meteorology packet flashcards

Question 1

continental

Answer 1

dry air which formed over land

Question 1

air mass

Answer 1

a large body of air having similar temperature and humidity

Question 2

maritime

Answer 2

moist air which formed over water

Question 3

tropical

Answer 3

warm air which formed closer to the equator

Question 4

polar

Answer 4

cold air which formed at higher latitudes

Question 5

arctic

Answer 5

extremely cold air which formed near the poles

Question 6

where does continental polar (cP) originate

Answer 6

central canada

Question 7

where does maritime tropical (mT) originate

Answer 7

gulf of mexico

Question 8

where does continental tropical (cT) originate

Answer 8

texas

Question 9

where does maritime polar (mP) originate

Answer 9

north atlantic ocean

Question 10

which two air masses influence new york most

Answer 10

continental polar (cP) from central canada

maritime tropical (mT) from the gulf of mexico

Question 11

where do weather systems move towards in the united states and why

Answer 11

the northeast because we are in the southwesterly wind belt

Question 12

what happens when two air masses meet

Answer 12

a front is created

Question 13

what is a front

Answer 13

a boundary between two air masses

Question 14

how is a front named

Answer 14

by the air masses behind it

Question 15

what does an advancing cold air mass look like

Answer 15

blue triangles

Question 16

what does an advancing warm air mass look like

Answer 16

orange circles

Question 17

where do fronts extend from

Answer 17

the low pressure center

Question 18

what does a cold front do

Answer 18

• cold air moves into an area occupied by warm air
• pushes warm, lighter air up quickly creating clouds
• strong, but quick precipitation occurs
• that area will become colder

Question 19

what does a warm front do

Answer 19

• warm air moves moves into an area occupied by cold air
• warm, lighter air slowly flows on top of the cold, dense air developing
• gentle, but prolonged precipitation ahead
• that area will become warmer

Question 20

occluded front

Answer 20

since cold fronts move faster than warm fronts, a cold front sometimes overtakes a warm front

Question 21

what type of weather does an occluded front bring

Answer 21

cloudy weather, sometimes precipitation. the temp. change is normally not noticed at ground level

Question 22

how is an occluded front shown on a map

Answer 22

alternating circle and triangle, all purple

Question 23

stationary front

Answer 23

air masses moving in opposite direction which can cause cloudy skies for hours or days

Question 24

how are stationary fronts shown on a map

Answer 24

alternating red circles and blue triangles but the circles and triangles are on different sides of the line

Question 24

where do storms move in the united states

Answer 24

towards the northeast due to southwesterly prevailing winds that's why we look at weather in the mid-west of the united states to predict our future weather conditions

Question 25

doppler radar

Answer 25

a radio tracking system that uses the doppler effect to determine the location and velocity of a storm, clouds, and precipitation

Question 26

what causes severe storms

Answer 26

low pressure centers and fronts (often cold)

Question 27

how do clouds form

Answer 27

when warm, moist air rises, expands, and cools to the dewpoint temperature

Question 28

what is a blizzard

Answer 28

a winter snowstorm that produces heavy snow and winds of 35 mph or greater

Question 29

what are the dangerous conditions associated with blizzards

Answer 29

freezing temperatures, frost bite, ice storms, windy conditions

Question 30

what is a hurricane

Answer 30

a huge storm that formed over warm water that has sustained winds in excess of 74 mph

Question 31

what powers a hurricane

Answer 31

evaporation of warm water, they lose power when they move towards colder water and move over land

Question 32

where are hurricanes

Answer 32

they originate in tropical regions and are pushed by the prevailing winds

Question 33

what is the duration of a hurricane

Answer 33

they can last for days or weeks

Question 34

what is a tornado

Answer 34

violent rotating column of air that extends from a thunderstorm cloud to the ground

Question 35

how to tornados form

Answer 35

when warm, moist air meets cool, dry air it causes instability in the atmosphere

Question 36

how big are tornados

Answer 36

very small storms, usually less than 0.5 km in diameter

Question 37

what is the duration of a tornado

Answer 37

very short, usually a few minutes or less