Chapter 8 Flashcards
Scientists who study the weather
Meteorologists
This is the basic cause of all weather
The sun
The imaginary line running through the earth from North Pole to South Pole
The axis
The air we live in receives most of its warmth from this
The ground radiating heat back up
Different seasons are caused by this
The tilt of the earth’s axis
Winds are produced by this
Temperature differences
What is lighter than cool air
Warm air
The Earth’s surface spins this fast
1,000 miles per hour
The areas that have the most changeable weather are areas with these kinds of winds
Prevailing westerlies
List the wind systems of the earth
Polar easterlies
Prevailing westerlies
Trade winds (northeast and southeast)
The amount of water vapor that the air can hold at a given temperature
Relative humidity
The lowest possible temperature at which air is able to hold all of its water vapor
Dew point
The process in which water vapor leaves the air and changes into a liquid water
Condensation
Air is saturated when the humidity of the air is what percent?
100%
Water vapor that condenses to form liquid water on the ground
Dew
Water vapor that condenses and forms frozen water on the ground
Frost
An ice crystal in a cloud becomes too heavy, falls, melts, and lands on the earth as liquid water
Rain
Falling ice crystals melt slightly, stick, and freeze together into snowflakes
Wet snow
Falling ice crystals melt into raindrops, then refreeze and land on earth as tiny pieces of ice
Sleet
Falling ice crystals melt, hit the earth as liquid rain, but refreeze as soon as they land
Freezing rain
A small piece of ice is tossed up and down inside a cloud, forming several layers of ice, until it is too heavy and falls to earth
Hail
Puffy, bulgy clouds belong to this family
Cumulus
Layers of flat clouds belong to this family
Stratus
Wispy, curly clouds very high in the atmosphere belong to this family
Cirrus
Sheets of clouds that often produce rain
Stratus
A “thunderhead” is another name for this kind of cloud
Cumulonimbus
This term means “clouds that produce rain”
Nimbus
The broad, flat top of a cumulonimbus cloud
Anvil top
This is produced when opposite electrical charges build up in very tall clouds
Lightning
Thunder is caused by this
The rapid expansion of superheated air causing shockwaves
This type of storm packs the most destructive power into the smallest space
Tornado
The calm region of very low air pressure in the center of a tornado
The eye of the storm
If a tornado has been spotted meteorologists issue this
A tornado warning
If conditions are right for a tornado to form, this is issued
Tornado watch
Lightning that does not come in contact with the ground but remains within the cloud is known as this
Sheet lightning
This is a row of thunderheads that builds up in front of advancing cold air
A squall line
The boundary between two air masses
A front
These are precautions to take during a thunderstorm
1Stay indoors
2Stay inside a car if you are out
3Avoid being the tallest object or standing next to tall objects if you are outside
4 stay away from high ground or open flat areas
5 avoid being in or near water, including the shower
6 do not use the telephone or electrical appliances
7Unplug electrical appliances
What makes humidity higher in some places rather than others
Warmer air holds more water vapor than cold air.
In order for condensation to take place wired molecules must have this
A solid surface to gather on
Most water vapor remains here
In the bottom of the troposphere near the Earth’s surface
These are the three ingredients in the cloud recipe
Water, rising air, dust
Three things that can cause air to rise are….
Solar heating, mountains, fronts
Describe what an air mass is
Is single large unit of air with uniform temperature and humidity characteristics
The temperature at which cooling air becomes saturated and begins to release some of its water vapor through condensation
Dew point
The process by which cooling water leaves the air and changes into tiny droplets of liquid water
Condensation
Droplets of water that form on cool surfaces when water vapor from the air condenses
Dew
Tiny crystals of ice formed when water vapor freezes onto a cold object
Frost
Air flows in this pattern
From high-pressure areas to low-pressure areas
Name four types of clouds
Heap cloud, layer cloud, wisp cloud, combination cloud
Name the layer clouds
Stratus, nimbostratus, altostratus
Name the heap clouds
Cumulus, cumulonimbus, altocumulus
Name the wisp cloud
Cirrus
Name the combination clouds
Cirrostratus, stratocumulus, cirrocumulus
Hailstones form in clouds with strong what?
Updrafts
This at the top of the tropopause stops clouds from growing upward any farther
The temperature inversion
