Exam 3

Question 1

First letters when classifying air masses

Answer 1

C - continental source region (land)

M - maritime source region (water)

Question 2

Second letters when classifying air masses

Answer 2

P - polar source region (cold)

T - tropical source region (hot)

Question 3

cP air mass

Answer 3

continental polar air mass

cold, dry

Question 4

mP air mass

Answer 4

maritime polar air mass (cold, moist)

Question 5

cT air mass

Answer 5

continental tropical air mass (hot, dry)

Question 6

mT air mass

Answer 6

maritime tropical air mass (warm, moist)

Question 7

what is a front?

Answer 7

a transition zone between two air masses of different densities

Question 8

cold front

Answer 8

cold dry air replaces warm, moist air

Question 9

warm front

Answer 9

warm, moist air replaces cold, dry air

Question 10

stationary front

Answer 10

not moving boundary between two air masses

Question 11

occluded front

Answer 11

formed when a cold front catches up to a warm front

Question 12

what is a dry line

Answer 12

a narrow boundary where there is a steep horizontal change in moisture as indicated by a rapid change in dew-point temperature. it separated warm, moist maritime tropical on its eastern side from hot, dry continental tropical air on its western side

Question 13

what happens at a surface low

Answer 13

divergence

Question 14

what happens at a surface high

Answer 14

convergence

Question 15

what is required for a thunderstorm to be severe?

Answer 15

produces hail at least 3/4 inch in diameter and/or surface wind gusts of 50 knots or greater and/ or produces a tornado and has a titled updraft. The longer the lifetime of the storm, the more likely it will become severe

Question 16

Name the four different types of thunderstorms or thunderstorm systems

Answer 16

ordinary thunderstorms, severe thunderstorms, dry line thunderstorms, and tornatic thunderstorms

Question 17

what are the conditions as you go up in the atmosphere that are the most favorable for thunderstorm development

Answer 17

where the polar front jet stream and the cold, dry air cross the warm, humid air

Question 18

how does a tornado form?

Answer 18

spinning vortex tubes created by wind shear. The strong updraft in the thunderstorm carries the vortex tube into the thunderstorm producing a rotating air column the tis oriented in the vertical plane

Question 19

what is the scale used to determine the destructiveness of a tornado

Answer 19

Fujita scale (EF0, EF1, EF2, EF3, EF4, EF5)

Question 20

first stage of tropical development

Answer 20

tropical disturbance: a mass of thunderstorms with only a slight wind circulation

Question 21

Second stage of tropical development

Answer 21

tropical depression: when the winds increase to between 20 and 34 knots and several closed isobars appear about its center on a surface weather map

Question 22

third stage of tropical development

Answer 22

tropical storm: winds reach 35 to 64 knots and storm is named

Question 23

fourth stage of tropical development

Answer 23

hurricane: winds exceed 64 knots to 74 mph

Question 24

what is the scale used to determine destructiveness of a hurricane

Answer 24

saffir-simpson hurricane damage potential scale

Question 25

where can you expect the most damage from a hurricane and why?

Answer 25

the eye wall: it is a ring of intense thunderstorms that whirl around the storms center and extend upward to almost 15km, it is the sea of strongest winds and heaviest precipitation