Chapter 9 Flashcards
Measures the amount of rain fall
Rain Gauge
Measures air tempurature
Thermometer
Measures relative humidity
hygrometer
Measures wind speed
anemometer
Uses radio waves to detect objects and measure their distance
Radar
Measures the distance from the ground to the base of clouds
Ceilometer
Measures and transmits meteorological data from weather balloons to weather stations
Radiosonde
Measures atmospheric pressure
Barometer
Indicates the direction of wind
Weather vane
Measures visibility
transmissometer
Localized storm involving lightening, thunder, strong winds, heavy rain, and sometimes hair or tornadoes
Thunderstorm
Tornado that forms over water
Waterspout
Air that is warm near the ground but very cold at higher altitudes
Unstable
Rapidly swirling cloud that is the most distinctive visual feature of a tornado
condensation funnel
concentrated downward blast of wind
downburst
large rotating updraft in a supercell thunderstorm
mesocyclone
narrow funnel of whirling wind produced by a thunderstorm
tornado
electron stream that flows from a cloud to the ground
stepped ladder
brilliant flash of a lightning bolt
return stroke
scale used to classify tornados
enhanced fujita scale
Long line of advancing thunderstorms
squall line
rotating column of air that starts on the ground and is not associated with a cloud
dust devil
thunderstorm stage marked by a billowing, rapidly growing cumulus cloud
cumulus stage
fierce, single-updraft thunderstorm
Super cell
shock wave produced as lightning heats the air
thunder
thunderstorm marked by the arrival of precipitation
mature stage
abrupt discharge of electricity through the air
lightning
single updraft system in a thunderstorm
cell
