Test 9, Chapters 7-9 Flashcards

1
Q

An electron stream that jerkily travels from a cloud during a thunderstorm

A

stepped leader

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2
Q

what forms the brilliant flash of a lightning bolt

A

return stroke

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3
Q

drops of liquid water that have a diameter of less than 0.5 millimeter and fall from clouds to Earth

A

drizzle

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4
Q

atmospheric pressure at sea level is ___ pounds per square inch

A

14.7

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5
Q

measures high-altitude weather conditions

A

weather balloon

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6
Q

which type of front forms when two air masses push against each other but neither one advances?

A

stationary front

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7
Q

the change in the direction of winds caused by Earth’s rotation is the ____ effect

A

Coriolis

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8
Q

which type of clouds are thunderstorm clouds?

A

cumulonimbus

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9
Q

what things affect insolation?

A

angle of sun’s rays; cloud cover; length of daytime

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10
Q

a tropical cyclone with wind speeds of 74 mph or more

A

hurricane

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11
Q

a wind that reverses its direction from season to season

A

monsoon

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12
Q

the thunderstorm stage marked by the arrival of precipitation

A

mature

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13
Q

what is a large, rotating updraft in a supercell thunderstorm?

A

mesocyclone

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14
Q

when the relative humidity is 100%, the air is

A

saturated

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15
Q

the water that falls to the earth, including rain, sleet, hail, and snow, is

A

precipitation

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16
Q

what phenomenon occurs when an area receives an abnormally low amount of atmospheric water over a long period

A

drought

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17
Q

which air mas brings hot, dry weather?

A

continental tropical

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18
Q

what is water vapor in the air that touches the cooler ground and turns to a liquid?

A

dew

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19
Q

what are the factors that determine the earth’s weather?

A

water vapor, heat energy, uneven distribution of heat energy

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20
Q

a tropical cyclone with wind speeds between 39 miles per hour and 74 miles per hour

A

tropical storm

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21
Q

a fierce, single-updraft thunderstorm

A

supercell

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22
Q

a narrow funnel of powerful, rapidly whirling wind that stretches from a cloud to the ground

A

tornado

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23
Q

the farthest distance at which objects can be distinguished

A

visibility

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24
Q

the elevated water level caused by a hurricane’s winds

A

storm surge

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25
Q

the most intense type of downburst

A

microburst

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26
Q

the shock wave produced as lightening heats the air

A

thunder

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27
Q

the outermost layer of the atmosphere

A

exosphere

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28
Q

boundary between 2 air masses

A

front

29
Q

most abundant gas in the homosphere

A

nitrogen

30
Q

heat transfer by electromagnetic waves

A

radiation

31
Q

which type of cloud is characteristically almond shaped

A

lenticular

32
Q

which type of ultraviolet radiation is the least harmful

A

UVA

33
Q

surface winds that blow from high-pressure regions toward the equator

A

trade winds

34
Q

the convection cell that exists between the equator and latitude 30 degrees

A

Hadley cell

35
Q

a thick, brownish haze that results from complex molecules released into the air by vehicles and some factories and plants

A

photochemical smog

36
Q

the boundary formed when a cold air mass moves into the territory of a warm air mass

A

cold front

37
Q

what is the coldest point in the atmosphere

A

mesopause

38
Q

what is the movement of water from the earth’s surface, into the air, and back to the surface?

A

water cycle

39
Q

in clouds with temperatures above the freezing point, rain forms by the _________ process

A

collision-coalescence

40
Q

the extremely powerful radiation that comes from deep space

A

cosmic rays

41
Q

air flowing down a mountain’s slope due to a differences in temperature and pressure

A

katabatic wind

42
Q

a circulating spiral of wind around a low-pressure system

A

cyclone

43
Q

tornadoes are classified using the Enhanced ____ scale

A

Fujita

44
Q

hurricanes are ranked on the ____ Hurricane Wind scale

A

Saffir-Simpson

45
Q

the rapidly swirling cloud that is the most distinctive visual feature of a tornado is a

A

condensation funnel

46
Q

a single updraft system in a thunderstorm is a

A

cell

47
Q

air that is warm near the ground but very cold at higher altitudes is (stable or unstable)

A

unstable

48
Q

“lines of equal heat” are known as

A

isotherms

49
Q

maps that give a summary of the weather conditions throughout the entire country at a single point in time are

A

surface weather charts

50
Q

a tornado that forms over water is called a

A

waterspout

51
Q

the center of a hurricane is the

A

eye wall

52
Q

a weather instrument that simultaneously measures and transmits meteorological data from weather balloons to weather stations is a

A

radiosonde

53
Q

measures relative humidity

A

hygrometer

54
Q

measures air temperature

A

thermometer

55
Q

measures atmospheric pressure

A

barometer

56
Q

measures wind speed

A

anemometer

57
Q

uses radio waves to detect objects and measure their distance

A

radar

58
Q

measures the amount of precipitation

A

rain gauge

59
Q

indicates the direction of the wind

A

weather vane

60
Q

measures the distance from the ground to the base of clouds

A

ceilometer

61
Q

a rotating column of air that starts on the ground and is not associated with a cloud

A

dust devil

62
Q

limes of equal pressure on a weather map

A

isobars

63
Q

a long line of advancing thunderstorms, usually moving ahead of a cold front

A

squall line

64
Q

a concentrated downward blast of wind

A

downburst

65
Q

a localized storm involving lightning, thunder, strong winds, and heavy rain

A

thunderstorm

66
Q

the long, narrow lines of thunderstorms in a hurricane

A

rain bands

67
Q

state of the atmosphere at a certain time and place

A

weather

68
Q

an abrupt discharge of electricity through the air

A

lightning