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Meteorology

Meteorology. 5.08 Extreme Weather References: FTGU pages 132, 144, 145, 148-155 Air Command Weather Manual Chapters 9 and 15. Review. What type of weather is associated with a: a. cold front b. warm front What clouds tell that a warm front is approaching?. 5.08 Extreme Weather.

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Meteorology

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  1. Meteorology 5.08 Extreme Weather References: FTGU pages 132, 144, 145, 148-155 Air Command Weather Manual Chapters 9 and 15

  2. Review What type of weather is associated with a: a. cold front b. warm front What clouds tell that a warm front is approaching?

  3. 5.08 Extreme Weather • MTPs: • Thunderstorms • Requirements for Thunderstorms • Stages of a Thunder Storm • Thunderstorm Phenomena • Avoiding Thunderstorms • Squall Lines and Tornadoes • Aircraft Icing • Protection from Icing

  4. Requirements for Thunderstorms • The basic requirements for a thunderstorm to develop are: • Unstable air • A Lifting Force (generally convection) • High Moisture Content • When are they likely to occur? • With the passage of a cold front • From daytime heating – hot summer days

  5. Stages of a Thunderstorm • Cumulus stage • Mature stage • Dissipating Stage

  6. Stages of a Thunderstorm • Cumulus Stage: • Strong updrafts prevail throughout the cell • Usually no precipitation (yet…) • Temperatures in the cloud are higher than surrounding air.

  7. Stages of a Thunderstorm • Mature Stage: • Updrafts of up to 6,000 feet per minute • Downdrafts start in the middle, up to 2,500 ft/min • Precipitation starts as water drops are too heavy for surrounding air to suspend any further • Falling raindrops cause very large, fast downdrafts • Downdrafts of up to 6,000 ft/min at this point • Usually 15-20 minutes in duration, though may be as long as an hour.

  8. Stages of a Thunderstorm • Dissipating Stage: • Entire cell becomes an area of downdraft • Precipitation Stops • Cell loses its energy • Indicated by the top of the cloud forming an anvil shape.

  9. Stages of a Thunderstorm

  10. Thunderstorm Phenomena They have very complex weather patterns; wind shear can be found on all sides of the storm • As the thunderstorm matures, strong downdrafts develop and the cold air rushing down spreads out along the ground well in advance, undercutting the warm air - gust front.

  11. Thunderstorm Phenomena • Macroburst: A severe and damaging downward rush of air with a diameter of 2 nautical miles or more is called a These can last up to 20 minutes • Microbursts: A downward rush of air with a diameter less than 2 nautical miles and peak winds that last less than 5 minutes • Downdrafts can have vertical speeds as great as 6,000ft/min, with horizontal wind speeds as high as 80 knots

  12. Thunderstorm Phenomena • Lightning • A discharge of electrical energy produced by a thunderstorm • A positive charge collects on the top of the cloud while a negative charge exists on the bottom • Thunder • Created by the rapid increase of temperature (and therefore pressure) of the air around the lightning bolt • Hail – can be crippling to a flying operation • Icing – can occur at any level within the cloud (even when not in cloud!). • Rain – can be very heavy at times • Pressure variance – Altimeter reading errors

  13. Thunderstorm Phenomena AIRPLANE

  14. Avoiding Thunderstorms • DON’T fly through a thunderstorm!!!!! • Avoid landings and takeoffs near them • Don’t fly under them • Reduce speed at first indication of turbulence • If you fly around one, stay at least 10-15 miles away, and fly around the right side

  15. Squall Lines and Tornadoes • Squall Line • Long line of squalls and thunderstorms which sometimes accompanies the passage of a cold front • Usually associated with a fast moving cold front undercutting an unstable warm air mass • May form anywhere from 50 to 300 nautical miles in advance of the front.

  16. Squall Lines and Tornadoes

  17. Squall Lines and Tornadoes Tornadoes • Violent, circular whirlpools of air associated with severe thunderstorms • Very deep, concentrated low pressure areas • Shaped like a funnel hanging out of the cumulonimbus cloud • Dark in appearance due to dust and debris sucked in • Diameter ranges from 100 feet to half a mile • Move at speeds of 25 to 50 knots • Wind speeds as great as 300 knots.

  18. Aircraft Icing • Icing increases aircraft weight, drag, stall speed, and decreases lift • Do not fly when there is any contamination to the critical surfaces of an aircraft • Wings, Vertical/Horizontal Stabilizers, Control surfaces, Propeller

  19. Aircraft Icing Types of Icing 1. Frozen Dew • A white semi-crystalline frost that covers the surface of the aircraft • Frozen dew happens on cold clear winter nights • Water vapour hits the surface of the aircraft and sublimation occurs

  20. Aircraft Icing 2. Hoar Frost • a white, feathery, crystalline formation that covers the entire surface of the aircraft • Very similar to frozen dew • The only difference is that hoar frost can happen during flight.

  21. Aircraft Icing 3. Rime Ice • An opaque, or milky white ice that accumulates on the leading edge of the wing, and on antennas • It is formed by the almost instantaneous freezing of small supercooled water droplets • This fast freezing causes air pockets to be trapped in the ice, giving the opaque quality.

  22. Aircraft Icing 4. Clear Ice • A heavy coating of glass like ice which forms over the entire surface (or a good portion of it) of a wing • It is formed as large supercooled water droplets freeze slowly as they move rearward to cover the wing • Most often occurs with temperatures between 0 - 10 °C

  23. Aircraft Icing • Icing Conditions • Cumulus clouds may produce severe icing in their top half as they approach the mature cumulonimbus stage • Stratus clouds usually produce less severe icing, though if there is high moisture content or embedded cumulus it may be moderate to severe • Freezing Rain produces very severe icing if the temperature at the aircraft altitude is below freezing • Freezing drizzle is usually most severe immediately below the cloud base • Snow and Ice crystals do not adhere to cold aircraft • Snow may cause icing if the aircraft is warm or supercooled water droplets are present

  24. Protection from Icing • Anti-icers prevent ice from forming • Fluids • released onto the leading edges of wings and onto propellers • Heating devices • Heat the leading edges of the wings, propellers, pitot tube, and/or empenage using either electric coils or hot engine air • De-icers remove ice after it has formed • “Rubber boots” (see the Buffalo below) • Membranes of rubber attached to leading edges • Designed to pulsate to crack and remove ice

  25. Confirmation 1. What 3 things are needed for a thunderstorm to develop? • ______________________________ • ______________________________ • ______________________________ 2. What are the 3 stages to a thunderstorm? __________ ___________ __________

  26. Confirmation 3. Name the following ice types

  27. Thunderstorm from the International Space Station

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