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Weather And Climate > Final Exam > Flashcards

Final Exam Flashcards

1
Q

Traits of Cumulus Stage of a thunderstorm

A
  • Differential heating
  • Cells of rising air
  • Updraft cools air adiabatically
  • Saturated air
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2
Q

traits of Mature stage of thunderstorm

A
  • Precipitation
  • Thunder and Lightning
  • Anvil Head (Ice Crystals)
  • Upward & Downward Drafts
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3
Q

Traits of Dissipative Stage of thunderstorms

A
  • downdraft
  • precipitation ends
  • dry/squall lines
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4
Q

Conditions necessary for a tornado to develop:

A
  • Super cell rotation within cloud
  • Strong updrafts
  • Lifting mechanisms
  • Usually tornado season
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5
Q

Adiabatic Process

A

No direct heat transfer

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6
Q

Diabatic Process

A

Direct heat transfer

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7
Q

What is “Lead Time”

A

Time from the tornado warning issued to when the tornado hits. Average is 13 minutes

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8
Q

Why is tornado alley where it is?

A

Cold dry winds from the Rockies mix with the warm moist air from the Gulf, creating extreme storms and rotating clouds

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9
Q

Tornados need what two types of air to form?

A

CP and MT (continental polar and maritime tropical)

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10
Q

Why are tornados hard to predict?

A

Technology isn’t advanced enough; they only occur in 10% of storms

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11
Q

What tool is used to predict possible tornados? What is it?

A

Doppler Radar is used. It sends out waves which bounce off of raindrops and are sent back to the sensor. This allows us to see the size, shape, and movement of the raindrops (and thus also the wind)

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12
Q

What latitudes do hurricanes form within?

A

5-20 degrees over the tropical oceans

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13
Q

What conditions are needed for hurricanes to form?

A
  • 5-20 degrees latitude
  • deep water
  • surface temps of water must exceed 80F at the top 200ft
  • unstable atmosphere
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14
Q

What is the structure of a hurricane? (From center outwards)

A

Eye, Eye Wall, Precipitation Bands

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15
Q

7 steps to a hurricane formation

A
  1. Condensation: Latent heat release
  2. Disturbance: It gets warmer
  3. Air becomes less dense
  4. Surface pressure drops
  5. Cyclonic circulation
  6. Pressure gradient gets steeper
  7. Surface winds increase and bring moisture
    (Repeat)
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16
Q

What classifies hurricanes?

A
  • winds of 74mph or 120kmh
  • 350mi in diameter
  • between 950 and 880 mb
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17
Q

What is a storm surge?

A

Sea water is pushed inland by strong winds associated w/ storms

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18
Q

What is a wind shear?

A

A large change is wind direction

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19
Q

What system is used for climate classification?

A

Koppen classification system

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20
Q

What is the Koppen classification system based on?

A

Average monthly temperature and precipitation

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21
Q

Changes in temperature are related to what 5 things?

A

Latitude, elevation, distance from moisture source, topography, large scale circulation

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22
Q

What are the 5 basic climate regimes?

A 
Tropical (A)
Dry/Arid (B)
Mesothermal (C)
Microthermal (D)
Polar (E)
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23
Q

Typical Tropical (A) climate is…

A

Always warm and has precipitation that varies (either seasonally or yearly)

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24
Q

Typical Dry/Arid climate (B) is…

A

Has a temperature that is between hot and cool with very low precipitation

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25
Q

Typical Mesothermal (C) climate is…

A

a moderate temperature with seasonal precipitation

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26
Q

Typical Microthermal (D) climate is…

A

a varied temperature that reaches below 0 with precipitation that varies (year round or seasonal)

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27
Q

Typical Polar (E) climate is…

A

a moderate to very cold temperature with always low precipitation

28
Q

What is interception?

A

When water strikes vegetation and is “intercepted” before it reaches the ground

29
Q

What is stemflow?

A

When a plant’s leaves direct water inwards towards the stem/inner-plant and then into the ground/roots

30
Q

What is simple structure vegetation?

A

A single layer of vegetation. i.e. only grass or only pine trees

31
Q

What is complex structure vegetation?

A

Multiple layers of vegetation. i.e. a rainforest

32
Q

What is POTET?

A

Potential Evaporation

33
Q

What is ACTET?

A

Actual Evaporation

34
Q

What is NPP?

A

Net Primary Productivity

35
Q

3 stages of a typical thunderstorm

A

1) Cumulus
2) Mature
3) Dissipative

36
Q

What 4 ideas can be used to compare fronts?

A

Temperature (Warm/Cold), Speed (Slow/Fast), Rain Duration (Long/Short), and Rain Amount (Light/Heavy)

37
Q

What is a midlatitude cyclone?

A

Migrating center of low pressure (Converging, ascending air, spiraling counterclockwise)

38
Q

What is cyclogenesis?

