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meteorology Flashcards

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1
Q

What distributes heat around the world and maintains the average temp of different regions?

A

Ocean currents and global winds

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2
Q

Not all areas of the Earth are heated evenly due to?

A

the axial tilt of Earth and its spherical shape

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3
Q

The amount of energy the Earth receives and the amount Earth radiates back into space

A

the same amount

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4
Q

weather

A

short term variations in atmosphere phenomena that interact and affect the environment and life on Earth

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5
Q

climate

A

long term average variations in weather for a particular are

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6
Q

how many years to define a climate

A

30 years

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7
Q

electrometeor

A

thunder and lightning

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8
Q

lithometeor

A

smoke, haze, dust, and suspended particles

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9
Q

Hydrometeor

A

cloud droplets and precipitation

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10
Q

What kind of precipitation occurs in an occluded front

A

strong winds and heavy rain

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11
Q

What happens to air in an occluded front

A

rapidly advancing cold air mass overtakes warm front, forcing warm air up and making cold air collide with other cold front

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12
Q

what kind of precipitation occurs in a stationary front?

A

light rain and wind, small temperature and pressure difference

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13
Q

why can’t stationary fronts move each other

A

neither is strong enough over the other to move out of the way

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14
Q

What happens to air in a stationary front?

A

two air masses meet but neither advances

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15
Q

what kind of precipitation occurs in a warm front?

A

light precipitation for days, can be over 200 miles long, low-level stratus

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16
Q

what happens to air in a warm front

A

warm air displaces cold, produces cirrus clouds, slides up over cold air

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17
Q

what kind of precipitation occurs in a cold front

A

heavy rain, thunder storms, short duration, cumulonimbus clouds form

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18
Q

what happens to air in a cold front

A

fast cold air pushes warm air away, causing it to move up and make clouds, normally follow warm fronts, difficult to predict or foresee

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19
Q

wind

A

the horizontal movement of air from high to low pressure

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20
Q

what would happen if Earth did not rotate

A

surface winds would blow from the poles to the equator

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21
Q

Coriolis effect

A

effect of the Earth’s rotation on fluids moving over the surface

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22
Q

where does the Coriolis effect deflect winds in the northern hemisphere

A

to the right

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23
Q

where does the Coriolis effect deflect winds in the southern hemisphere

A

to the left

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24
Q

where are the poles and what pressure

A

90 degrees north and south, high pressure

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25
Q

where is the polar front and what pressure

A

60 degrees north and south, low pressure

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26
Q

where are the horse latitudes and what pressure

A

30 degrees north and south, high pressure

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27
Q

inter tropical convergence zone

A

0 degrees, low pressure, equator, drifts north and south with the seasons as it follows the highest temperatures on Earth

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28
Q

What creates global wind systems

A

the Coriolis effect and heat imbalance

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29
Q

what are winds named by?

A

where they come from

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30
Q

polar easterlies

A

60-90 north and south, northeast to southwest in northern hemisphere, southeast to northwest in southern hemisphere

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31
Q

prevailing westerlies

A

30-60 north and south, southwest to northeast in northern hemisphere, northwest to southeast in southern hemisphere

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32
Q

trade winds

A

0-30 north and south, northeast to southwest in northern hemisphere, southeast to northwest in southern hemisphere

33
Q

doldrums

A

equator, upward air flow no winds)

34
Q

jet streams

A

10.7-12.2 in altitude, west to east in northern and southern hemisphere, 400km/hour

35
Q

polar jet streams

A

high altitude, 40-60 north and south, west to east in northern and southern hemisphere, can veer north and south

36
Q

subtropical jet streams

A

high altitude 20-30 north and south, west to east northern and southern hemisphere, weather follows path of jet stream

37
Q

pressure systems

A

sinking and rising air combined with Coriolis
effect results in rotating high and low pressure systems

38
Q

low pressure system (vacuum)

