visible and infrared images are used to deduce information on cloud thickness and height. Visible images show the sunlight reflected from a cloud's upper surface. Because thick clouds have a higher albedo (reflectivity) than thin clouds, they appear brighter on a visible satellite image. However, middle and low clouds have just about the same albedo, so it is difficult to distinguish among them simply by viewing them in visible light. To make this distinction, infrared cloud images are used. Such pictures produce a better image of the actual radiating surface because they do not show the strong visible reflected light. Since warm objects radiate more energy than cold objects, high temperature regions can be artificially made to appear darker on an infrared image. Because the tops of low clouds are warmer than those of high clouds, cloud observations made in the infrared can distinguish between warm low clouds (dark) and cold high clouds (light). Moreover, cloud temperatures can be converted by a computer into a three-dimensional image of the cloud.




swpotter12

  • Member
  • Posts: 527
Reply 2 on: Jul 13, 2018
Gracias!


covalentbond

  • Member
  • Posts: 336
Reply 3 on: Yesterday
Excellent

 

Did you know?

There are major differences in the metabolism of morphine and the illegal drug heroin. Morphine mostly produces its CNS effects through m-receptors, and at k- and d-receptors. Heroin has a slight affinity for opiate receptors. Most of its actions are due to metabolism to active metabolites (6-acetylmorphine, morphine, and morphine-6-glucuronide).

Did you know?

Asthma cases in Americans are about 75% higher today than they were in 1980.

Did you know?

The first war in which wide-scale use of anesthetics occurred was the Civil War, and 80% of all wounds were in the extremities.

Did you know?

There are approximately 3 million unintended pregnancies in the United States each year.

Did you know?

Multiple sclerosis is a condition wherein the body's nervous system is weakened by an autoimmune reaction that attacks the myelin sheaths of neurons.

For a complete list of videos, visit our video library