NARINGAHON, KEEJAY

BSMT 2-HADAR

METEO 2 – ASSESSMENT LESSON 1

1. Enumerate all the Ship borne meteorological instruments

and state information you may acquire from it.
Barometer -it is an instrument used to measure air pressure on
certain environment.
Thermometer -it is an infrared sensor in which some changes occur
in temperature
Hygrometer - it is an instrument used to measure the amount of
water vapor in air, soil or confined space.
Anemometer - is a device used for measuring the wind speed and
direction.
Wind vane - is an instrument used for showing the direction of the
wind.
Rain gauge - a device collecting and measuring the amount of rain
which falls.
Campbell Stokes recorder - is a type of sunshine recorder.
Transmissometer - it is an instrument for measuring the atmosphere
and sea water.

2. Why is the atmosphere divided into five layers? Describe

each layer.
The atmosphere is divided into layer simply because it is based on the
temperature in the layer changes with altitude.
Troposphere- is the lowest layer in the earth atmosphere and site of
all-weather on earth.
Stratosphere- it is the second layer of the atmosphere when you go
upward.
 Mesosphere- it is the third layer of the earth directly above the
stratosphere and directly below the thermosphere. The temperature
decreases as the altitude increase.
Thermosphere- The thermosphere is the layer in the Earth's
atmosphere directly above the mesosphere and below the exosphere.
Within this layer of the atmosphere, ultraviolet radiation causes
photoionization/photo dissociation of molecules, creating ions;
the thermosphere thus constitutes the larger part of the ionosphere.
Ionosphere- The ionosphere is defined as the layer of the Earth's
atmosphere that is ionized by solar and cosmic radiation. It lies 75-
1000 km (46-621 miles) above the Earth.
Exosphere- The exosphere is the uppermost region of Earth's
atmosphere as it gradually fades into the vacuum of space. Air in
the exosphere is extremely thin - in many ways it is almost the same
as the airless void of outer space.

3. Explain atmospheric pressure and describe the factor that

causes its variations.
In simple words that pressure is called atmospheric pressure, or air
pressure. It is the force exerted on a surface by the air above it as gravity
pulls it to Earth. Atmospheric pressure is commonly measured with
a barometer. One atmosphere is 1,013 millibars, or 760 millimeters (29.92
inches) of mercury.
Factors Affecting Air Pressure:
As the temperature increases, air expands because of which its
density decreases which results in low pressure. On the other hand, air
shrinks due to low temperature because of which its density increases
which creates high pressure. Height from Sea Level.
Height from Sea Level:
Air pressure is created due to weight of air therefore sea level has highest
air pressure. As we move upward from sea level leaving behind the heavy
gases at lower layers of atmosphere, air pressure decreases because the
upper air is light and its density is low.
Moisture in Air (Humidity):
Conversion of water from liquid state to gaseous state because of
evaporation is known as atmospheric humidity. Water vapors are light in
weight therefore they rise up and pressure of humid air decreases as
compared to dry air. Amount of water vapors changes with time and place
and because of this the pressure of air also varies.
Gravitation of Earth:
Atmosphere glues around the Earth due to its gravitation. The intensity of
gravitational pull decreases as we get away from core of Earth. Another
fact is that as Earth rotates round its axis, average distance of Polar
Regions and equatorial regions varies from the core of Earth. For example,
Polar Regions are nearer to core of the Earth as compared to Equatorial
regions and hence have higher air pressure.
Rotation of Earth:
Rotation of Earth produces centrifugal force which has more effect in
Equatorial region while lesser effect on Polar Regions. Centrifugal force
Pushes things away from its core. Same is the effect on air pressure which
results into lesser pressure in Equatorial regions as compared to that in
polar regions.

4. What causes wind? Explain its movement.

The wind is caused by differences in atmospheric pressure. When a
difference in atmospheric pressure exists, air moves from the higher to the
lower pressure area, resulting in winds of various speeds. On a rotating
planet, air will also be deflected by the Cariole’s effect, except exactly on
the equator.
 5. Explain the processes how clouds form?
Clouds are created when water vapor, an invisible gas, turns into liquid
water droplets. These water droplets form on tiny particles, like dust, that
are floating in the air. ... That means some of the liquid water in the towel
or bowl changed into an invisible gas called water vapor and drifted away
into the atmosphere.
6. Enumerate and describe the 10 types of clouds.
Cirrus (Ci)

