Weather Flashcards
What is the function of a synoptic chart?
it illistrates air pressure across a certain country or regiom/
Draw a cold front, warm front, trough and an isobar.
Refer to notes.
Explain what happens with a cold front.
Winds become gusty, sudden drop in temperature and heavy rain. Typically produces cumulus or cumulonimbus clouds.
Explain what happens with a warm front.
Defined as the transition zone where warm air mass is replacing a cold air mass. Air behind a warm front is warmer and more moist.
What is the function of isobars?
They join areas of the same barometric pressure together. High pressure = clockwise direction, low pressure = anti clockwise direction. They provide us with wind direction and how strong it will be.
Define a trough.
An elongate area where atmospheric pressure is low relative to its immediate surroundings, contains both moist and dry air mass.
Explain what you know about air pressure.
- the force exerted onto a surface by the weight of the sir.
- average sea level pressure of 101ka
- kPa = kilopascal
- the higher the altitude, the lower the air pressure. This is due to the number of air molecules decreases as higher altitudes therefore decreasing air density and pressure.
Where is air pressure highest and why?
At sea level. 101kilopascals, due to it having the greatest air density.
What is air pressure measured with and in?
A barometer and milibars.
Define sea breeze.
A breeze blowing towards the land from the sea.
Why does a sea breeze develop?
Develops due to the differences in air pressure created by the differing heat capacities of water and dry land.
Why is there more sea breezes in summer?
More sea breezes occur in summer due to the unequal land/sea temperature difference.
Define swell.
the collection of waves moving away from a storm in the ocean.
Define swell period,
The time is takes for successive waves to pass the samr point in seconds.
