Test 9, Chapters 7-9 Flashcards
An electron stream that jerkily travels from a cloud during a thunderstorm
stepped leader
what forms the brilliant flash of a lightning bolt
return stroke
drops of liquid water that have a diameter of less than 0.5 millimeter and fall from clouds to Earth
drizzle
atmospheric pressure at sea level is ___ pounds per square inch
14.7
measures high-altitude weather conditions
weather balloon
which type of front forms when two air masses push against each other but neither one advances?
stationary front
the change in the direction of winds caused by Earth’s rotation is the ____ effect
Coriolis
which type of clouds are thunderstorm clouds?
cumulonimbus
what things affect insolation?
angle of sun’s rays; cloud cover; length of daytime
a tropical cyclone with wind speeds of 74 mph or more
hurricane
a wind that reverses its direction from season to season
monsoon
the thunderstorm stage marked by the arrival of precipitation
mature
what is a large, rotating updraft in a supercell thunderstorm?
mesocyclone
when the relative humidity is 100%, the air is
saturated
the water that falls to the earth, including rain, sleet, hail, and snow, is
precipitation
what phenomenon occurs when an area receives an abnormally low amount of atmospheric water over a long period
drought
which air mas brings hot, dry weather?
continental tropical
what is water vapor in the air that touches the cooler ground and turns to a liquid?
dew
what are the factors that determine the earth’s weather?
water vapor, heat energy, uneven distribution of heat energy
a tropical cyclone with wind speeds between 39 miles per hour and 74 miles per hour
tropical storm
a fierce, single-updraft thunderstorm
supercell
a narrow funnel of powerful, rapidly whirling wind that stretches from a cloud to the ground
tornado
the farthest distance at which objects can be distinguished
visibility
the elevated water level caused by a hurricane’s winds
storm surge
the most intense type of downburst
microburst
the shock wave produced as lightening heats the air
thunder
the outermost layer of the atmosphere
exosphere