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2 - GEOGRAPHY 2 > 1.2 - WEATHER SYSTEMS > Flashcards

1.2 - WEATHER SYSTEMS Flashcards

1
Q

Physical state of the atmosphere at a given time and place.

A

Weather

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2
Q

It involves such atmospheric phenomena as temperature, humidity, precipitation (type and amount), air pressure, wind, and cloud cover.

A

Weather

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3
Q

simply the movement of warm and cold air across the globe. These movements are known as low-pressure systems and high-pressure systems.

A

Weather systems

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4
Q

Low, thick clouds tend to ____ the Earth

A

cool

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5
Q

high, thin clouds tend to ____ it

A

warm

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6
Q

large bodies of air with fairly uniform temperature and moisture characteristics.

A

Air Masses

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7
Q

Air masses acquire their characteristics in _____

A

source regions

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8
Q

an extensive region of the earth’s surface where large masses of air having uniform temperature and humidity conditions characteristic of the region originate.

A

Source Region

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9
Q

In a source region, ____ or not at all, which allows the air to acquire temperature and moisture characteristics from the region’s land or ocean surface.

A

air moves slowly

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10
Q

This form when large bodies of air acquire the temperature and moisture characteristics of the underlying surface.

A

Air Masses

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11
Q

Two Surface Types

A

Maritime air masses
Continental air masses

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12
Q

form over water and are humid.

A

Maritime air masses

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13
Q

form over land and are dry.

A

Continental air masses

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14
Q

Air masses is classified by:

A

latitude zone (arctic, polar, tropical, equatorial)

surface type (maritime, continental)

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15
Q

The classification system for air masses uses a _____ abbreviation.

A

two-letter

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16
Q

The first letter is lowercase and signifies the _______ characteristics.

The second letter is uppercase and refers to the ________ characteristics.

A

moisture

temperature

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17
Q

The first letter is lowercase and signifies the moisture characteristics, where:

“c” is for ______
“m” is for _____

A

continental (dry)

“maritime” (humid)

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18
Q

The second letter is uppercase and refers to the temperature characteristics:

“A” for _________
“P” for _________
“T’” for _________
“E” for _________

A

Arctic (or Antarctic)

Polar (somewhat warmer than Arctic)

Tropical

Equatorial

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19
Q

An “A” air mass is inherently ______, because water in such areas is often frozen.

A

continental (dry)

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20
Q

An “E” air mass is inherently _______, because so much of the air at equatorial latitudes is over or near a source of water

A

maritime

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21
Q

surface of contact between two unlike air masses.

A

Front

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22
Q

TYPES OF FRONTS

A

cold front.
warm front.
stationary front.
occluded front.
dry line.

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23
Q

This front is typically associated with intense rain of short duration.

When cold air invades warmer air, the boundary is a

A

cold front

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24
Q

This front is typically associated with slow, steady precipitation.

When warm air invades colder air, the boundary is a

A

warm front

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25
Q

develops when warm air and cold air meet and the boundary between the two does not move

A

stationary front

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26
Q

When a cold front overtakes a warm front, the new front is called an

A

occluded front

“Occluded” means closed or shut off

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27
Q

A final type of front—called a

A

dry line

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28
Q

air motion, dominantly horizontal relative to the Earth’s surface.

A

Wind

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29
Q

Atmospheric Pressure Systems

A

High-pressure system

Low-pressure system

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30
Q

High-pressure systems keep moisture from rising into the atmosphere and forming clouds. Therefore, they are usually associated with _____

A

clear skies.

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31
Q

Low-pressure system are rotating masses of warm, moist air. They usually bring ______

A

storms and high winds.

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32
Q

The _____ of horizontal winds causes air to rise

A

convergence

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33
Q

The _____ of horizontal winds causes downward motion of the air

A

divergence

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34
Q

______ the horizontal transport of any atmospheric property by the wind.

A

advection

35
Q

There are three (3) forces that control wind speed and direction:

A
  1. Pressure-gradient force
  2. Coriolis force
  3. Friction force.
36
Q

_____ is the force that moves air from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure.

A
  1. Pressure gradient force
37
Q

An instrument used to measure air pressure.

A

Barometer

38
Q

A line drawn on a map connecting points of equal pressure. These are quantitative representations of the changing molecular density of the air over a geographic region.

A

Isobar

39
Q

The force created by the Earth’s rotation that causes winds to be deflected to the right in the Northern Hemi-sphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere

A
  1. Coriolis force
40
Q

force opposing the motion of wind, caused by the drag of the Earth’s surface; greatest close to the surface and decreasing with height.

A
  1. Frictional Force
41
Q

violent or unsteady movement of air or water, or of some other fluid.

A

Turbulence

42
Q

River of high-speed air in
the upper atmosphere that
flows along the polar front.

A

Polar front jet stream

43
Q

Band of low pressure, calm
winds, and clouds in tropical
latitudes where air converges
from the Southern and Northern Hemispheres.

