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Meteorology
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| True or False: Meteorology is the study of atmospheric phenomena. | True |
| True or False: Weather is the current state of the lithosphere. | False |
| True or False: Long-term variations in weather for a particular area make up the climate of the area. | True |
| True or False: The tropics are hotter than the poles because the sun strikes this area of Earth more indirectly. | True |
| What criteria does the scale use to classify tornadoes? | Wind speed, path of destruction, and duration |
| Most of Earth’s atmosphere is composed of ____. | nitrogen and oxygen |
| Water vapor in the atmosphere is the source of | clouds and rain |
| The amount of energy the atmosphere absorbs depends in part on its level of | carbon dioxide |
| Solid particles in the atmosphere that are used as condensation nuclei include salt and __________. | dust |
| Ozone in Earth’s atmosphere is important because it ___________. | absorbs harmful radiation |
| A large parcel of air that takes on the characteristics of the area over which it forms is a(n) ___. | air mass |
| An air mass takes on its source region’s _____. | temperature and humidity |
| Maritime air masses originate over ____. | oceans |
| Thunderstorms develop from cumulus clouds that grow into huge ______ clouds. | Cumulonimbus |
| Thunderstorms form when cumulus clouds to grow by the energy method of ___________. | convection |
| First, there must be sufficient ______ in the lower atmosphere to condense and release latent heat. | moisture |
| Second, some mechanism must make the air rise, causing the cloud to grow. Third, the portion of the atmosphere that the cloud grows through must be _______. | unstable |
| The rising cloud must stay ______ than the air around it in order for the growth to continue. | warmer |
| The cloud’s growth stops when the rate of __________ in the cloud, which diminishes with height, is insufficient to create enough heat to keep the cloud warmer than the air around it. | condensation |
| Growth will also stop if the rising air meets a layer of __________ air that it cannot overcome. | stable |
| thermosphere | |
| mesosphere | |
| stratosphere | |
| troposphere | |
| Coriolis effect | The turning of air masses from their original paths because of Earth’s rotation |
| Jetstreams | High altitude winds that occur in places where trade winds and polar easterlies meet prevailing westerlies |
| global winds | air movement patterns on Earth’s surface according to latitude |
| convection currents | circular movement of air caused by cool air sinking and warm air rising |
| cold front | cold, dense air that displaces warm air, forcing the warm air up |
| front | narrow region separating two air masses of different densities |
| warm front | advancing warm air that displaces the cold air |
| occluded front | cold air mass that moves rapidly and overtakes a warm front |
| stationary front | two air masses that meet and do not advance |
| ___________ is a measure of how rapidly or slowly molecules move. | Temperature |
| Rain drops form when __________ in the atmosphere cools and turns form a gas to a liquid. | water vapor |
| The change in state from a gas to a liquid is called _______. | condensation |
| The ______ is the temperature to which air must be cooled to reach saturation. | dew point |
| Temperature in the lower atmosphere generally decreases with increased ____. | altitude |
| The height above the surface at which condensation occurs is the _____. | LCL |
| LCL | Lifted Condensation Level |