A

air spirals in towards low pressure and rises, results in storms, spins counterclockwise low in northern hemisphere, clockwise in southern hemisphere

39
Q

high pressure systems (leafblower)

A

air flows out of high pressure and sinks, results in clear weather, spin clockwise around high northern hemisphere, counter-clockwise in southern hemisphere

40
Q

what is an air mass

A

a large volume of air that has the same characteristics (humidity, temperature, pressure) as its source region

41
Q

what is a source region

A

the areas over which the air mass forms

42
Q

arctic symbol, source region, warmth, and humidity

A

A, arctic basin/Siberia, bitter cold, dry

43
Q

continental polar symbol, source region, warmth, and humidity

A

cP, interiors of Canada and Alaska, very cold, dry

44
Q

continental tropical symbol, source region, warmth, and humidity

A

cT, southwest U.S./Mexico, warm, dry

45
Q

maritime polar symbol, source region, warmth, and humidity

A

mP, north pacific ocean, humid, cold

46
Q

maritime tropical symbol, source region, warmth, and humidity

A

mT, north Atlantic/ Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, warm, humid

47
Q

What do all dry airmasses have in common

A

all form over land

48
Q

what do all humid air masses have in common

A

they all from over water

49
Q

what is the correlation between how humid and dry airmasses form?

A

the energy released and forming the air masses affects the content of the air mass. over water, there is more condensation and release of water vapor, and the opposite for land

50
Q

lake-effect snow

A

as cold continental polar air moves over warm great lakes, air gains thermal energy and moisture. it cools as it rises due to convection and topographic land features, producing snow

51
Q

How does an air mass’s characteristics change

A

when an air mass travels over areas of different characteristics than its source region, they may acquire some of those traits

52
Q

thermometer

A

thermal expansion causes liquid to rise

53
Q

electronic thermometer

A

electricity goes into probe, heat and resistance rises

54
Q

mercury barometer

A

air presses down on mercury in vacuum tube

55
Q

aneroid barometer

A

air squeezes and the chamber turns the lever

56
Q

why is mercury used in barometer instead of water?

A

mercury is heavier and would not freeze or evaporate in extreme temperatures

57
Q

anemometer

A

wind speed

58
Q

wind vane

A

direction of wind

59
Q

hygrometer (psychrometer)

A

device used to measure relative humidity

60
Q

automated surface observing system (ASOS)

A

24-hour observation of weather conditions all over the U.S.

61
Q

what is ASOS info used for

A

aviation, weather, forecasting, and research

62
Q

Radiosonde

A

measures upper air temp pressure and humidity, transmits info on radiowaves

63
Q

Rawinsonde

A

radiosonden + wind speed/direction

64
Q

RADAR

A

Radio, Detection, and Ranging

65
Q

Doppler effect

A

the change in pitch that occurs due to lengthening or shortening of sound or light waves

66
Q

what happens when light/sound moves towards you?

A

pitch goes up

67
Q

what happens when light/sound move away from you?

A

pitch goes down

68
Q

what is the doppler radar used for

A

to measure direction of precipitation and wind speeds

69
Q

what is a station model

A

a record of weather data for a particular site at a particular time

70
Q

how are station models useful for meteorologists

A

fits large amount of data in small space

71
Q

what is an isopleth

A

lines that connect points of equal or constant value

72
Q

what do isobars show

A

lines of equal pressure

73
Q

what do isotherms show

A

lines of equal temperature

74
Q

what does it mean if isobars are close togeter

A

a large pressure difference over a small area, strong winds

75
Q

how does the atmosphere behave

A

like a fluid

76
Q

what is a digital forecast

A

making prediction about how variables will change overtime by applying physical principles and math to the atmospheric variables

77
Q

analog forecast

A

based on a comparison of current weather patterns to similar ones from the past

78
Q

what are digital and analog forecasts better for

A

digital for immediate forecast and analog for longer range

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