Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Weather Notes > Weather notes 4 > Flashcards

Weather notes 4 Flashcards

1
Q

The Southern Oscillation was not recognized until ___

A

the early 80s

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Colder than avg. equatorial Pacific Ocean water temp (W of S Africa)
Created offshore wind which leads to upwelling
Subtropical jet has no excess warm air to move Northward
L<H

A

La Nina

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Warmer than avg. equatorial Pacific Ocean water temp
H>L
warmer water expands toward east

A

El Nino

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

El Nino Event: 1982-1983

A

Strong event-$8 bil damage

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

El Nino Event: 1986-1987

A

Weaker event; ended in drought in SE USA

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

El Nino Event 1991-1992

A

Strong event; severe Texas flooding, 5 year drought ended in California

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Sea Breeze

A

Day time

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Land Breeze

A

Night time

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Valley Breeze

A

day time

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Mountain Breeze

A

night time

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Monsoon - what and where?

A

a seasonal wind shift, India/SE Asia

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Baby monsoon

A

SW US summer thermal low

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Winter Monsoon

A

High Pressure over land/offshore wind

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Summer Monsoon

A

Low pressure over land/onshore wind

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

A low pressure circulation created by changes in air temp (strong daytime heating over SW USA during summer months)
result in Summer Monsoon

A

Thermal Lows

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Months of thermal low pressure in S California and Arizona

A

June 15-early September

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

cold, downsloping, destructive wind
Greenland, Antarctica
aka Mistral

A

Katabatic Wind

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Warm, downslope wind

Eastern slopes of Rockies in US/Canada

A

Chinook Wind

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

warm, dry downslope wind in California
Most common in October
Strong surface pressure over the great sale lake region

A

Santa Ana Wind

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

North Africa/India

Saharan Dust Storm/Dust Devils/Haboob

A

Desert Wind

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

a current of water or air running contrary to the main current; especially : a circular current : whirlpool

A

Eddy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

rapid change in wind speed and/or direction in a small area and/or a short period of time

A

Wind Shear—>Thunderstorms

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

A or cA

A

Continental Arctic - very cold, Arctic circle

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

cP

A

Continental Polar - source: Central, N Canada

produce lake effect snows on the Great Lakes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

mP

A

Maritime Polar - over water, chilly, Seattle

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

mT

A

Maritime Tropical, warm and humid, Gulf of Mexico

moves moisture necessary for thunderstorms

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

cT

A

Continental Tropical - hot and dry

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

surface convergence and upper air divergence causing rising motion of air

A

Low Pressure system

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

boundary between two air masses

A

front

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

when a front develops

A

frontogenesis

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

when a front dies

A

fronolysis

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

a less dense(warm) air mass overruns a more dense(cold) air mass

A

overrunning

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q 
when warm air actively advances into a region where warm air used to be
Steep slope (1:50); most dynamic
A

Cold front

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

warmer air occupies an area formerly occupied by colder air
warm eats away top down=real overrunning
more gentle slope (1:150); less dynamic

A

Warm front

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

little forward movement of either air mass, upper level winds PARALLEL to the surface frontal boundary, difficult to predict weather

A

Stationary front

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

wind is blowing at least somewhat perpendicular when?

A

when a front is moving

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

What has been correlated with flash flood/heavy rain events?

A

Stationary fronts and hurricanes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

when a cold front overruns/overtakes a warm front in the vicinity of a surface low
more common in the northern US

A

occluded front

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

Boundary between cT(heavier) and mT air masses, most commonly found over US plains states (TX northward)

A

DRY LINE

not a front, no big pressure difference, thunderstorms can occur

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

where does cT originate?

A

deserts of SW US and N Mexico

41
Q

Does dry air or moist air weigh more?

A

dry

42
Q

What is weather forecasting?

A

predicting how the state of the atmosphere will change with time

43
Q

Geostationary Satellite Imagery

A

visible, infrared, water vapor

44
Q

Visible imagery

A

not available at night

45
Q

shows cloud top temperatures, red is colder

A

infrared imagery

46
Q

satellite used at mid and high levels of the atm.

A

water vapor imagery

47
Q

radar modes

A

clear air vs precuputation

48
Q

redder doppler radar means..

A

rain is larger and heavier

49
Q

(doppler radar) reflectivity data is..

A

velocity data

50
Q

What is the surface weather observation equipment called?