Detached clouds in the form of white, delicate filaments, mostly white

patches or narrow bands. They may have a fibrous (hair-like) and/or silky
sheen appearance.
Cirrus clouds are always composed of ice crystals, and their transparent
character depends upon the degree of separation of the crystals. As a rule,
when these clouds cross the sun's disk, they hardly diminish its brightness.
When they are exceptionally thick, they may veil its light and obliterate its
contour.
Before sunrise and after sunset, cirrus is often colored bright yellow or red.
These clouds are lit up long before other clouds and fade out much later;
some time after sunset they become gray.
At all hours of the day Cirrus near the horizon is often of a yellowish color;
this is due to distance and to the great thickness of air traversed by the
rays of light.
Cirrocumulus (Cc)

Thin, white patch, sheet, or layered of clouds without shading. They are
composed of very small elements in the form of more or less regularly
arranged grains or ripples.
Most of these elements have an apparent width of less than one degree
(approximately width of the little finger - at arm's length).
In general, Cirrocumulus represents a degraded state of cirrus and
cirrostratus, both of which may change into it and is an uncommon cloud.
There will be a connection with cirrus or cirrostratus and will show some
characteristics of ice crystal clouds.

Cirrostratus (Cs)

Transparent, whitish veil clouds with a fibrous (hair-like) or smooth

appearance. A sheet of cirrostratus which is very extensive, nearly always
ends by covering the whole sky.
During the day, when the sun is sufficiently high above the horizon, the
sheet is never thick enough to prevent shadows of objects on the ground.
A milky veil of fog (or thin Stratus) is distinguished from a veil of
Cirrostratus of a similar appearance by the halo phenomena which the sun
or the moon nearly always produces in a layer of Cirrostratus.

Altocumulus (Ac)

White and/or gray patch, sheet or layered clouds, generally composed of

laminae (plates), rounded masses or rolls. They may be partly fibrous or
diffuse and may or may not be merged.
Most of these regularly arranged small elements have an apparent width of
one to five degrees (larger than the little finger and smaller than three
fingers - at arm's length).
When the edge or a thin semi-transparent patch of altocumulus passes in
front of the sun or moon, a corona appears. This colored ring has red on
the outside and blue inside and occurs within a few degrees of the sun or
moon.
The most common mid cloud, more than one layer of Altocumulus often
appears at different levels at the same time. Many times, Altocumulus will
appear with other cloud types.

 Altostratus (As)
Gray or bluish cloud sheets or layers of striated or fibrous clouds that
totally or partially covers the sky. They are thin enough to regularly reveal
the sun as if seen through ground glass.
Altostratus clouds do not produce a halo phenomenon nor are the shadows
of objects on the ground visible.
Sometime virga is seen hanging from Altostratus, and at times may even
reach the ground causing very light precipitation.
 
NIMBOSTRATOS

Resulting from thickening Altostratus, this is a dark gray cloud layer

diffused by falling rain or snow. It is thick enough throughout to blot out
the sun. Also, low, ragged clouds frequently occur beneath this cloud which
sometimes merges with its base.
The cloud base lowers as precipitation continues. Because of the lowering
base it is often erroneously called a low-level cloud. Both Altostratus and
Nimbostratus can extend into the high level of clouds.
 

Detached, generally dense clouds and with sharp outlines that develop
vertically in the form of rising mounds, domes or towers with bulging upper
parts often resembling a cauliflower.
The sunlit parts of these clouds are mostly brilliant white while their bases
are relatively dark and horizontal.
Over land cumulus develops on days of clear skies, and is due diurnal
convection; it appears in the morning, grows, and then more or less
dissolves again toward evening.
 
CUMULONIMBUS
The thunderstorm cloud, this is a heavy and dense cloud in the form of a
mountain or huge tower. The upper portion is usually smoothed, fibrous or
striated and nearly always flattened in the shape of an anvil or vast plume.
Under the base of this cloud which is often very dark, there are often low
ragged clouds that may or may not merge with the base. They produce
precipitation, which sometimes is in the form of virga.
Cumulonimbus clouds also produce hail and tornadoes.

STRATOCOMULOS

Gray or whitish patch, sheet, or layered clouds which almost always have
dark tessellations (honeycomb appearance), rounded masses or rolls.
Except for virga they are non-fibrous and may or may not be merged.

STRATU
A generally gray cloud layer with a uniform base which may, if thick
enough, produce drizzle, ice prisms, or snow grains. When the sun is
visible through this cloud, its outline is clearly discernible.
Often when a layer of Stratus breaks up and dissipates blue sky is seen.
Sometimes appearing as ragged sheets Stratus clouds do not produce a
halo phenomenon except, occasionally at very low temperatures.

