Severe Storms Movie Notes

Question 1

what are the 4 contributing factors to flash floods?

Answer 1

Slopes
Speed
Saturation (interstitial space)
Soil Type (rock, sand, dirt etc)

Question 2

how deep does water have to be to wash away a car? knock you off your feet?

Answer 2

2 feet

6 inches

Question 3

what are the reservoirs that supply all rain?

Answer 3

oceans

Question 4

how many cloud vapor drops does it take to make a raindrop?

Answer 4

1 million droplets= 1 drop of rain

Question 5

which clouds create drizzle? rain?

Answer 5

drizzle comes from stratus clouds= small drops

rain comes from cumulus clouds = bigger drops

Question 6

what are the measurements for classification of a drizzle vs rain?

Answer 6

2 hundredths of an inch= rain

Question 7

why does the mountain in Hawaii get so much rain?

Answer 7

The mountain creates its OWN rain, using water from the oceans, that water travels up the side of mt (orographic lifting) and then condenses and rain is produced

Question 8

what is verga?

Answer 8

trails of rain that evaporate when they fall

Question 9

why do vergas occur?

Answer 9

because of dry land

Question 10

the destructive power in water is caused by what?

Answer 10

the water’s weight

Question 11

what are Monsumes

Answer 11

rain that lasts 6 months because land has heated up

Question 12

when there is an anvil head cloud, what would you assume occurred?

Answer 12

thermal inversion

Question 13

what is the fuel for thunderstorms?

Answer 13

water vapor

Question 14

where and why do the most thunderstorms occur?

Answer 14

the Tropics

high heat and humidity there= lots of water vapor

Question 15

what state has lightning alley?

Answer 15

Florida

Question 16

describe the formation of thunderstorms?

Answer 16

water vapor rises, condenses into droplets, falls as rain

Question 17

what is sheet lightning?

Answer 17

lightning INSIDE of the cloud (most common)

Question 18

what direction does a visible lightning bolt travel?

Answer 18

from the ground to the cloud

Question 19

what other planets have lightning? Why?

Answer 19

Jupiter; the separation of charges

Question 20

what is the scale that measures hurricanes? what does it measure to?

Answer 20

Saffir Simpson

categories 1-5

Question 21

winds in hurricanes are driven by___?

Answer 21

Trade winds

Question 22

what is the minimum speed wind must reach to be considered a hurricane? why is this?

Answer 22

74 mph

this is when the hurricane matures (updrafts, downdrafts, spinning)

Question 23

why are Faraday cages safe from lightning?

Answer 23

The cage move the electricity around the people inside the cage.
the cage compresses and disperses the lightning

Question 24

What are 2 examples of real life Faraday cages?

Answer 24

airplanes and cars

Question 25

What is the one calmer spot in a hurricane?

Answer 25

The center/eye

Question 26

Hurricane is an Indian word meaning ___?

Answer 26

Big Wind

Question 27

what are hurricanes called in the (northern) pacific? | In the Australian and Indian Ocean?

Answer 27

Typhoons | Tropical Cyclone

Question 28

In the northern hemisphere, which way does a hurricane spin? why?

Answer 28

counter clockwise | because it is a low pressure system

Question 29

what is the real killing force of a hurricane?

Answer 29

the storm surge (wave of water)

Question 30

storm surges are responsible for ___% of deaths involving hurricanes

Answer 30

90%

Question 31

the ____ does not effect the classification of a hurricane

Answer 31

time on ground because they are multi day storms with flooding from the storm surge

Question 32

where do hurricanes begin?

Answer 32

Sihugo, Africa

Question 33

what are 2 ways that a hurricane dies?

Answer 33

it hits land | it goes over cold water

Question 34

at what wind speed are storms considered tropical storms? when is it named?

Answer 34

39 mph | is named at the same time

Question 35

at what speed is a tropical storm considered a hurricane?

Answer 35

74 mph

Question 36

what are 2 reasons that the number of powerful hurricanes is increasing?

Answer 36

global warming heating the oceans | multidecadal effect/ oscillation

Question 37

what is the mulitdecadal/ oscillation effect?

Answer 37

Multidecadal= when there is more intense hurricanes every 10, switching from northern to southern hemisphere each decade

Question 38

In what months do tornadoes occur most?

Answer 38

3 months- April, May, June

Question 39

what conditions are needed for tornado development?

Answer 39

warm humid air (up from the Gulf of Mexico) meets cold dry air (from north)

Question 40

what 3 states make up tornado alley?

Answer 40

Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas

Question 41

what 3 things are measured on the Enhanced Fujita scale?

Answer 41

based on time on ground path of destruction wind speed

Question 42

How are tornadoes measured? on what scale? what is the range?

Answer 42

Enhanced Fujita scale | EF 0-5

Question 43

what is the difference between a tornado watch and a warning?

Answer 43

``` watch= conditions are right for a tornado, be aware, usually 3-6 hours in advance warning= serious, take shelter/caution ```