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Chapter 13 Vocab
Vocab
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Air-Mass Thunderstorm | When air rises because of unequal heating of earth's surface within one air mass |
| Mountain Thunderstorm | When air mass rise by orographic lifting, which involves air moving the side of a mountain |
| Sea-Breeze Thunderstorm | Local air- mass thunderstorms that occur because land and water store and release thermal energy differently |
| Frontal Thunderstorms | Produced by advancing cold fronts and more rarely warm fronts |
| Stepped leader | The channel of partially charged air |
| Return Stroke | When the stepped leader nears the ground, a branched channel of positively charged particles |
| Supercells | Self-sustaining, extremely powerful storms |
| Downbursts | Violent downdrafts that are concentrated in a local area |
| Tornado | A violent, whirling column of air in contact with the ground |
| Fujita Tornado Intensity Scale | Ranks tornados according to thier path of destruction,wind speed,and duration, is used to classify tornadoes |
| Tropical Cyclones | Low-pressure tropical storms |
| Eye | Center of the Storm |
| EyeWall | A tall band of strong winds and dense clouds that surrounds the eye |
| Saffir-Simpson hurricane Scale | Classifies hurricanes according to wind speed, potential for flooding in terms of the effect on the height of sea level, and potential for property damage |
| Storm Surge | When Hurricane-force winds drive a mound of ocean water toward coastal areas where it washes over the land |
| Droughts | Extended periods of well-below average rainfall |
| Heat Waves | Extended periods of above average temperatures |
| Cold Wave | An extended period of below-average temperature |
| Windchill Index | The effects of cold air on the Human body are magnified by wind |