TEST 9 Flashcards
What forms the brilliant flash of a lightning bolt? _______________________
return stroke
Atmospheric pressure at sea level is ________ pounds per square inch.
14.7
Which type of front forms when two air masses push against each other but neither one advances? ______________________
stationary front
Which type of clouds are thunderstorm clouds?____________________________
cumulonimbus
A tropical cyclone with wind speeds of 74 miles per hour or more is a______________________________
hurricane
An electron stream that jerkily travels from a cloud during a thunderstorm is a_____________
stepped leader
Drops of liquid water that have a diameter of less than 0.5 millimeter and fall from clouds to the earth are_____________________
drizzle
What measures high-altitude weather conditions?______________________
weather balloon
The change in the direction of winds caused by earth’s rotation is the __________________ effect.
Coriolis
What 3 things affect insolation____________________, _______________, _________________
angle of sun’s rays
cloud cover
length of daytime
A wind that reverses its direction from season to season is a _________________________
monsoon
What is a large, rotating updraft in a supercell thunderstorm?_________________________
mesocyclone
The water that falls to the earth, including rain, sleet, hail, and snow is________________________
precipitation
Which air mass brings hot, dry weather?_______________
continental tropical
What are the major factors that determine the earth’s weather?______________, _________________, ______________________
water vapor
heat energy
uneven distribution of heat energy
The thunderstorm stage marked by the arrival of precipitation is the _________________ stage
mature
When the relative humidity is 100%, the air is ____________________
saturated
What phenomenon occurs when an area receives an abnormally low amount of atmospheric water over a long period?_______________
drought
What is water vapor in the air that touches the cooler ground and turns to a liquid?________________
dew
A tropical cyclone with wind speeds between 39 miles per hour and 74 miles per hour is a ___________
tropical storm
A narrow funnel of powerful, rapidly whirling wind that stretches from a cloud to the ground is a ________________
tornado
A fierce, single-updraft thunderstorm is a__________________________
supercell
The elevated water level caused by a hurricane’s winds is the _________________
storm surge
The shock wave produced as a lightning heats the air is___________________________
thunder
The farthest distance at which objects can be distinguished is the__________________
visibility
The most intense type of downburst is a ________________________
microburst
The boundary between two air masses is a _______________________
front
Heat transfer by electromagnetic waves is ______________________
radiation
Which type of ultraviolet radiation is the least harmful? ________________
UVA
The convection cell that exists between the equator and latitude 30* is the ____________________ cell
Hadley
What is considered the outermost layer of the atmosphere?________________________
exosphere
What is the most abundant gas in the homosphere?____________________
nitrogen
Which type of cloud is characteristically almond shaped?___________________________
lenticular
Surface winds that blow from high-pressure regions toward the equator are_____________ _______________
trade winds
A thick, brownish haze that results from complex molecules released into the air by vehicles and some factories and plants is_____________________
photochemical smog
The boundary formed when a cold air mass moves into the territory of a warm air mass is a ______________________
cold front
What is the coldest point in the atmosphere?_________________________
mesopause
In clouds with temperatures above the freezing point, rain forms by the_________________________
collision-coalescence process
Air flowing down a mountain’s slope due to differences in temperature and pressure is a _________________________ wind.
katabatic
Tornadoes are classified using the Enhanced __________________ scale.
Fujita
What is the movement of water from earth’s surface, into the air, and back to the surface?_________________
water cycle
The extremely powerful radiation that comes from deep space is called_______________________
cosmic rays
A circulating spiral of wind around a low-pressure system is a ____________________
cyclone
Hurricanes are ranked on the _____________ Hurricane Wind scale.
Saffir-Simpson
A single updraft system in a thunderstorm is a __________________
cell
Air that is warm near the ground but very cold at higher altitudes is ____________________
unstable
The rapidly swirling cloud that is the most distinctive visual feature of a tornado is a ___________
condensation funnel
“Lines of equal heat” are known as ____________________
isotherms
A tornado that forms over water is called a _
waterspout
A weather instrument that simultaneously measures and transmits meteorological data from weather balloons to weather stations is a__________________
radiosonde
The center of a hurricane is the ___________________
eye
Maps that give a summary of the weather conditions throughout the entire country at a single point in time are________________
surface weather charts
Measures the distance from the ground to the base of the clouds_______________________
ceilometer
Indicates the direction of wind_________________________
weather vane
Measures the amount of precipitation __________
rain gauge
Uses radio waves to detect objects and measure their distance_________________
radar
Measures wind speed____________________
anemometer
Measures atmospheric pressure________________
barometer
Measures air temperature_________________
thermometer
Measures relative humidity___________
hygrometer
A rotating column of air that starts on the ground and is not associated with a cloud _____________
dust devil
A long, narrow lines of advancing thunderstorms in a hurricane___________________
rain bands
A localized storm involving lightning, thunder, strong winds, and heavy rain____________________
thunderstorm
State of the atmosphere at a certain time and place____________________
weather
An abrupt discharge of electricity through the air_______________________
lightning
A concentrated downward blast of wind __________________________
downburst
Lines of equal pressure on a weather map_________________
isobars
A long line of advancing thunderstorms, usually moving ahead of a cold front___________
squall line