A

The development and strengthening of a midlatitude cyclone
The 1st stage of a midlatitude cyclone
Typically develops along polar front

39
Q

What is an Occluded Front?

A

When a faster moving cold-front catches up to the warm front
The 3rd stage of a midlatitude cyclone
Warm air “runs out” and the rain ends

40
Q

What are the 4 stages of a midlatitude cyclone?

A

Cyclogenesis, open, occluded, and dissolved

41
Q

What is an open/mature cyclone?

A

The 2nd stage of midlatitude cyclone
Distinct warm and cold fronts
Heavy rains over cold front.
Warm Sector.

42
Q

What is a dissolved front?

A

The 4th stage of a midlatitude cyclone.

Cyclone dissipates and there is no more lifting

43
Q

What is typical weather in a “Cyclone Track” (After it has passed)

A

Cooler and dryer than before

44
Q

Characteristics of the Arctic and Alpine Tundra

A

-Very low NPP ~140
-harsh environment
-short growing season (1-2 months)
-simple vegetation structure
EX: Alaska, Colorado Rockies

45
Q

Characteristics of Needleleaf Forest & Needleleaf Forest (Boreal & Tiaga)

A

-NPP ~ 800
-limited growing season (3-4 months)
-simple vegetation structure dominated by coniferous forests (ex: pine trees)
-infrequent, widespread, high severity wildfires
EX: Most of Canada, Northern WI & MN

46
Q

Characteristics of Temperate Rainforests

A

-NPP ~1300
-species diversity greater than Boreal, but dominated by coniferous forests
-complex vegetation system
-cool wet winters, dry summers
-growing season of 8-10 months
-nurse trees (provides lots of water & decomposition)
EX: Western coast of Canada & Washington

47
Q

Characteristics of Midlatitude Broadleaf & Mixed Forests

A

-NPP ~1200
-complex vegetation
-growing season of about 6-8 months limited by temperature in the N and rain in the W
-warm wet summers, cool dry winters
-Deciduous leaves
EX: Eastern US

48
Q

Characteristics of Midlatitude Grasslands

A

-NPP ~700
-growing season of 6-7 months, limited by drought and cold winters
-simple vegetation (grass duh)
-short grass in the west, tall grass towards the east
EX: Central US

49
Q

Characteristics of Mediterranean Shurbland

A

-NPP ~700
-growing season of 6-7 months, limited by dry summers
-sclerophyllous vegetation (small waxy leaves)
EX: California Coast

50
Q

Characteristics of Deserts

A

Low NPP

EX: SW United States & Mexico

51
Q

Characteristic of Tropical Savannah

A
  • NPP ~800
  • 6 month growing season (April-Sept)
  • simple vegetation structure
52
Q

Characteristics of Tropical Seasonal (deciduous) Forest

A
  • NPP ~1500
  • 9-10 month growing season
  • complex vegetation structure
53
Q

Characteristics of Tropical Rainforests

A
  • NPP ~2000
  • highest diversity
  • 12 month growing season
  • complex vegetation system
54
Q

4 major biomes in WI?

A

Marshes and swamps -HIGHEST NPP
Midlatitude Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Boreal Forests
Temperate grasslands-LOWEST NPP

55
Q

What is ENSO

A

El Nino Southern Oscillation

56
Q

Explain El Nino & characteristics

A

When warm water builds up off the coast of Southern America

  • when occurring in winter (like this year), leads to warmer winter w/ 2-3 inches of snow (average)
  • every 2 to 5 years
  • causes wet & cool in southern US
  • warm & dry in northern US and Canada
57
Q

Explain La Nina & characteristics

A

Build up of cool water of the coast of South America

  • enhanced Walker circulation
  • leads to colder winter with 17-18in of snow (average)
58
Q

How is a El Nino or La Nina determined?

A

Air pressure is measured in SE and SW pacific. Tahiti (SW) is usually higher than Darwin (SE). If Darwin is higher, La Nina is occurring.
SST measured, warm temps off South America is El Nino, cold is La Nina

59
Q

What is upwelling?

A

(IN PACIFIC OCEAN) winds blowing eastward dragging surface waters from the coast. Cold waters upwell to replace water pushed east. Creates Thermocline

60
Q

Explain Walker Circulation

A

Tradewinds blow west, warm waters along asian side and cold along south america.

61
Q

Walker circulation in terms of El Nino

A

Trade wind reversal, blows warm waters toward South america.

62
Q

Species

A

an organism that has the ability to

interbreed successfully

63
Q

Populations

A

the number of individuals of a

particular species in a defined area

64
Q

Community

A

groups of populations interacting at

a specific location

65
Q

Biomes

A

largest classification of ecosystems

66
Q

Palmer Drought Index

A

Measure of precipitation on a scale of -4 to 4

67
Q

Paleolakes

A

Lakes that existed in the last Ice Age. Also called “Pluvial lakes”

Weather And Climate (1 decks)

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