Question

At approximately what altitude above the surface would the pilot expect the base of cumuliform clouds if the surface air temperature is 82°F and the dewpoint is 38°F? Group of answer choices

A. 10,000 feet AGL.
B. 11,000 feet AGL.
C. 9,000 feet AGL.

Answer 1

The base of cumuliform clouds would be approximately 10,000 feet above the surface.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the altitude at which the base of cumuliform clouds would form, we need to calculate the dew point depression. Dew point depression is the difference between the surface air temperature and the dew point temperature. In this case, the dew point depression is 82°F - 38°F = 44°F.

For every 1000 feet increase in altitude, the temperature decreases by approximately 3.5°F. So, to calculate the altitude at which the base of cumuliform clouds would form, we divide the dew point depression by 3.5. 44°F / 3.5°F = 12.57.

Therefore, the base of the cumuliform clouds would be approximately 12,570 feet above the surface. Since option A is the closest answer, the pilot would expect the base of cumuliform clouds to be at 10,000 feet AGL.