Final Exam Flashcards
Traits of Cumulus Stage of a thunderstorm
- Differential heating
- Cells of rising air
- Updraft cools air adiabatically
- Saturated air
traits of Mature stage of thunderstorm
- Precipitation
- Thunder and Lightning
- Anvil Head (Ice Crystals)
- Upward & Downward Drafts
Traits of Dissipative Stage of thunderstorms
- downdraft
- precipitation ends
- dry/squall lines
Conditions necessary for a tornado to develop:
- Super cell rotation within cloud
- Strong updrafts
- Lifting mechanisms
- Usually tornado season
Adiabatic Process
No direct heat transfer
Diabatic Process
Direct heat transfer
What is “Lead Time”
Time from the tornado warning issued to when the tornado hits. Average is 13 minutes
Why is tornado alley where it is?
Cold dry winds from the Rockies mix with the warm moist air from the Gulf, creating extreme storms and rotating clouds
Tornados need what two types of air to form?
CP and MT (continental polar and maritime tropical)
Why are tornados hard to predict?
Technology isn’t advanced enough; they only occur in 10% of storms
What tool is used to predict possible tornados? What is it?
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)
What latitudes do hurricanes form within?
5-20 degrees over the tropical oceans
What conditions are needed for hurricanes to form?
- 5-20 degrees latitude
- deep water
- surface temps of water must exceed 80F at the top 200ft
- unstable atmosphere
What is the structure of a hurricane? (From center outwards)
Eye, Eye Wall, Precipitation Bands
7 steps to a hurricane formation
- Condensation: Latent heat release
- Disturbance: It gets warmer
- Air becomes less dense
- Surface pressure drops
- Cyclonic circulation
- Pressure gradient gets steeper
- Surface winds increase and bring moisture
(Repeat)
What classifies hurricanes?
- winds of 74mph or 120kmh
- 350mi in diameter
- between 950 and 880 mb
What is a storm surge?
Sea water is pushed inland by strong winds associated w/ storms
What is a wind shear?
A large change is wind direction
What system is used for climate classification?
Koppen classification system
What is the Koppen classification system based on?
Average monthly temperature and precipitation
Changes in temperature are related to what 5 things?
Latitude, elevation, distance from moisture source, topography, large scale circulation
What are the 5 basic climate regimes?
Tropical (A) Dry/Arid (B) Mesothermal (C) Microthermal (D) Polar (E)
Typical Tropical (A) climate is…
Always warm and has precipitation that varies (either seasonally or yearly)
Typical Dry/Arid climate (B) is…
Has a temperature that is between hot and cool with very low precipitation
Typical Mesothermal (C) climate is…
a moderate temperature with seasonal precipitation
Typical Microthermal (D) climate is…
a varied temperature that reaches below 0 with precipitation that varies (year round or seasonal)
Typical Polar (E) climate is…
a moderate to very cold temperature with always low precipitation
What is interception?
When water strikes vegetation and is “intercepted” before it reaches the ground
What is stemflow?
When a plant’s leaves direct water inwards towards the stem/inner-plant and then into the ground/roots
What is simple structure vegetation?
A single layer of vegetation. i.e. only grass or only pine trees
What is complex structure vegetation?
Multiple layers of vegetation. i.e. a rainforest
What is POTET?
Potential Evaporation
What is ACTET?
Actual Evaporation
What is NPP?
Net Primary Productivity
3 stages of a typical thunderstorm
1) Cumulus
2) Mature
3) Dissipative
What 4 ideas can be used to compare fronts?
Temperature (Warm/Cold), Speed (Slow/Fast), Rain Duration (Long/Short), and Rain Amount (Light/Heavy)
What is a midlatitude cyclone?
Migrating center of low pressure (Converging, ascending air, spiraling counterclockwise)
What is cyclogenesis?
The development and strengthening of a midlatitude cyclone
The 1st stage of a midlatitude cyclone
Typically develops along polar front
What is an Occluded Front?
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
What are the 4 stages of a midlatitude cyclone?
Cyclogenesis, open, occluded, and dissolved
What is an open/mature cyclone?
The 2nd stage of midlatitude cyclone
Distinct warm and cold fronts
Heavy rains over cold front.
Warm Sector.
What is a dissolved front?
The 4th stage of a midlatitude cyclone.
Cyclone dissipates and there is no more lifting
What is typical weather in a “Cyclone Track” (After it has passed)
Cooler and dryer than before
Characteristics of the Arctic and Alpine Tundra
-Very low NPP ~140
-harsh environment
-short growing season (1-2 months)
-simple vegetation structure
EX: Alaska, Colorado Rockies
Characteristics of Needleleaf Forest & Needleleaf Forest (Boreal & Tiaga)
-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
Characteristics of Temperate Rainforests
-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
Characteristics of Midlatitude Broadleaf & Mixed Forests
-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
Characteristics of Midlatitude Grasslands
-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
Characteristics of Mediterranean Shurbland
-NPP ~700
-growing season of 6-7 months, limited by dry summers
-sclerophyllous vegetation (small waxy leaves)
EX: California Coast
Characteristics of Deserts
Low NPP
EX: SW United States & Mexico
Characteristic of Tropical Savannah
- NPP ~800
- 6 month growing season (April-Sept)
- simple vegetation structure
Characteristics of Tropical Seasonal (deciduous) Forest
- NPP ~1500
- 9-10 month growing season
- complex vegetation structure
Characteristics of Tropical Rainforests
- NPP ~2000
- highest diversity
- 12 month growing season
- complex vegetation system
4 major biomes in WI?
Marshes and swamps -HIGHEST NPP
Midlatitude Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Boreal Forests
Temperate grasslands-LOWEST NPP
What is ENSO
El Nino Southern Oscillation
Explain El Nino & characteristics
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
Explain La Nina & characteristics
Build up of cool water of the coast of South America
- enhanced Walker circulation
- leads to colder winter with 17-18in of snow (average)
How is a El Nino or La Nina determined?
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
What is upwelling?
(IN PACIFIC OCEAN) winds blowing eastward dragging surface waters from the coast. Cold waters upwell to replace water pushed east. Creates Thermocline
Explain Walker Circulation
Tradewinds blow west, warm waters along asian side and cold along south america.
Walker circulation in terms of El Nino
Trade wind reversal, blows warm waters toward South america.
Species
an organism that has the ability to
interbreed successfully
Populations
the number of individuals of a
particular species in a defined area
Community
groups of populations interacting at
a specific location
Biomes
largest classification of ecosystems
Palmer Drought Index
Measure of precipitation on a scale of -4 to 4
Paleolakes
Lakes that existed in the last Ice Age. Also called “Pluvial lakes”
