Exam 2; 10/31 Flashcards
Chapter 5, 6
Storm surge
The superelevation of the water surface produced by a hurricane’s strong onshore winds & low atmospheric pressures
Wind
Horizontal movement of air
Isobars
Lines connecting points of equal pressure on a map
California Current
The process that transports cold water south along the Pacific Coast
Gulf Stream
The process that transports warm water north along the Atlantic Coast
Equatorial latitudes
The region of Earth that receives the most concentrated incoming solar radiation
Coriolis Effect
The process that causes moving objects to be deflected to the right in the Northern Hemisphere; To the left in the Southern Hemisphere
Hadley Cell
The large scale convection cell between the equator and 30/-30 degrees
Ferrel Cell
The large scale convection cell between 30 & 60 degrees(above and below equator)
Trade winds
Historical name for Easterly Winds in the Northern Hemisphere between the equator and 30 degrees latitude
Low atmospheric pressure
Typically associated with rainy/stormy weather
High atmospheric pressure
Typically associated with fair weather
Counterclockwise
Direction of air flow around a central low-pressure cell in the Northern Hemisphere
Clockwise
Direction of air flow around a central low pressure cell in the Southern Hemisphere
Nor’easter
Extratropical cyclones that pound the northeast US coast & Canada. Can cause driving rains, winds, storm waves, snowfall, & elevated tide levels
Cyclogenesis
The process of extratropical cyclone formation, first described by Norwegian scientists during WWI
Hurricanes
Tropical storms in the Atlantic Ocean
Typhoons
Tropical storms in the Pacific Ocean
Cyclones
Tropical storms in the Indian Ocean
Waves
Surface disturbances of fluid where energy is transferred from one place to another
Wavelength
The distance in space between two like locations on a wave at the same point in time
Period
The distance in time between two like locations on a wave at the same point in space
Significant wave height
The average height of the highest 1/3 of waves during a set time period
Refraction
The bending of a wave as it passes through shallow water on its way to the shoreline