_________ can create a surface low, by starting upflow into the atmosphere.
Divergence aloft.
What is the Coriolis effect?
Air is deflected around __________ in counter-clockwise direction on the _______ hemisphere and clockwise in the _______ hemisphere.
Deflection in wind direction due to earth's rotation.
low pressure centers
northern hemisphere
southern hemisphere
What is a cyclone?
What are the associated winds in the Northern and Southern hemispheres?
A center of low pressure. Brings clouds and precipitation.
North: inward (convergence) and counterclockwise
South: Inward (convergence) and clockwise
What is an anticyclone?
What are the associated winds in the Northern hemisphere and the Southern hemisphere?
A center of high pressure. Brings fair weather.
North: outward (divergence) and clockwise
South: outward (divergence) and counterclockwise
What are the four main air masses classified by latitude and nature of surface in the source region? What weather do they bring?
Latitude:
Polar (P)- cold. High latitudes.
Tropical (T)- warm. Low latitudes.
Nature of surface:
Continental (c)- dry. Form over land.
Maritime (m)- humid. Form over water.
What are the four fronts, what they are characterized by, and what weather they bring?
Warm front: warm air replaces cooler air. Light to moderate precipitation with lower clouds.
Cold front: cold air replaces warm air. More violent weather.
Stationary front: Flow of air on both sides is almost parallel to the line of the front. Surface position of front DOES NOT MOVE.
Occluded front: Active cold front overtakes a warm front. Complex weather.
In which directions do fronts move?
East. (except stationary fronts don't move)
How does a midlatitude cyclone form?
Start as a stationary front. A mountain, etc, distorts the front with warm air pushing north and cold air pushing south, forming it.
What are the three stages of formation of thunderstorms?
Cumulus stage
Mature stage
Dissipating stage
What are the features of tornadoes?
In which direction do tornadoes move?
Violent windstorm
rotating column of air that extends downward from a cumulonimbus cloud.
Low pressures inside causes air to rush in.
Northeast
tornadoes are measured by the ________ scale.
Fujita
Tornadoes are associated with huge thunderstorms called...
Supercells.
What is a hurricane?
Describe the different features.
Most violent storms on earth. Winds must be in excess of 74 mph.
Eyewall, eye, spiral rain bands
What three conditions are required to form a hurricane?
1. Pre-existing disturbance w/ thunderstorms.2. Warm ocean waters w/ temp. of at least 80 degrees F down to depth of 150 ft. 3. Light upper level winds that don't change much throughout the depth pf the atmosphere.
What are the three categories of damage caused by a hurricane?
Which causes the largest loss of life?
Storm surge
Wind damage
Inland flooding from torrential rains.
Storm surge
Which type of severe weather has the steepest pressure gradient?
Hurricanes? Maybe.
Carbon dioxide quantity is related to the season of ________. Plants absorb CO2 in _______, leading to lower CO2 after. Plants stop in ________ leading to higher CO2 then.
Spring
Spring
Winter
What was the climate like in the Cretaceous and over the last 2 million years?
The Quaternary?
Hot, no ice caps, arid with sand dunes. Most of North America was covered by water.
2.6 million years ago.
What is the difference between instrumental and proxy data?
Instrument: Measures climate directly. Exact, but limited to the modern era.
Proxy: Measures climate indirectly. Inexact, but can record the deep past.
Why is the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increasing?
Why is this change linked with climate change?
Burning fossil fuels add great quantities of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
Water vapor and carbon dioxide absorb heat and are largely responsible for greenhouse effect of the atmosphere.
