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52 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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precipitation
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water falling back to the earth
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5 kinds of precipitation are
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rain, snow, sleet, drizzle, or hail
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rain
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the most common form of precipitaion
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2 theories that try to explain how raindrops are formed are
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The Bergeron Process and the collision-coalescence process
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Bergeron Process theory
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A theory that states that rain is formed as a result of ice crystals falling through the cloud and melting into raindrops
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collision-coalescence process theory
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A theory that states that rain is formed as a result of water droplets in the clouds combining with one another
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drizzle
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smaller drops of rain that typically fall from nimbostratus clouds
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sleet
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partly frozen rain
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freezing rain
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rain that freezes once it hits a solid surface
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hail
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large pieces of ice that can fall during thunderstorms
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snow
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formation of ice crystals into distinctive shapes
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dew
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water that condenses onto surfaces
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frost
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water that condenses on a very cold surface and freezes
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dew point
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the temperature at which dew forms
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frost point
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the temperature at which frost forms
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updraft
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a current of rising air
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cumulus stage
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a cumulus cloud rapidly growing in size
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mature stage (t-storm)
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the stage where a t-storm is at its strongest
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downdraft
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downward rushes of air
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dissipation stage
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the stage at which a t-storm gradually weakens
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thunderstorm cell
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thunderstorm cella t-storm with 1 updraft system and 1 resulting thundercloud
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thunder
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a sound as a result of air expanding and contracting rapidly
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lightning
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large bolts of electricity
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insulator
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a substance that does not conduct electricity very well
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stepped leader
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a jerky movement of negative charges toward earth
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return stroke
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positive charges rushing forward to meet the negative charges
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cloud-to-ground lightning
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lightning that travels from the cloud to the ground
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cloud-to-cloud lightning
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lightning that travels from a cloud to another cloud
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tornado
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a fast, swirling column of air
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whirl stage
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where an updraft is met by winds blowing in a different direction at higher altitudes
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vortex
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a funnel of air
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organizing stage
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where the tornado touches the ground and starts picking up debris
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mature stage (tornado)
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the stage where the tornado is most destructive
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shrinking stage
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where the tornado starts to dissipate and get smaller
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decaying stage
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where the tornado is no longer visible
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waterspout
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a tornado formed over water
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dust devil
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a small, swirling column of air and dust that is very weak
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hurricane
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when the winds reach a sustained speed of 74 mph
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tropical cyclones
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another name for hurricanes
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tropical disturbance
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a small vortex of whirling winds in the ocean
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tropical depression
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when the rotating winds reach a sustained speed of 23 mph
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tropical storm
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when the winds reach a sustained speed of 39 mph
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eye
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an area of low pressure in the middle of a hurricane
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eye wall
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a cylinder of high winds and rain near the eye reaching several miles high
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rain bands
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lines of t-storm cells rotating near the eye
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storm surge
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a towering wave of ocean water built up by a hurricane
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radar
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a tool used by meteorologists to predict and study weather
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Doppler radar
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the most commonly used radar among meteorologists
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Doppler Effect
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says that by analyzing a specific kind of difference between the returning and outgoing waves, the speed of the object can actually be determined
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weather map
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a data compilation of satellite images
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isobars
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lines on a weather map representing regions of equal atmospheric pressure
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isotherms
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lines on a weather map that represent constant temperature
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