Weather Quiz Flashcards

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1
Q

Water cycle (definition)

A

The movement of water through Earth’s systems, powered by the sun’s energy

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2
Q

humidity

A

a measure of the amount of water vapor in the air

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3
Q

relative humidity

A

the percentage of water vapor that is actually in the air compared to the maximum amount of water vapor the air can hold at a particular temperature

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4
Q

psychrometer

A

An instrument used to measure relative humidity

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5
Q

How does a psychrometer work?

A

It has a wet-bulb and a dry-bulb thermometer, the wet-bulb is covered by a moist cloth, when the psychrometer is slung air blows over both thermometers, the relative humidity can be found by comparing the temperatures of the wet-bulb and dry-bulb thermometers

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6
Q

dew point

A

the temperature at which condensation begins

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7
Q

cirrus clouds

A

wispy, and feathery clouds at high altitudes

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8
Q

altocumulus and altostratus

A

medium level clouds that indicate precipitation

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9
Q

cumulus clouds

A

low level clouds that look like cotton that indicate thunderstorms

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10
Q

fog

A

clouds that form near the ground

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11
Q

cirrocumulus clouds

A

mid level clouds that indicate storms and look like cotton

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12
Q

stratus

A

dull flat layer clouds that look gray

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13
Q

nimbus clouds

A

clouds that produce precipitation

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14
Q

precipitation definition

A

any form of water that falls from clouds and reaches Earth’s surface

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15
Q

What are the 5 types of precipitation?

A

sleet, hail, snow, freezing rain, rain

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16
Q

What is sleet?

A

Ice particles smaller than 5 millimeters in diameter

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17
Q

What is hail?

A

a round pellet of ice larger then 5 millimeters in diameter

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18
Q

What is snow?

A

water vapor in a cloud that is converted directly into ice crystals

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19
Q

What is freezing rain?

A

rain drops that fall as liquid, but freeze when they touch a cold surface

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20
Q

What is rain (definition)?

A

moisture condensed from the atmosphere that falls visibly in separate drops.

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21
Q

What is a rain gauge?

A

An open ended tube that collects rain

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22
Q

What is a flood?

A

An overflowing of water normally in a dry area

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23
Q

What is a drought?

A

A long period of scarce rain or dry weather

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24
Q

What is an air mass?

A

a huge body of air in the lower atmosphere that has similar temperature, humidity, and air pressure at any given height

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25
Q

What are the four types of air masses?

A

Tropical, Polar, Maritime, and Continental

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26
Q

What is a Tropical air mass?

A

an air mass that forms in the tropics and have low air pressure

27
Q

What is a Polar air mass?

A

an air mass that forms at 50 degrees North latitude and 50 degrees South latitude, polar air masses have high air pressure

28
Q

What is a Maritime air mass?

A

An air mass that forms over oceans, so the air can become very hungry

29
Q

What is a continental air mass?

A

An air mass that forms over land, these air masses have less exposure to large amounts of moisture from bodies of water, therefore continental air masses are dryer then maritimes

30
Q

What are prevailing westerly winds?

A

The major wind belts over the continental United States, these generally push in masses from east to west

31
Q

What are jet streams?

A

bands of high speed winds going from West to

East about 10km above Earth’s surface

32
Q

What are trade winds?

A

a wind blowing steadily toward the equator from northeast or southeast, especially at sea.

33
Q

What is a front?

A

the boundary where air masses meet

34
Q

What are the types of fronts?

A

cold, warm, occluded and stationary

35
Q

What is a Continental Polar air mass?

A

cold and dry air mass

36
Q

What is a Maritime Polar air mass?

A

A cold, wet, low humidity air mass that causes Nor’easters

37
Q

What is a continental tropical air mass?

A

Warm, dry and hot air masses

38
Q

What is a maritime tropical air mass?

A

warm, wet and humid air mass that can bring thunderstorms

39
Q

What are cold fronts?

A

When the warm air is pushed upward along the leading edge of the colder air

40
Q

What are warm fronts?

A

a fast moving warm air overtakes the slow moving cold air and also is accompanied by clouds and precipitation

41
Q

What are Occluded fronts?

A

Where a warm front is caught between two cooler fronts, and the warm air is cut off from the ground

42
Q

What are stationary fronts?

A

When cold air masses and warm air masses meet, but neither can move, so therefore it is called a stationary front

43
Q

What is a cyclone?

A

A swirling center of low air pressure

44
Q

What is an anticyclone?

A

High pressure centers of dry air shown by an H on a weather map

45
Q

Cyclone vs. Anticyclone

A

cyclone is low air pressure and anticyclone is high air pressure

46
Q

What is a storm?

A

A violent disturbance in the atmosphere

47
Q

What is a thunderstorm?

A

a small storm often accompanied by heavy precipitation and frequent thunder and lightning

48
Q

What is lightning?

A

A sudden spark or electrical discharge

49
Q

What is a hurricane?

A

a tropical cyclone with winds of 119km/h or higher

50
Q

What is a storm surge?

A

A ‘dome’ of water that sweeps across the coast where the hurricane lands

51
Q

What is a tornado?

A

A rapidly whirling funnel-shaped cloud that reaches down from a thunderstorm to touch Earth’s surface

52
Q

What is a meteorologist?

A

A scientist that tries to predict that weather

53
Q

How do you be safe in a winter storm?

A

If you are caught in a snowstorm or winter storm, try to find shelter from the wind

54
Q

How do you be safe from a thunderstorm?

A

During a thunderstorm avoid places where lightning may strike. Also avoid objects that can conduct electricity, such as metal objects and bodies of water

55
Q

How do you be safe from a hurricane?

A

You should be prepared to evacuate or move away temporarily, if you hear a hurricane warning and are told to evacuate, leave immediatley

56
Q

How do you be safe from a tornado?

A

The safest place to be during a tornado is in a storm shelter or basement

57
Q

How does a hurricane form step 1?

A
  1. equatorial sun strag
58
Q

How does a hurricane die?

A

Land, cold water, Cold front- continental polar, dropping down from an anticyclone, cold air/windsheer

59
Q

How does a hurricane form step 2?

A
  1. Massive evaporation takes place
60
Q

How does a hurricane form step 3?

A
  1. Convection causes t-storms
61
Q

How does a hurricane form step 4?

A
  1. T-storms organize in squall line
62
Q

How does a hurricane form step 5?

A
  1. squall line is pushed outside by weather force (upper level disturbance) which causes kink
63
Q

How does a hurricane form step 6?

A
  1. Hurricane grows from spinning squall line. Inner convection gets stronger, cow pressure strengthens, eye wall forms