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32 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What is an air mass?
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A large body of air that is characterized by a sameness of temp. and humidity.
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What is air-mass weather?
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The conditions experienced in an area as an air mass passes over it. (fairly constant and may last for several days)
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What is a source region?
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The area where an air mass acquires its characteristic properties of temp. and moisture.
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What is a Polar (P) air mass?
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A cold air mass that forms in a high-latitude source region.
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What is a tropical (T) air mass?
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A warm-to-hot air mass that forms in the subtropics.
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What is a continental (c) air mass?
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An air mass that forms over land; it is normally relatively dry.
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What is a maritime (m) air mass?
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An air mass that originates over the ocean. These air masses are relatively humid.
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What are fronts?
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The boundary between two adjoining air masses having contrasting characteristics.
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What is overrunning?
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Warm air gliding up a retreating cold air mass.
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What is a warm front?
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A front along which a swarm air mass overrides a retreating mass of cooler air.
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What is a cold front?
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A front along which a cold air mass thrust beneath a warmer air mass.
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What is the two main differences between a warm and cold front?
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rate of movement and steepness of slope.
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What is a stationary front?
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When the surface position of the front doesn't move because it isn't moving toward the cold or warm. (almost parallel to line of front.
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What is an occluded front?
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When an active cold front overtakes a warm front.
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What are the middle latitude regions?
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Between southern Florida and Alaska
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What are middle-latitude or midlatitude cyclones?
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Large low-pressure center with a diameter often exceeding 1000 kilometers that moves from west to east and may last from a few days to more than a week and usually has a cold from and a warm front extending from the central area of low pressure.
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What does the L on a weather map mean?
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Low pressure system
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What is a thunderstorm?
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A storm produced by a cumulonimbus cloud and always accompanies by lightning and thunder.
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What is a tornado?
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A small, very intense cyclonic storm w/ exceedingly high winds, most often produced along cold fronts in conjunction w/ severe thunderstorms.
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What is used to gauge the intensity of a tornado?
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the Fujita Intensity scale or F-scale.
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What is a tornado watch?
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A forecast issued for about 25,000 square miles indicating that conditions are such that tornadoes may develop
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What is a tornado warning?
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A warning issued when a tornado has actually been sighted in an area or is indicated by radar.
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What is Doppler Radar?
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Detects motion directly and hence greatly improve tornado and severe storm warning.
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What is a hurricane?
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A tropical cyclonic storm having winds in excess of 74 mph.
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What is the eye wall?
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The doughnut-shaped area of intense cumulonimbus development and very strong winds that surrounds the eye of the hurricane.
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What is the eye?
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A zone of scattered clouds and calm averaging about 20 kilometers in diameter in the center of the hurricane.
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What classifies a tropical depression?
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Max winds do not exceed 38 mph
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What classifies a tropical storm?
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mas winds between 38 and 74 mph
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What are 3 ways a hurricane's intensity is diminished?
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1. move over ocean waters that cannot supply warm, moist tropical air
2. move over land 3. reach a location where the large-scale flow aloft is unfavorable |
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What is used to rank hurricanes?
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The Saffir-Simpson scale
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What are the 3 ways damage cause by hurricanes can be categorized?
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1. wind damage
2. storm surge 3. inland freshwater flooding |
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What is a storm surge?
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The abnormal rise of the sea along a shore as a result of strong winds.
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