7. Give and describe at least 3 types of precipitation.

Rain
Most commonly observed, drops larger than drizzle (0.02 inch / 0.5 mm or
more) are considered rain. However, smaller drops are also considered
raindrops if, in contrast to drizzle, they are widely separated.
Drizzle
Fairly uniform precipitation composed exclusively of fine drops very close
together. Drizzle appears to float while following air currents, but unlike fog
droplets, it falls to the ground. Quite often fog and drizzle occur together.
Ice Pellets (Sleet)
Precipitation of transparent or translucent pellets of ice, which are round or
irregular hard grains of ice consisting of frozen raindrops, or largely melted
then refrozen snowflakes.
Hail
Precipitation in the form of small balls or other pieces of ice falling
separately or frozen together in irregular lumps. Associated with
thunderstorms, individual hail stones are ¼ inch (5 mm) or greater in
diameter. Hail sizes of 1 inch (2.5 cm) or more are indicative of severe
thunderstorms.
Small Hail (Snow Pellets)
Precipitation of white, opaque grains of ice that are round or sometimes
conical. Diameters are less than ¼ inch (5 mm).
 Snow
Precipitation of snow crystals that are mostly branched and in the form of
six-pointed stars.
Snow Grains
Precipitation of very small, white, and opaque grains of ice. Basically, this
is frozen drizzle.
Snow Grains
Precipitation of very small, white, and opaque grains of ice. Basically, this
is frozen drizzle.

8. Enumerate and describe the factors which affects visibility.

Factors affecting visibility
The distance at which an object can be seen depends on:
 the transparency of the atmosphere, i.e., the number of obscuring
particles present;
 the position of the sun;
 the contrast between the object and its background (by day);
 the general level of illumination (by night); and
 the size of the object.
An observer must eliminate the effects of (b) to (e) above so that the
reported visibility will depend solely on atmospheric transparency (a).
The effect of the sun is significant at sunrise and sunset and can be
eliminated by viewing objects at 90 degrees or more from the sun’s
position. Suitable selection of visibility makers will eliminate issues
regarding contrast, illumination and size.

Weather phenomena and visibility

  The following phenomena will affect the atmospheric transparency to
a varying extent depending on the intensity:
Mist
Fog
Haze
Smoke
Dust
Dust storms and Sandstorms
Volcanic Ash
Precipitation

9. Explain intertropical convergence zone and Coriolis effect.

Inter tropical convergence zone - a narrow zone near the equator
where northern and southern air masses converge, typically producing low
atmospheric pressure.
Coriolis effect-an effect whereby a mass moving in a rotating system
experiences a force (the Coriolis force) acting perpendicular to the direction
of motion and to the axis of rotation. On the earth, the effect tends to
deflect moving objects to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the
left in the southern and is important in the formation of cyclonic weather
systems.

10.Explain how and when land and sea breeze occur.

A Land breeze represents a wind that blows from the land towards
the ocean. This breeze occurs because of the land-sea temperature
gradient, normally in the night time. During the night, the land drops heat
suddenly (in the form of long wave radiation) and the air above land cools
too. On another hand the ocean has huge heat capacity; air over the ocean
is relatively warmer than the air over the land. Then the low-pressure form
because of the warmer air over the ocean surface and high pressure over
the land surface. The wind blows from the higher pressure over the Land
towards lower pressure over the ocean creating the Land breeze. Both land
and sea breezes are an example of thermal circulation

11. What is monsoon and how often monsoon change wind

direction?
a seasonal prevailing wind in the region of South and Southeast Asia,
blowing from the southwest between May and September and bringing rain
(the wet monsoon), or from the northeast between October and April (the
dry monsoon).

12. Differentiate katabatic from anabatic.

KATABATIC
Unlike anabatic wind which is an upslope wind, katabatic winds are
downslope winds. In a simple definition, these are winds that carry high-
density air from higher elevations down the slope. The name “katabatic” is
derived from the Greek word “katabasis” which means descending. Such
downslope winds are sometimes referred to as fall winds. Katabatic winds
are formed when the mountain surface becomes colder than the
surrounding air
ANABATIC
An anabatic wind, from the Greek anabatos, verbal of anabaena meaning
moving upward, is a warm wind which blows up a steep slope or mountain
side, driven by heating of the slope through insolation. It is also known as
an upslope flow. These winds typically occur during the daytime in calm
sunny weather. A hill or mountain top will be radiatively warmed.

