Chapter 7- Atmospheric Disturbances

Question 1

What are the four types of fronts?

Answer 1

Cold: lower portion slowed due to friction. Lifting causes unstable which makes violent weather ahead. Some precipitation
Warm: cirrus clouds, very gradual, broad precipitation
Stationary: neither air mass displaces the other. They stall. Limited precipitation
Occluded: cold front overtakes a warm front.

Question 2

What are the main components/characteristics of a mid latitude cyclone

Answer 2

Formation of fronts
Sectors
Clouds and precipitation

Question 3

How do mid latitude cyclones move?

Answer 3

1. Entire storm moves west to east
2. Airflow is cyclonic, converging counterclockwise(NH)
3. The cold front advances
4. The warm front advances

Question 4

What is the life cycle of a cyclone?

Answer 4

Front develops
Wave develops
Cyclone circulation established
Occlusion begins
Occluded front developed
Cyclone dissipates

Question 5

What is the conveyor belt model associated with midlat cyclones?

Answer 5

Norwegian

Question 6

What are the major components of the Norwegian model?

Answer 6

Warm
Dry
And cold conveyor belts
Not just fronts and pressure, but channels of air

Question 7

What is a blocking high?

Answer 7

A midlatitude anitcyclone

Question 8

What are the characteristics of a tropical cyclone?

Answer 8

Low pressure centers
Circular
Steep pressure gradient outward from the center
Eye of a hurricane

Question 9

How do tropical cyclones originate?

Answer 9

Warm ocean water
Preexisting disturbance
Easterly waves provide low level convergence and lifting
No wind shear

Question 10

How do tropical cyclones move?

Answer 10

General flow of wind patterns
Most go east to west with little latitude change
Or curve poleward

Question 11

How is tropical cyclone intensity measured?

Answer 11

Wind speed

Question 12

What is the scale that categorizes tropical cyclones?

Answer 12

Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale

Question 13

What is the main cause of damage and death in a hurricane

Answer 13

Flooding

Question 14

All about Katrina

Answer 14

August 2005
Category 5
New Orleans

Question 15

What are the connection between hurricanes and climate change

Answer 15

Ocean warming
Number of hurricanes
Intensity of hurricanes

Question 16

How do thunderstorms form?

Answer 16

Uplift of warm moist air must release enough latent heat of condensation. Updrafts and cloud grows. Falling particles drag air creating a downdraft.

Question 17

What are the three stages of thunderstorm life cycle

Answer 17

Cumulus
Mature
Dissipating

Question 18

What is a derecho?

Answer 18

Large and long lived wind storm

Question 19

How can you tell the difference between damage done by a derecho verses a tornado

Answer 19

Derechos travel in straight lines

Tornadoes travel sporadicly

Question 20

What are the characteristics of a tornado?

Answer 20

Deep low pressure cell surrounded by wind
Extreme pressure gradient
Funnel clouds

Question 21

How do tornadoes form?

Answer 21

Winds are stronger up than at surface. Wind shear produces a rolling motion. Thunderstorm updrafts tilt the horizontally rotating air to a nearly vertical alignment. The mesocyclone a verticals cylinder of rotating air is established. Descend from rotating wall cloud

Question 22

How do tornadoes move?

Answer 22

Southwest to north east

Question 23

How is tornado intensity measure?

Answer 23

Damage

Question 24

What is the name for the tornado categorizing scale?

Answer 24

Enhanced Fuijita Scale