Chapter 20

Question 1

The weather in an area stays virtually the same for an entire week. What kind of front probably exists between the nearby air masses?

Answer 1

stationary

Question 2

Which type of front involves two air masses where an existing air mass rises to make way for the incoming air mass?

Answer 2

cold

Question 3

The Atacama Desert in Chile exists because moisture is dropped as snow and rain on one side of the Andes Mountains, leaving little moisture in the air on the other side. This rain shadow effect is caused by

Answer 3

orographic lifting

Question 4

Winds flowing from different directions that come together in a locality force air masses aloft. Cloud formation and storms often result. What is the meteorological term for this process?

Answer 4

convergence

Question 5

A “hook” appearing in the Doppler radar image of a severe storm is often the sign of a

Answer 5

tornado

Question 6

A Nor’easter is described best as

Answer 6

a winter storm system that brings snow in from the Atlantic Ocean

Question 7

A ___________ is NOT associated with a single cumulonimbus cloud

Answer 7

hurricane

Question 8

If the time between a lightning flash and the sound of thunder is 3 seconds, how far has the sound traveled?

Answer 8

1 km (0.6 mi)

Question 9

Which kind of violent storm has the greatest wind speed?

Answer 9

tornado

Question 10

Some terms associated with tornadoes are:

Answer 10

strong cold fronts
updrafts
waterspouts

Question 11

Names are assigned to __________ and _________

Answer 11

tropical cyclones and storms

Question 12

Names are NOT assigned to __________

Answer 12

tornadoes

Question 13

The following conditions can affect the path of a hurricane

Answer 13

jet stream
pressure system
trade winds

Question 14

While hiking, you are surprised by a severe thunderstorm with lightning. The safest thing for you to do would be to

Answer 14

crouch down out in the open

Question 15

When a warm air mass is trapped between two colliding colder air masses, it forms an

Answer 15

occluded front

Question 16

The greatest danger from a severe thunderstorm comes not from wind or hail but from

Answer 16

lightning

Question 17

Hurricanes that form in the middle latitudes are often less violent and are called

Answer 17

extratropical hurricanes

Question 18

The huge waves that are produced far out in the ocean and precede the arrival of a hurricane are called the

Answer 18

storm swells

Question 19

_____________ are lines on a weather map connecting areas of equal pressure. The placement of these lines can be used to predict wind speed and direction.

Answer 19

isobars

Question 20

How would a maritime polar air mass compare to a continental tropical air mass

Answer 20

The maritime polar (mP) air mass would contain moist, relatively cold air, while the continental tropical (cT) air mass would contain dry, warm air

Question 21

What happens when a cold air mass meets a warm air mass?

Answer 21

Where the air masses meet, the warm air mass is lifted as the colder, denser air moves beneath it. This usually produces precipitation.

Question 22

List the four types of severe storms discussed in the test.

Answer 22

winter storms, thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes

Question 23

What are the greatest destructive features of a tornado?

Answer 23

rotating wind pressure and updraft

Question 24

What two factors does the Enhanced Fujita-Pearson Scale measure besides wind speed?

Answer 24

It also considers tornado path width and path length

Question 25

When in the life of a hurricane does its power and wind speed diminish?

Answer 25

Hurricanes lose intensity when they move over land or cooler water

Question 26

A blast of cool air that comes just before the rain of a thunderstorm is a(n) _____________

Answer 26

gust front

Question 27

A large body of air that has fairly uniform conditions is a(n) __________

Answer 27

air mass

Question 28

The boundary between two air masses is called a(n) _______

Answer 28

front

Question 29

Cloud-to-ground or cloud-to-cloud electrical discharge is called ______________

Answer 29

lightning

Question 30

A(n) ________________ occurs when a warmer air mass is replacing a colder air mass

Answer 30

warm front

Question 31

A(n) ___________ often has an anvil-shaped top

Answer 31

thunderhead

Question 32

A powerful, rotating storm that is likely to spawn a tornado is called a(n) _______________

Answer 32

supercell

Question 33

A line of violent thunderstorms along a cold front is called a(n) ____________

Answer 33

squall line

Question 34

Be able to identify the symbols from the weather map on page 493. Know the following symbols.....

Answer 34

``` barometric pressure dew point wind speed and direction air temperature precipitation falling ```

Question 35

True or False | Air masses usually originate in windy locations, allowing them to move into other regions.

Answer 35

False

Question 36

True or False | Air masses of differing temperatures and humidities often mix.

Answer 36

False

Question 37

True or False | Most interactions among air masses cause precipitation.

Answer 37

True

Question 38

True or False | Thunderstorms develop only in the summer when the air is moist and warm

Answer 38

False

Question 39

True or False | Tornadoes are more common and more powerful in the United States than in any other country

Answer 39

True

Question 40

True or False | It is the extremely low pressure inside of a tornado's funnel that can cause buildings to explode

Answer 40

False

Question 41

True or False | Hurricanes never form over land

Answer 41

True

Question 42

True or False | In the western Pacific, hurricanes are called typhoons

Answer 42

True

Question 43

True or False | Pressure in the eye of a hurricane is lower in the outer part of the hurricane

Answer 43

True

Question 44

True or False | A hurricane's storm swell causes storm surge

Answer 44

False

Question 45

True or False | The National Weather Service releases a set of four synoptic maps daily

Answer 45

True

Question 46

How does the development and use of Doppler radar and weather satellites demonstrate love for others?

Answer 46

Radar technology and satellites enable us to better track storms and predict threatening conditions. In the case of hurricanes, this may lead to timely evacuations and prevent the loss of life. Property loss can also be reduced if people have time to secure or in other ways protect it. Doppler radar can give early warning of developing tornadoes or supercells that are capable of causing them. This can trigger storm warnings that give people time to take cover.

Question 47

What are some of the dangers of winter storms?

Answer 47

Snowfall on roadways makes driving hazardous, increasing the probability of accidents. At the same time, emergency vehicles have greater difficulty responding to those with needs. Heavy snow and ice buildup on trees can not only damage the trees but may also bring down power lines, interrupting electrical service to homes and industry.

Question 48

What factors affect where a hurricane forms?

Answer 48

A hurricane must form in the tropics where the water is warm, but it must form far enough away from the Equator so that the Coriolis effect can begin its rotation. It forms over the ocean rather than over land. The ocean exerts little friction on its cyclonic circulation and provides its source of energy.