Atmosphere Disturbance Pt 1

Question 1

Air mass

Answer 1

parcel of air:
1) large
2) uniform in horizontal dimension
3) travels as unit

Question 2

effect of Latitude on air mass

Answer 2

IF air mass forms OVER:
low-latitude air mass = warm/hot + unstable
high latitude = cool/cold more stable
over ocean = moist
over continental surface = dry

Question 3

A Air mass

Answer 3

Arctic/Antarctic = A = formed over Antarctica, Artic Ocean, Greenland
Characteristics = very cold, very dry, very stable

Question 4

cP air mass

Answer 4

Continental polar = cP = high latitude plains of Eurasia + North America (Canada area)
Properties = cold, dry, very stable

Question 5

mP air mass

Answer 5

maritime polar = mp = oceans in vicinity of 50-60 N/S latitude
properties = cold, moist, relatively unstable

Question 6

cT air mass

Answer 6

continental tropical = cT = low-latitude deserts
Properties = hot, very dry, unstable

Question 7

mT

Answer 7

Maritime Tropical = mT = tropical and subtropical oceans
Properties = warm, moist, often unstable

Question 8

Front

Answer 8

meeting point btwn unlike air masses

Question 9

Cold vs Warm front

Answer 9

Cold front = ADVANCING cold air mass meets + displaces warmer air

Warm Front = ADVANCING warm air mass meets + displaces COLDER air

Question 10

Symbols for fronts

Answer 10

Cold = blue, triangles
Warm = red, semi-circles
stationary = combo of cold + warm
occluded = purple, trianges + semi-circles all pointing up

Question 11

Characteristics of cold fronts

Answer 11

cold fronts steeper, move faster –> easily displaces lighter, warm air
effect = rapid lifting + adiabatic cooling of warm air, forming blustery, violent weather along front

Question 12

warm front characteristics

Answer 12

gentler slope –> results in less turbulent weather + slower frontal uplift
broad precipitation, can become violent

Question 13

stationary front

Answer 13

when neither air mass displaces other, “Stall”
gently rising warm air produces limited precip, long last stationary front could cause flooding
generally w. mT, cP

Question 14

occluded front characteristics

Answer 14

cold front overtakes warm front
winter –> occluded associated w. blizzards
generally stable conditions for most occluded fronts

Question 15

Midlatitude cyclones

Answer 15

associated w. air mass movement btwn 30-70 degrees
midlatitude’s = meeting point of tropical + polar fronts - leads to lots of storms

Question 16

Characteristics of midlatitude cyclones

Answer 16

1) cold front extending to SOUTHWEST
2) warm front extending to NORTHEAST

SECTORS:
cool sector to north + west
warm sector to south + East

Cold front trailing + warm front leading

Question 17

Movement of midlatitude cyclone

Answer 17

1) travels along westerlies (ALL OF THEM GO TO EAST)
2) cyclonic wind circulation (Converges counterclockwise)
3) cold front moves faster than warm front
4) cold front moves south, warm front moves north

Question 18

Birth (Cyclogenesis of midlatitude cyclone)

Answer 18

cyclones start of as rossby waves in jet stream, when winds become meridonal (moving north/south) instead of zonal (West to east) chance of cyclone increases
cyclones need convergence below + divergence above to form properly

Question 19

what causes “death” of cyclone

Answer 19

Occlusion: eventually cold front overtakes warm front
as cold front catches up –> warm front is pushed further up until it is no longer in contact with earths surface –> occluded front formed
THIS means that short period of intensified precipitation + then low pressure center filled in, leaving the ground cooler + stable

Question 20

How does midlatitude cyclone change weather

Answer 20

temperature = cold front passes dropping temperature abruptly

pressure = pressure decreases as cold front passes + then increases steadily

wind = winds come from south (bc of counterclockwise spin) + once passes, winds shift and come from west/northwest

clouds/precip = cloudiness + precip at front, then turned to clear as adiabatic cooling of warm air occurs

Question 21

Midlatitude anticyclone

Answer 21

High pressure, moves west to esat bc of westerlies

Question 22

diff between midlatitude anticyclone + midlatitude cyclone

Answer 22

cyclones = have fronts + anticyclones have no fronts
anticyclones stall over region for several days while cyclones generally do not

Question 23

relationship btwn cyclones + anticyclones

Answer 23

1) generally alternate with one another
2) can occur independently BUT often have a functional relationship
**winds diverging from eastern part of anticyclone then go swooooooooosh into western side of cyclone (high to low pressure)