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Meteorology > Meteorology > Flashcards

Meteorology Flashcards

1
Q

air mass

A

a huge body of air that has similar temperature, humidity, and air pressure at any given height

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2
Q

continental polar (cP)

A

cold, dry air mass that forms over land

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3
Q

continental tropical (cT)

A

warm, dry air mass that forms over land

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4
Q

maritime polar (mP)

A

cold, moist air mass that forms over cold oceans

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5
Q

maritime tropical (mT)

A

warm, moist air mass that is formed over water

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6
Q

continental arctic (cA)

A

very cold, very dry air mass

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7
Q

front

A

the atmospheric phenomenon created at the boundary between two different air masses

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8
Q

cold front

A

forms when cold air moves under warm air which is less dense and pushes air up (produces thunderstorms heavy rain or snow

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9
Q

warm front

A

a front where warm air moves over cold air and brings drizzly rain and then are followed by warm and clear weather

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10
Q

occluded front

A

a front where a warm air mass is caught between two colder air masses and brings cool temperatures and large amounts of rain and snow

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11
Q

stationary front

A

weak cold and warm air masses meet, but neither can move the other

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12
Q

thunderstorm

A

the most common severe storm, formed in cumulonimbus clouds

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13
Q

hurricane

A

a severe storm that develops over tropical oceans and whose strong winds of more than 120 km/h spiral in toward the intensely low-pressure storm center

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14
Q

tornado

A

a localized and violently destructive windstorm occurring over land characterized by a funnel-shaped cloud extending toward the ground

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15
Q

weather station model

A

a group of symbols used to communicate weather at a given place on Earth’s surface; Data includes temperature current precipitation, pressure and pressure change, dew point, etc

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16
Q

Coriolis effect

A

The way Earth’s rotation makes winds in the Northern Hemisphere curve to the right and winds in the Southern Hemisphere curve to the left

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17
Q

trade winds

A

Prevailing winds that blow northeast from 30 degrees north latitude to the equator and that blow southeast from 30 degrees south latitude to the equator

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18
Q

horse latitudes

A

are regions of high pressue and gentle winds at about 30 degrees north and south latitude

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19
Q

doldrums

A

a belt of calms and light winds between the northern and southern trade winds of the Atlantic and Pacific

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20
Q

westerlies

A

prevaling winds that blow from west to east between 30 degrees & 60degrees latitude in the hemisphere

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21
Q

polar easterlies

A

prevailing winds that blow from east to west between 60 degrees and 90 degrees latitude in both hemispheres

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22
Q

sub-polar low

A

a low pressure area formed sixty degrees N when the prevailing westerlies rise above the polar easterlies

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23
Q

jet stream

A

a high-speed high-altitude airstream blowing from west to east near the top of the troposphere

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24
Q

isobar

A

a line drawn to connect points of equal atmospheric pressure

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25
Q

air pressure

A

the measure of the force with which air molecules push on a surface

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26
Q

pressure gradient

A

the amount of pressure change occurring over a given distance

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27
Q

high pressure

A

cool dense sinking air; associated with clear skies and calm weather

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28
Q

low pressure

A

warm rising area that condenses and cools; associated with cloudy skies, precipitation, and wind

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29
Q

water vapor

A

water in the form of a gas

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30
Q

condensation

A

the process of changing from a gaseous to a liquid or solid state

31
Q

specific humidity

A

the amount of water vapor in the air at a given time and place; expressed as the number of grams of water vapor per kilogram of air.

32
Q

saturated

A

being the most concentrated solution possible at a given temperature

33
Q

capacity

A

the amount that can be contained

34
Q

relative humidity

A

the ratio of the amount of water in the air at a give temperature to the maximum amount it could hold at that temperature

35
Q

dew point

A

temperature at which air is saturated and condensation begins

36
Q

condensation nuclei

A

microscopic particles (such as dust or ice) on which water vapor condenses to form cloud droplets

37
Q

precipitation

A

the falling to earth of any form of water (rain or snow or hail or sleet or mist)

38
Q

sleet

A

partially melted snow (or a mixture of rain and snow)

39
Q

hail

A

lumps or balls of ice that fall from cumulonimbus clouds formed from strong convection currents adding layers of ice

40
Q

glaze

A

a coating of ice on objects formed when supercooled rain freezes on contact

41
Q

freezing rain

A

raindrops that freeze after they hit the ground or other cold surfaces

42
Q

evaporation

A

the process by which water changes from liquid form to an atmospheric gas

43
Q

cloud

A

a visible mass of water or ice particles suspended at a considerable altitude

44
Q

scattering

A

the physical process in which particles are deflected haphazardly as a result of collisions

45
Q

reflection

A

the phenomenon of a propagating wave (light or sound) being thrown back from a surface

46
Q

absorption

A

(chemistry) a process in which one substance permeates another

47
Q

conduction

A

the transfer of thermal energy from one substance to another through direct contact

48
Q

convection

A

the transfer of heat through a fluid (liquid or gas) caused by molecular motion

49
Q

ozone layer

A

a layer in the stratosphere (at approximately 20 miles) that contains a concentration of ozone sufficient to block most ultraviolet radiation from the sun

50
Q

greenhouse effect

A

natural situation in which heat is retained in Earth’s atmosphere by carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, and other gases

51
Q

global warming

A

an increase in the average temperature of the earth’s atmosphere

52
Q

isotherm

A

line on a map connecting points equal temperature values

53
Q

insolation

A

the amount of the sun’s energy that reaches earth at a given time and place

54
Q

albedo

A

the fraction of solar radiation that is reflected off the surface of an object

55
Q

radiation

A

energy that is radiated or transmitted in the form of rays or waves or particles

56
Q

isobar

A

a line drawn to connect points of equal atmospheric pressure

57
Q

troposphere

A

the layer of the atmosphere that contains life and weather; the temperature decreases as you go up

58
Q

tropopause

A

is the boundary between the troposphere and the stratosphere

59
Q

stratosphere

A

the layer of the atmosphere that is above the troposphere and in which temperature increases as altitude increases

60
Q

stratopause

A

the transition between the stratosphere and the mesosphere

61
Q

mesosphere

A

the layer of the atmosphere immediately above the stratosphere and characterized by decreasing tempertures with height and where most meteors burn up

62
Q

mesopause

A

the transition between the mesosphere and the thermosphere

63
Q

thermosphere

A

The uppermost layer of the atmosphere, in which temperature increases as altitude increases

64
Q

ionosphere

A

layer of electrically charged particles in the thermosphere that absorbs AM radio waves during the day and reflects them back at night

65
Q

exosphere

A

the layer of the atmosphere that fades into outer space

66
Q

weather

A

the condition of Earth’s atmosphere at a particular time and place

67
Q

vorticity

A

tendency of an air parcel to spin

68
Q

earth vorticity

A

vorticity due to Earth’s daily rotation about its axis, is a function solely of latitude higher the latitude, the greater the vorticity

69
Q

relative vorticity

A

the vorticity relative to Earth’s surface

70
Q

absolute vorticity

A

relative vorticity + Earth’s Vorticity

71
Q

unstable cloud

A

Cumulus

72
Q

stable cloud

A

Stratis

73
Q

jet streak

A

a region of high wind speed that moves through the axis of a jet stream

Meteorology (1 decks)

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