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Prefix words > Meteorology part 2 > Flashcards

Meteorology part 2 Flashcards

1
Q

Cyclones

A

-area of low pressure around which the winds flow counterclockwise
(opposite in Southern hemisphere– clockwise)
-converging air at the surface that rises
-cloudy, wet, stormy

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2
Q

Anticyclones

A
  • high pressure systems
  • clear, calm, fairly dry
  • opposite of cyclone in every way!!!
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3
Q

thunderstorms

A
  • small area storms formed by the strong upward movement of warm, moist, unstable air
  • accompanied by lightning, thunder, rain, sometimes hail
  • formed from cumulonimbus clouds
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4
Q

air mass thunderstorms

A
  • form in warm, moist air mass
  • occur in spring and summer
  • last less than 1 hour, single, widely scattered
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5
Q

frontal thunderstorms

A
  • occur in lines along a frontal surface
  • stronger and may last several hours
  • can produce heavy rain and flooding
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6
Q

lightning

A
  • a discharge of electricity from a thundercloud to the ground, or cloud to cloud
  • produced by all thunderstorms
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7
Q

tornado

A
  • a narrow, funnel shaped column of spiral winds that extends downward from the cloud base and touches the ground
  • usually occur during spring and summer and most occur in the late afternoon
  • funnel is a mixture of clouds and dust
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8
Q

waterspout

A

a tornado over the water/weaker than a tornado

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9
Q

Fujita Scale

A
  • scale used for categorizing tornados

- higher # = more danger

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10
Q

hurricane

A

an intense tropical low pressure area with sustained winds starting at 74mph

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11
Q

storm surge

A
  • currents formed when hurricanes pile water up along the shore and blow it inland
  • most damaging part of a hurricane
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12
Q

Saffir- Simpson

A

how hurricanes are measured

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13
Q

eye

A
  • central area of sinking air; 15-20 km wide
  • low pressure
  • higher temperatures
  • calmer winds
  • winds most violent just outside the eye
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14
Q

watch

A

threat of storm conditions within 24-26 hours

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15
Q

warning

A

due to strike within 24 hours

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16
Q

air pressure

A
  • pressure that the air exerts on the Earth

- directed equally in all directions

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17
Q

what affects air pressure

A

temperature, water vapor, elevation

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18
Q

barometer

A

instrument used to measure air pressure

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19
Q

falling barometer

A

warmer, humid weather, predictor of storms

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20
Q

rising barometer

A

cooler, drier weather

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21
Q

isobars

A

lines of equal pressure

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22
Q

what kind of systems are hurricanes

A

low pressure systems

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23
Q

rising air =

A

cloud formation and precipitation

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24
Q

sinking air =

A

clear skies

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25
Q

wind

A

movement of air

26
Q

anemometer

A

instrument that measures wind speed

27
Q

wind vane

A
  • measures wind direction
  • always points into the wind

||—->~~~~~~WIND

28
Q

air flows from…

A

areas of higher pressure to areas of lower pressure

29
Q

solar radiation

A

ultimate energy source for most wind

30
Q

what 3 factors combine to control wind

A

pressure differences, Coriolis effect, friction

31
Q

pressure gradient

A

high to low pressure

32
Q

friction

A

only important close to surface, not at height

33
Q

Coriolis force

A

inertia caused by earth’s rotation

34
Q

Coriolis effect

A

deflection of wind and ocean currents caused by the earth’s rotation

35
Q

what cause ocean currents

A

winds and the Coriolis effect

36
Q

cold currents go…

warm currents go…

A

..along the west coasts of continents

..along east coasts

37
Q

jet stream

A
  • narrow belt of strong, high speed air

- height of about 10-15km

38
Q

what more affects surface winds

A

friction with earth’s surface

39
Q

what more affects Geostrophic winds

A

Coriolis force

40
Q

polar easterlies

GLOBAL WIND

A
  • cold, but weak winds start between 50 degrees and 60 degrees and go to the poles
  • aren’t constant
41
Q

westerlies

GLOBAL WIND

A

belt of very strong winds between 40 degrees and 50 degrees

42
Q

trade winds

GLOBAL WIND

A

warm, steady winds between 0 degrees and 30 degrees

43
Q

doldrums

GLOBAL WIND

A

calm, surface winds at the equator

44
Q

sea breeze

LOCAL WIND

A

flow of cool air from water to land during the day

45
Q

land breeze

LOCAL WIND

A

flow of cool air from land to water at night

46
Q

el nino

A
  • periodic warming of the ocean that occurs in the central and eastern Pacific (3-7 years) (strong)
  • major el nino can cause extreme weather in many parts of the world
47
Q

la nina

A
  • surface temperatures in the eastern pacific are colder than avergae
  • milder and drier weather in South
48
Q

the Koppen Climate Classification

A

3 letter system
1st letter = temperature
2nd letter = precipitation
3rd letter = more specific temperature

49
Q

climograph

A

graph showing the average temperatures and precipitation by month for a specific location

50
Q

air mass

A

a large body of air that has the same temperature and humidity thruout

51
Q

Air mass originates over land…

A

dry air mass (c) (continental)

52
Q

Air mass originates in warm air…

A

warm air mass (T) (Tropical)

53
Q

Air mass originates in cold air…

A

cold air mass (P) (Polar)

54
Q

Air mass originates over ocean…

A

humid air mass (m) (maritime)

55
Q

which air mass affects Wilmington

A

Maritime Tropical Atlantic (mT)
-brings mild, cloudy winters and hot, humid summers with hurricanes and thunderstorms
(moves North across eastern US)

56
Q

radiosonde

A
  • small balloon
  • carried observatory which carries a radio transmitter
  • sends signals about air pressure, temperature, and humidity
57
Q

air front

A

boundary between 2 air masses having different temperatures and humidity

58
Q

cold front

A

-transition zone where cold air mass replaces a warm air mass
-drawn as a blue line w/ blue triangles pointing in the direction of the fronts movement
-very strong storms w/ clear days following
(cold = more dense)

59
Q

warm front

A
  • transition zone where a warm air mass replaces a cold air mass
  • drawn as red line w/ red half circles pointing in the direction of the fronts movement
  • less severe weather, over a larger area
60
Q

occluded front

A
  • occurs when a faster moving cold front has caught up to a slower moving warm front
  • drawn as a purple line w/ alternating semicircles and triangles
61
Q

stationary front

A
  • front is stalled (no movement -temp. gradient)
  • drawn as alternating segements of red semicircles and blue triangles that point in opposite ways
  • precipitation happens
62
Q

locating fronts

A

strong temperature gradients, CCW rotation, lower pressure, precipitation, and clouds

Prefix words (13 decks)

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