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BJU Space/Earth 20
BJU - Space and Earth Science - Chapter 20 (4th edition)
Term | Definition |
---|---|
A huge body of air in the troposphere with similar temperature and humidity throughout | air mass |
The low-pressure center of a hurricane containing relatively clear, calm, rising air. It usually has light winds, low precipitation, and low pressure | eye (hurricane) |
An immense cyclonic windstorm that forms over tropical or subtropical oceans; hazardous to ships at sea and extremely damaging if it moves over land; also called a typhoon or cyclone | hurricane |
An atmospheric electrical discharge that occurs either between clouds or between a cloud and the ground. | lightning |
A rainstorm that produces lightning. May include hail, bursts of strong winds, and even tornadoes | thunderstorm |
A destructive, localized, rapidly otating cyclonic windstorm forming a funnel; usually associated with a special cumulonimbus cloud called a supercell | tornado |
A higher than normal local sea level caused by seawater flowing toward the lower air pressure under a hurricane | storm surge |
A frigid air mass that originates over the poles | arctic air mass |
A low humidity air mass that originates over land | continental air mass |
The lifting of air when horizontal air currents from opposite directions collide and rise into the atmosphere | convergence |
The boundary where at least two different air masses meet | front |
The lifting of a warm air mass above a cool air mass acting as a wedge | frontal wedging |
A high humidity air mass that originates over the oceans. | maritime air mass (m) |
The upward movement of air masses as they flow over mountains | orographic lifting |
A cool or cold air mass that originates over upper latitudes | polar air mass (P) |
A symbolic representation of data from a weather station on a weather map. Each number and symbol, and their locations in the model, provide specific weather information | station model |
A severe weather disturbance involving high winds, heavy precipitation, and other conditions, such as lightning or low temperatures | storm |
Presents a summary of weather data for a given time frame. There are four types | synoptic weather map |
A warm air mass that originates in the tropics | tropical air mass |
Strong and cyclonic with winds of at least 39 mi/hr (63 km/hr). Can develop into a hurricane | tropical storm |
Brings heavy snow or sleet, high winds, and unusually cold weather | winter storm |