13. Explain the cycle of depression.

Explain the lifecycle of a depression. Origin and infancy initially a warm air
mass such as one from the tropics, meets a cooler air mass, such as one
from the polar regions. Depressions which affect the UK normally originate
over the Atlantic Ocean. Maturity The warm air rises up over the colder air
which is sinking. A warm sector develops between the warm and cold
fronts. The mature stage of a depression often occurs over the UK.
Occlusion The cold front travels at around 40 to 50 miles per hour,
compared to the warm front which travels at only 20 to 30 miles per hour.
Therefore, the cold front eventually catches up with the warm front. When
this occurs, an occlusion is formed. Death Eventually the frontal system
dies as all the warm air has been pushed up from the surface and all that
remains is cold air. The occlusion dies out as temperatures are similar on
both sides. This stage normally occurs over Europe or Scandinavia.

14. Explain the anti-cyclones, ridges, troughs and col.

Explain anticyclones, troughs, ridge and col. Anticyclone is the
opposite of depression. It is a region of high pressure with closed isobars
and can be identified in a synoptic or prognostic chart by the values of
isobars which are increasing toward the center where the pressure is the
highest. The wind circulation around the system is clockwise in the
northern hemisphere and counter clockwise in the southern hemisphere.
Anticyclones have weak pressure gradients; therefore, winds are generally
light. Since the air in anticyclone is subsiding (falling down) the sky has
very little clouds if any and there is no rain. Good weather prevails in
anticyclones. a.Trough or Trough of Low pressure - also called V-shape
depression, is identified by the arrangement of the isobars, which are
elongated isobars from a low pressure extending into a higher pressure
area, usually points towards the equator. The weather associated with the
passage of a trough is similar to that of a depression. b. Ridge of High
Pressure, also called Wedge is an extension of an anticyclone formed by
elongated isobars extending outwards from the center of high pressure.
The passage of a Ridge between depressions, bring intervals of fair
weather between the periods of rain or showers associated with the fronts
and the depression. After the passage of the axis of the ridge over the
observer’s position the weather deteriorates progressively. c. Col is a
region enclosed between two diametrically opposite high-pressure areas
and two low pressure areas. In a cool the weather changes rapidly. The
wind is light and variable and it’s an area where fog or thunderstorms may
occur.

15. Explain weather services for shipping

Shipping businesses and their crews understand first-hand the
impacts of adverse weather in their quest to deliver their cargoes on time
and with maximum safety and fuel efficiency. Weather is a key aspect in
planning the best route and preparing for the conditions likely to be
experienced end route and at destination ports. A high resolution, reliable
weather forecast service with hazard warning and emergency response
facilities Metra Weather provides optimized vessel routing and marine
forecast guidance to assist vessel operators and fleet managers to make
informed decisions and help them increase safety and efficiency
throughout each voyage. This includes: Access to weather data end route
Meteorologist advice and briefings Forecasts updated based on vessel
position and speed Route optimization based on weather avoidance, fuel
efficiency or arrival time Specialist guidance including fatigue and motion
forecasting can also be established for specific vessels

16. Describe the Recording and Reporting Weather

Observation.
Timely and accurate environmental observations are basic to the
development of meteorological and oceanographic forecasts in support of
fleet operations. Since the U.S. Navy may be committed to operations
anywhere in the world, global observations of meteorological and
oceanographic conditions are required. In remote areas (especially over
oceans), environmental data are extremely sparse. Accordingly,
observations from Navy ships are particularly vital. In short, all ships at sea
are required to take regular observations, but where ships are steaming in
company or in close proximity (within 10miles), the OTC may designate
one of the ships to report observations for the group. Ships in port are
required to continue regular weather observing and reporting by electronic
means unless there is a nearby U.S. manned weather reporting activity. In-
port weather observing and reporting guard ship arrangements may be
used for groups of ships at the discretion of the senior officer present. In
such instances, the weather logs of exempted ships should bear a notation
of the guard ship(s) and effective dates/times. Additional and special
weather observations and reporting schedules that may be required in
support of fleet operations are issued in pertinent operation plans and
orders. Requirements for increased frequency of weather reporting by
ships at sea in specific areas, particularly in areas where tropical
disturbances are suspected or known to exist, should be issued as
necessary by the area or force commander.
Recording the Weather
All ships taking surface weather observations must use the form
CNOC3140/8. This form contains two code forms and is divided into two
sections, parts I and II. Part I: Part I is the Ship Aviation Observation
Code. This code is in the aviation observation code format with additional
ship and sea data columns. Part II: Part II is the Synoptic Code Message
Format. It is determined from analyzing data from part I. The data is
transmitted via radio message to the appropriate weather center.