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ES 11 Meteorology 2
Terms associated with pressure, winds, Coriolis, air masses, fronts and storms.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| force exerted by weight of air due to gravity | pressure |
| device (mercury or aneroid) used for measuring air pressure | barometer |
| a flow of air within the atmosphere | wind |
| line that connects points of equal pressure (on a weather map) | isobar |
| a pressure ___ tells the rate of change of pressure (close isobars = high winds) | gradient |
| an effect that describes how Earth’s rotation affects the direction of wind and ocean currents | Coriolis |
| direction of wind deflection due to the Coriolis effect in the Northern Hemisphere | right |
| stream of rapidly flowing (75-150 mph, W to E) high altitude air due to low friction | jet stream |
| pressure center characterized by cool, sinking air that rotates clockwise in N. Hemisphere | high |
| pressure center characterized by warm, rising air that rotates counterclockwise in N. Hemisphere | low |
| term that describes a counterclockwise rotation of air | cyclonic |
| transfer of energy within a fluid (air, water) due to differences in heating & density | convection |
| describes the low pressure region at 0º latitude | equatorial |
| describes the high pressure region around 30º latitude responsible to much of Earth's great deserts | subtropical |
| sailor's description of the generally westward flow of air near the equator | trade winds |
| describes the prevailing winds for most of the U.S. | westerlies |
| directional name for polar winds deflected to the right as they descend toward the U.S. | easterlies |
| gentle seaside or mountainside wind whose direction changes between day & night | breeze |
| characteristic of wind determined by a weather vane or wind sock | direction |
| describes a wind that blows mostly in one direction (in U.S. it is westerly) | prevailing |
| devices whose rotation rate is used to determine wind speed | anemometer |
| a seasonal change in wind direction (often associated with summer torrential rains in India) | monsoon |
| weather changing event that occurs when a warm ocean current replaces the normally cold current off the coast of Peru/Ecuador | El Niño |
| weather changing event that occurs when the normally cold current off the coast of Peru/Ecuador strengthens noticeably | La Niña |
| huge body of air with similar temperature & moisture content | air mass |
| ___ region: area where air mass obtains its temp & moisture | source |
| describes an air mass formed at high latitudes that is cold | polar |
| describes an air mass formed at low latitudes that is warm | tropical |
| describes an air mass formed over water that is humid | maritime |
| describes an air mass formed over land that is fairly dry | continental |
| term describing the heavy snows on the east side of the Great Lakes when polar air meets their warmer, humid air | lake effect |
| cyclonic storm with heavy winds and precipitation when low pressure if off the coast of New England | nor'easter |
| type of air mass that brings most precipitation to eastern 2/3rds of U.S. (abbreviated mT) | maritime tropical |
| type of air mass that causes 'Indian summer' in fall around the Great Lakes (abbreviated cT) | continental tropical |
| boundary that separates 2 air masses | front |
| describes a front formed when warm air moves into area that was previously cooler | warm |
| describes a front formed when cold air moves into area that was previously warmer | cold |
| cloud type formed along a warm front that usually brings precipitation to a large area | nimbostratus |
| low fluffy cloud that often develops as a cold front moves through an area | cumulus |
| describes a front between 2 air masses moving past each other while the boundary location holds its position | stationary |
| describes a front formed when one cold front overtakes a warm front, lifting the warm air and producing complex weather | occluded |
| direction of rotation of air mass around mid-latitude low, the main weather-maker for the U.S. | counterclockwise |
| precipitation-making event that begins as a cumulus cloud & generates lightning, strong winds | thunderstorm |
| U.S. state in which the most yearly thunderstorms occur | Florida |
| describes the development stage of a thunderstorm when cooling precipitation calms it | dissipating |
| violent thunderstorm with rotating vortex (air column), rated F1 to F5 | tornado |
| whirling tropical cyclone with winds of 74+ mph that develops in late summer over warm (26+ ºC) water (a.k.a. typhoon) | hurricane |
Created by:
goakley
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