Science Explorer Earth Science Prentice Hall Chapter 17

Front 1

AIR MASS

Back 1

a huge body of air that has similar temperature, pressure and humidity throughout.

Front 2

TROPICAL

Back 2

a warm air mass that forms in the tropics

Front 3

POLAR

Back 3

a cold air mass that forms north of 50 degrees north latitude or south of 50 degrees south latitude and has high air pressure.

Front 4

MARITIME

Back 4

a humid air mass that forms over oceans.

Front 5

CONTINENTAL

Back 5

a dry air mass that forms over land.

Front 6

FRONT

Back 6

the area where air masses meet and do not mix.

Front 7

OCCLUDED

Back 7

cut off, as a warm air mass at an occluded front is cut off from the ground by cooler air beneath it.

Front 8

CYCLONE

Back 8

a swirling center of low air pressure.

Front 9

ANTICYCLONE

Back 9

a high pressure center of dry air.

Front 10

STORM

Back 10

a violent disturbance in the atmosphere.

Front 11

LIGHTNING

Back 11

a sudden spark or energy discharge -when electrical charges jump between clouds.

Front 12

TORNADO

Back 12

a rapidly whirling funnel shaped cloud that reaches down from a storm cloud to earth.

Front 13

HURRICANE

Back 13

a tropical storm that has winds of 119 kilometers per hour or higher.

Front 14

STORM SURGE

Back 14

a dome of water that sweeps across the coast where a hurricane lands.

Front 15

EVACUATE

Back 15

to move away temporarily.

Front 16

FLASH FLOOD

Back 16

a sudden violent flood

Front 17

METEOROLOGIST

Back 17

scientist who study the causes of weather.

Front 18

EL NINO

Back 18

an abnormal climate event that occurs every 2 to 7 years in the Pacific Ocean causing changes in the currents, winds and weather pattern.

Front 19

ISOBAR

Back 19

lines on a map joining places that have the same pressure.

Front 20

ISOTHERM

Back 20

lines on a map joining places that have the same temperature.