Chapter 8- Air masses and Cyclonic Weather Flashcards
How do we name air masses?
By moisture and source region (temperature)
What does mT air mass mean?
warm and moist
What does cT air mass mean?
warm and dry
What does mP air mass mean?
Cold and moist
What does cP air mass mean?
Warm and dry
What are the 4 fronts?
Warm, cold, stationary, occluded
What shape is a warm front represnted by?
circle
What shape is a cold front represnted by?
triangle
What shape does stationary front have?
upside down triange, rightside up circle
What shape does occluded front have?
circle then triangle
Does a cold or warm front move faster?
Cold
What is a midlatitude cyclone?
a well-organized
low-pressure system in the midlatitudes
containing both warm and cold fronts
What weather elements change when fronts pass?
Temperature, pressure, wind
What are the 3 stages of midlatitude cyclones?
Cyclogenesis, mature, occlusion
What is a comma cloud?
he warm and cold fronts both create clouds, which together form a comma
shape around the low pressure
What is a bomb cycle/bombogenesis?
When a MLC intensifies rapidly
What are downdrifts/gust fronts?
Small cold fronts from
downdrafts hitting the ground and flowing outward
What is a mesocyclone?
large, rotating updrafts within storms
What is a hook echo?
a band of heavy rain and hail in rotation around a supercell thunderstorm recognized by radar
How are tornadoes classified?
By wind speed
What is the eye wall in a hurricane?
Calm, descending air
What are the 4 things needed for a hurricane?
Tons of latent heat, far from the equator, storms, low wind
What is the Saffir-Simpson scale and how does it classify hurricanes?
it ranks the wind mph and what each level is likely to damage
What are the biggest impacts of hurricanes?
Inland flooding, wind, tornadoes, storm surges