A

ASOS/AWOS

51
Q

coded aviation weather observations that are transmitted globally at least hourly

A

METARs/SPECIs

52
Q

what tool gives upper air info: only speed and direction

A

Rawinsondes

53
Q

responsible for the international exchange of wether data and certifies that the observation process does not vary

A

The World Meteorological Organization

54
Q

Radio/tv seal of approval programs

A

AMS.NWA

55
Q

provide wind direction nd speed every 6 min

A

wind profilers

56
Q

Sole source for weather

A

National Weather Service

57
Q

GOES 10: West

A

over 135 degrees W longitude

58
Q

GOES 12: East

A

over 75 degrees W longitude

geostationary operational environmental satellite

59
Q

atmospheric conditions are favorable for weather

larger area; longer time; 4-6 up to 24-48 hours

A

Weather watch

60
Q

type of weather specified is imminent or is occurring and is a public inconvenience
(smaller to larger area; in effect 6-24 hours)

A

Weather advisory

61
Q

type of weather specified is imminent or occurring and is an immediate threat to life/property
(smaller area, shorter time span; 1/2-1 hour)

A

Weather warning

62
Q

computer atmospheric models that are mathematical, fun 1-4 times per day

A

Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP)

63
Q

Problems with NWP models (5)

A
  1. bad data in, bad data out
  2. assumptions=biases
  3. sparse areas of world
  4. cannot interpret many factors that influence surface weather
  5. small disturbances/errors amplified with time
64
Q

Method of forecasting most valuable in very short term - stable atmosphere

A

Persistence forecasting

65
Q

(Method of forecasting)cold front moving in a direction at a speed, can forecast how many more hours it will take to reach a point

A

steady state/trend forecasting

66
Q

(Method of forecasting) using skill used in past to forecast similar weather system

A

Analogue forecasting

67
Q

(Method of forecasting) associated with numerical weather predictions

A

Ensemble forecasting

68
Q

LA only sees one day of rain during summer can forecast July 4 (Method of forecasting)

A

Climatological forecating

69
Q

forecaster certainty X areal coverage

A

Probability forecating

70
Q

Short term forecast accuracy

A

(today tonight) 85-90%

71
Q

medium term forecast accuracy

A

(2-3 days) 80-85%

72
Q

Longer range forecast accuracy

A

4-8 days or weekend

73
Q

always structures severe, long laying, govern their environment

A

Supercells

74
Q

complex of thunderstorms that becomes organized on a scale larger than the individual thunderstorms, can be round or linear
The type that forms during the warm season over land has been noted across North America, Europe, and Asia, with a maximum in activity noted during the late afternoon and evening hours.

A

Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCSs)

75
Q

group of thunderstorms assoc. with upper air low pressure disturbances, larger than average thunderstorm, late spring to summer move SE from plains into Mississippi Valley

A

Mesoscale Convective Complexes (MCCs)

76
Q

line of thunderstorms competing for empty air

A

Squall line

77
Q

characteristic radar return from a mesoscale convective system that is shaped like an archer’s bow. These systems can produce severe straight-line winds and occasionally tornadoes, causing major damage. They can also become derechos

A

Bow echoes

78
Q

rotating updraft, <20% become tornados, 3-7 mile diameter

A

Mesocyclones

79
Q

radar signature within a thunderstorm characterized by a local minimum in radar reflectivity at low levels which extends upward into, and is surrounded by, higher reflectivities aloft. This feature is associated with a strong updraft and is almost always found in the inflow region of a thunderstorm.

A

Bounded Weak Echo Region (BWER)

80
Q

widespread and divergent convective windstorm, not tornado

A

Derechos

81
Q

downdrafts hitting ground

A

Downbursts (micro and macrobursts)

82
Q

most dangerous lightning

A

cloud to ground, 20%

83
Q

More common types of lightning

A

cloud to cloud and intracloud 60%

84
Q

distant lightning too far to hear thunder

A

heat lightning

85
Q

when you can’t see the lightning bolt in the rain

A

sheet lightning

86
Q

ball shaped lightning, strikes towers

A

ball lightning

87
Q

hail size dependent on…

A

updraft and downdraft speed

88
Q

largest hail often falls ____ of tornados

A

Northeast

89
Q

In US, hail occurrence is mod frequent in..

A

central and southern plains west northwestward to the front range of the rockies (Colorado, Wyoming)

90
Q

more common than tornadoes, strong downdraft winds from thunderstorms (divergent wind patterns) aka DOWNBURSTS, both wet and dry

A

Straight line thunderstorms

91
Q

Downburst footprint of greater than 2.5 miles in diameter

A

Macro burst

92
Q

Downburst footprint of less than 2.5 miles in diameter

A

Micro Burst

93
Q

rapid rotation on a vertical axis in a small area, convergent surface damage pattern, low pressure

A

tornadoes

94
Q

2nd top weather killer

A

flash floods

95
Q

Hail size that will kill you?

A

baseball- 85 miles per hour

96
Q

type of cloud for tornado

A

cumulonimbus (thunderstorm cloud)

97
Q

if there is no debris cloud visible near ground called…

A

funnel cloud

98
Q

how much mercury in center of well developed tornado?

A

27 inches

Weather Notes (1 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions