Air Masses and Storms

Question 1

What air mass forms over high latitude oceans?

Answer 1

Maritime polar

Question 2

What air mass forms over low latitude oceans?

Answer 2

Maritime tropical

Question 3

What air mass forms over high latitude land?

Answer 3

Continental polar

Question 4

What air mass forms over low latitude land?

Answer 4

Continental tropical

Question 5

What air mass contains warm, moist air?

Answer 5

Maritime tropical

Question 6

What air mass contains hot, dry air?

Answer 6

Continental tropical

Question 7

What air mass contains cold, dry air?

Answer 7

Continental polar

Question 8

What air mass contains cool, moist air?

Answer 8

Maritime polar

Question 9

Air masses are characterized by what two characteristics?

Answer 9

moisture and temperature

Question 10

What is an air mass?

Answer 10

A large parcel of air that takes on the characteristics of the surface over which it forms.

Question 11

Which air mass likely forms over the northern Pacific ocean?

Answer 11

Maritime polar

Question 12

Which air mass likely forms over the Gulf of Mexico?

Answer 12

Maritime tropical

Question 13

Which air mass likely forms over Canada?

Answer 13

Continental polar

Question 14

What forms when two air masses collide?

Answer 14

A front

Question 15

Which type of front forms when a cold air mass moves into and under a warm air mass?

Answer 15

A cold front

Question 16

Which type of front forms when a warm air mass moves into and over a cold air mass?

Answer 16

A warm front

Question 17

Which type of front forms when a cold front overtakes a warm front?

Answer 17

An occluded front

Question 18

Which type of front forms when one air mass does not have enough energy to push another air mass out of an area?

Answer 18

A stationary front

Question 19

What is a polar front?

Answer 19

A condition when cold polar air meets warm tropical air.

Question 20

What can form at a low pressure area?

Answer 20

A frontal cyclone. (Also called a mid-latitude cyclone)

Question 21

What can form at a high pressure area?

Answer 21

An anticyclone

Question 22

Frontal cyclones usually produce what type of weather?

Answer 22

Clouds and storms

Question 23

Anticyclones usually produce what type of weather?

Answer 23

Clear and dry conditions

Question 24

What type of storms consists of winds, precipitation and lightning?

Answer 24

Thunderstorm

Question 25

What is the electrical discharge between a cloud and the ground, within a cloud, or between two clouds called?

Answer 25

Lightning

Question 26

What is the sound produced when an electrical discharge moves air very rapidly called?

Answer 26

Thunder

Question 27

In what type of cloud are thunderstorms produced?

Answer 27

Cumulonimbus

Question 28

How does hail form?

Answer 28

Updrafts in a cumulonimbus cloud force water droplets to a colder temperature region, where they freeze, then fall. This process continues until the ice pellet is too heavy to remain in the cloud.

Question 29

What should a person do in a thunderstorm?

Answer 29

Seek shelter immediately. If outside, avoid tall objects and low-lying areas that could flood. Remain in a car if possible.

Question 30

What is a flash flood?

Answer 30

Fast-moving water in low-lying areas that forms from heavy precipitation.

Question 31

What is a small downdraft that then moves horizontally across Earth's surface in all directions called?

Answer 31

A microburst

Question 32

Which stage of a thunderstorm forms tall clouds containing updrafts?

Answer 32

Cumulus stage

Question 33

Which stage of a thunderstorm produces strong updrafts and downdrafts, heavy precipitation, and lightning?

Answer 33

Mature stage

Question 34

When the thunderstorm no longer has a source of warm, moist air to sustain it, the storm enters which stage?

Answer 34

Dissipating stage

Question 35

What forms when rapidly rotating winds extend downward to touch the ground?

Answer 35

A tornado

Question 36

What is the shape of a tornado?

Answer 36

Funnel-shaped

Question 37

Tornadoes are associated with what other type of storm?

Answer 37

A supercell thunderstorm

Question 38

Where in the United States is Tornado Alley located?

Answer 38

In the central United States

Question 39

How long do most tornadoes last?

Answer 39

Only a few minutes, but they could last for hours.

Question 40

What is a rapidly rotating cyclonic storm system that forms over tropical waters?

Answer 40

A Hurricane

Question 41

What is the general shape of a hurricane?

Answer 41

Spiral shaped

Question 42

What are the stages of a hurricane?

Answer 42

A hurricane starts as a tropical depression, then grows into a tropical storm. When wind speeds are greater than 74 mph, they become hurricanes.

Question 43

Where are the calmest winds during a hurricane?

Answer 43

Inside the eye

Question 44

Where are the most damaging winds during a hurricane?

Answer 44

Along the eye wall

Question 45

What are some possible hazards associated with hurricanes along a shoreline?

Answer 45

Heavy winds, heavy precipitation, storm surges, and erosion of the shore.

Question 46

What are some possible hazards associated with hurricanes inland from a shore?

Answer 46

Heavy winds, including possible tornadoes, and precipitation.

Question 47

What is the size of a hurricane?

Answer 47

Large storm covering 62 to 1000 miles, with an average of 300 miles wide.

Question 48

How long do hurricanes last?

Answer 48

They can last several days.

Question 49

What is ENSO (El Nino Southern Oscillation)

Answer 49

Weather conditions that form when ocean water off the coast of Peru remains unseasonably warm or cold.

Question 50

What causes an El Nino?

Answer 50

The weakening of the Trade Winds keeps warm water along the coast of Peru and prevents upwelling of cold water.

Question 51

How do weather conditions change during an El Nino season in the US?

Answer 51

Precipitation increases in the southern part of the country. Areas to the north will have warmer, milder winters.

Question 52

What is a Monsoon?

Answer 52

Seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation.

Question 53

What causes a Monsoon?

Answer 53

Seasonal differences in heating of the ocean and land

Question 54

During the wet season of the Monsoon, how does atmospheric circulation move?

Answer 54

Moist air flows horizontally from the oceans onto the land to take the place of rising air on land.

Question 55

During the dry season, how does atmospheric circulation move?

Answer 55

Air sinks over the land, then moves horizontally from the land to the ocean.