Weather Flashcards
Maritime
Moist moisture
Air Mass
- a large body of air that takes on the characteristics of the area over which it forms.
- formed when air stays over an area for a long period.
Continental
Dry moisture
Polar
Cold temperature
Tropic
Warm temperature
4 major cold air masses
- the continental polar
- The artic
- The maritime polar(over the Atlantic)
- The maritime polar(over the pacific
4 major warm air masses
- The maritime tropical (Atlantic)
- The maritime tropical (gulf)
- The maritime tropical (pacific)
- The continental tropical
Air mass movement
- as air mass moves, it begins to change
- this is call a Air Mass Modification
- helps predict weather
Front
- The boundary between two air masses when they collide.
- the arrival of a front indicates a change in weather
Types of fronts
- cold
- warm
- occluded
- stationary
Cold front
- Forms when a cold air mass meets and displaces a warm air mass.
- because cool air is denser, it moves under the warm air, forcing it up quickly.
Warm front
- occurs when warm air meets and overrides as a cold mass
- The less dense warm air moves over the cold air and gradually replaces it
Stationary front
- Formed when a warm air mass and a cold air mass meet and neither moves.
- Tend to occur only when there is little difference in the temperature of air masses
- The weather produced is similar to a warm front
Occluded front
- forms when a fast moving cold air mass overtakes a slow warm front
- The warm air is forced up as the 2 cold air masses collide
- Lead to cool temperatures and large amount of precipitation
*Weather in the a Atmosphere
Water exists in the atmosphere as a solid, liquid or gas
- Solid: snow, sleet, hail
- Liquid: clouds, rain
- Gas: water vapor
The water cycle
-The water cycle is the continuous movement of water in the earth's atmosphere. 3 major steps: 1.evaporation 2.condensation 3.precipitation
Evaporation
the process of water changing from a liquid to gas.
-Earths oceans, because they are so large, provide the greatest source of evaporating water
Condesation
the cooling of water vapor, turning it back into a liquid
Precipitation
- The tiny water droplets in clouds combine with one another
- Precipitation is any solid or liquid form of water that falls from clouds
Groundwater
the water that is absorbed by the earths surface
Runoff
happens when water falls on land and is not absorbed
Humidity
- the amount of water vapor in the air.
- The more water evaporates into the air, the higher humidity gets
*Formation of a cloud
- Water vapor rises and the air cools, it can now hold less gaseous water vapor.
- the air cools to a temperature, called Dew Point
- When the air reaches the dew point, water begins to condense around small dust or salt particles
Cirro
(Height) high clouds, with bases above 6,000 m