A

Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)

44
Q

The primary wind system in the tropics that flows toward the Intertropical Convergence Zone on the equatorial side of the Subtropical High-Pressure System.

A

Trade winds

45
Q

Band of easterly winds at high latitudes.

A

Polar easterlies

46
Q

winds that generally flow from west to east.

A

Westerlies Midlatitude

47
Q

Band of high air pressure, calm winds, and clear skies that exists at about 25° to 30° N and S latitude.

A

Subtropical High (STH) Pressure System

48
Q

Core of low-pressure zone
associated with the Intertropical Convergence Zone.

A

Equatorial trough

49
Q

Zone of high atmospheric pressure at high latitudes.

A

Polar High

50
Q

THREE DISTINCT WIND CELLS

A

Polar cells
Ferrel cell
Hadley cell

51
Q

The smallest and weakest cells are the _____, which extend from between 60 and 70 degrees north and south, to the poles.

A

Polar cells

52
Q

Ferrel cell, Proposed by _______

A

William Ferrel (1856).

53
Q

An air flows poleward and eastward near the surface and equatorward and westward at higher altitudes; this movement is the reverse of the airflow in the Hadley cell.

A

Ferrel cell

54
Q

A Large-scale convection loop in the tropical latitudes that connects the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and the Subtropical High (STH).

A

Hadley cell

55
Q

Hadley cell, Proposed by _______

A

George Hadley (1735).

56
Q

High-speed airflow occurring at high levels in narrow bands within the upper-air westerlies and along certain other global latitude zones.

A

Jet Stream

57
Q

The swirling air rises and cools, creating clouds and precipitation.

A

Cyclone

58
Q

Air comes in from above and sinks to the ground. High pressure centers generally have fair weather.

A

Anticyclone

59
Q

An elongated area of elevated air pressure in the upper atmosphere that is typically associated with sunny skies and calm winds.

A

High-pressure ridge

60
Q

An elongated area of depressed air pressure in the upper atmosphere that is typically associated with cloudy skies and rain.

A

Low-pressure trough

61
Q

A well-organized low-pressure system in the midlatitudes that contains warm and cold fronts.

A

Midlatitude cyclone

62
Q

Three (3) types of traveling cyclones.

A
  1. The Midlatitude Cyclone
  2. The Tropical Cyclone
  3. The Tornado
63
Q

These cyclones range from weak disturbances to powerful storms.

A

The Midlatitude Cyclone

64
Q

A range from mild disturbances to highly destructive hurricanes, or typhoons.

A

The Tropical Cyclone

65
Q

A small, intense cyclone of enormously powerful winds.

A

The Tornado

66
Q

pileup of water from waves onshore as a severe storm, particularly a tropical cyclone, makes landfall.

A

Storm Surge

67
Q

A _______ is any storm that produces thunder and lightning.

A

Thunderstorms

68
Q

persist longer than air-mass
thunderstorms and have higher winds. They often
produce hail or even tornadoes.

A

Severe thunderstorms

69
Q

is a visible electrical discharge from a cloud.

A

Lightning

70
Q

This happens when there is an imbalance of charges between a region of the cloud and another surface (usually the ground, a building, another region of the same cloud, or another cloud) that is significant enough to break through air resistance.

A

Lightning

71
Q

any strong, heavy snowstorm with wind.

A

Blizzard

72
Q

dust that are carried through the atmosphere by strong winds. Mostly occur in dry, open areas.

A

Dust storm

also called sandstorm

73
Q
  1. Minimal Damage
A

Winds 33-42 m/s (74-95mph)
Storm Surge 1.2-1.5 m (4-5 ft)

74
Q
  1. Moderate Damage
A

Winds 43-49 m/s (96-110mph)
Storm Surge 1.82-2.4 m (6-8 ft)
(Small trees down, roof damage)

75
Q
  1. Extensive Damage
A

Winds 50-58 m/s (111-130mph)
Storm Surge 2.7-3.6 m (9-12 ft)
(Moderate to heavy damage to home, many trees down)

76
Q
  1. Extreme Damage
A

Winds 59-69 m/s (131-155mph)
Storm Surge 3.9-5.4 m (12-18 ft)
(Severe damage to all structures)

77
Q
  1. Catastrophic Damage
A

Winds > 70 m/s (155mph)
Storm Surge > 5.5m (18 ft)
(Severe damage to all structures)

78
Q

EF0. Light Damage

A

39-49 m/s (86-110 mi/hr)

79
Q

EF1. Moderate Damage

A

50-60 m/s (111-135 mi/hr)

80
Q

EF2. Considerable Damage

A

61-73 m/s (136-165 mi/hr)

81
Q

EF3. Severe Damage

A

61-73 m/s (135-165 mi/hr)

82
Q

EF4. Devastating Damage

A

74-89 m/s (166-200 mi/hr)

83
Q

EF5. Incredible Damage

A

> 90 m/s (>200 mi/hr)

2 - GEOGRAPHY 2 (7 decks)

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