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35 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What is an air mass?
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A column of air with the same temperature
and humidity |
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cP
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Continental Polar
Dry-Cold |
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mT
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Maritime Tropical
Wet-Hot |
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cT
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Continental Tropical
Dry-Hot |
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mP
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Maritime Polar
Wet-Cold |
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What is a front?
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Two air masses hitting and joining together.
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What direction does a midlatitude cyclone normally rotate?
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Counterclockwise
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Does a cyclone produce a low or a high pressure core?
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Low pressure Core
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What direction does the air mass of the cyclone travel?
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Upward
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What part of the jet-stream is a cyclone associated with?
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Troughs
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What role do jet-stream troughs play in the movement of cyclones?
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Troughts help to form a large frontal cyclone with a cold front and this pushes the warm air up forming thick clouds.
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Why is the air in a cyclone so unstable?
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Because the air moves upward so fast.
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How does a nor'eastern blizzard/ice storm move up the northeastern US coast?
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A cyclone moves up the NE coast, the counterclockwise rotation draws from the north while the eastern side picks up moisture from the Atlantic.
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What is the main source that feeds the cyclone?
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Moisture
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What is one of the major causes of this winter cyclone?
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Cold wind
-35 mph winds -Temp less than 20F -Much snow |
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What are the characteristics of a blizzard?
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37 mph winds, Less than 20F temperatures, tons of snow and zero visibility
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How do fatalities occur from a blizzard?
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People freeze to death, frostbite
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How does a thunderstorm work?
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1) Buoyant air rises
2) Condenses to form clouds 3) Latent heat is released 4) Heat dissipates 5) Dry air dampens warm updrafts |
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What way does the anvil head point?
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In the direction the storm is traveling
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Where are straightline winds found? What is this called?
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In the
front of the storm; gust front |
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Where do thunderstorms primarily occur?
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In the south where there are areas of warm moist air
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What are the three ingredients of thunderstorms?
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Cold air, warm moist air and jet-stream
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How does hail form?
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In large thunderstorms with upper-level cold air and strong up drafts.
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Where is hail most frequent?
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In the middle of the United States, Northern Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska
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How does lightening work?
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The flow of electric current seeks a balance in areas of excessive charge. Like charges repel so the lightening moves to a more positive area.
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Where is lightening most frequent?
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Where there are the most thunderstorms which is in the south.
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What are some safety points of lightening?
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1) If you hear thunder you are in danger, seek shelter.
2) Get inside the house but don't touch anything electrical, plumbing, water or telephone wires. 3) Get inside a metal car, not a convertible, don't touch anything. 4) If outside move to a low place, crouch down on the balls of your feet, don't lay down. |
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What are the three conditions necessary to form a tornado?
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A
northerly flow of marine tropical air from the Gulf of Mexico that's humid and 75 degrees F or more, a cold, dry air mass moving down from Canada at 50+ mph, jet stream winds racing east at 150+ mph |
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Where do tornadoes occur?
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Tornado alley in the southern mid-west
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What time of year do tornadoes occur?
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April, May, June, July
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What are three characteristics of tornadoes?
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1) Typically move SW to NW
2) Speeds up to 65 mph 3) Rotating wind speed in excess of 310 mph |
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What are three areas in which air can move in order to produce a tornado?
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1) Northerly flow of marine tropical air from the Gulf of Mexico (humid and hot)
2) Cold dry air from Canada speeds in excess of 50 mph 3) Jet-stream winds racing east at speeds in excess of 150 mph |
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What is the Fujita wind damage scale?
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A scale that measures wind damage from tornadoes
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What are tornado safety points?
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1) Take precautions if there is a warning and a siren goes off
2) Stay away from windows 3) Go to the basement of get in the bath tub 4) Stay on the northeast side of the basement 5) If outside get in a ditch |
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What occured during the Super Outbreak of April 1974?
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-147 tornadoes in 16 hours, touched in 13 states
-6 tornadoes of F-5 force -Most touched down in warm hours between 4-9pm -Xenia, Ohio was hardest hit |
