Storms Flashcards
How does air above a heated surface move?
Air above a heated surface will gain thermal energy, become less dense, and will rise.
How does air above a cold surface move?
Air above a cold surface will transfer thermal energy to the surface, become denser, and will sink.
What happens when hot air meets cold air?
- boundary
- weather front
- precipitation
How do hurricanes form?
- warm tropical water
- low air pressure
- Earth’s rotation
How are hurricanes and tornadoes alike?
- rotating storms
- high winds
- a vortex
How is a hurricane different from a tornado?
hurricanes are:
- bigger
- lower wind speed
- form on water
How is a tornado different from a hurricane?
tornadoes are:
- smaller
- higher winds
- form on land
What role does the sun play in the weather on the earth?
the sun supplies heat energy
What is a convection current?
a circulating flow of air resulting from temperature differences.
liquids or gases gains thermal energy = less dense = rises
transfers to cold surface = denser = sinks
What states make up Tornado Alley?
Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Missouri.
What causes tornadoes to form in Tornado Alley?
Cool dry air from Rocky Mountains in Canada collides with warm humid air from the Gulf of Mexico.
What is a sea breeze, and how does it form?
A sea breeze is the flow of air from water to land.
It forms during the day.
Describe the water cycle and how clouds form.
- water absorbs heat energy
- evaporates into water vapor
[air high above is cool. cool air cannot hold as much water vapor as warm air] - water vapor rises
- some vapor condensates and turns into drops of liquid water [precipitation]
clouds form when evaporated water [vapor] goes up into a cool atmosphere, condensates, and collects on dust/debris ad forms clouds.
In which direction does weather move across the US?
It goes from the west to the east.
How do deep ocean currents form?
- convection currents
- salinity
- uneven heating of Earth’s surface
- surface currents
