Meteorology Study Guide (Chaps 18, 19, and 20)

Vocabulary: (Use your book to find the definitions)

Coriolis Effect

Precipitation

Evaporation

Condensation

Humidity

Relative humidity

Saturated air

Dew point

Orographic lifting

Front

Condensation nuclei

Cirrus

Cumulus

Stratus

Air pressure

Air mass

Front

Warm front

Cold front

Stationary front

Occluded front

Thunderstorm

Tornado

Hurricane

Questions:

1. Current, short-term variations in the atmosphere are referred to as ____.

a. / humidity / c. / weather
b. / lapse rate / d. / the ionosphere

2. The Corioliseffect is due to the ____ of Earth.

a. / revolution / c. / shape
b. / rotation / d. / density

3. Low-pressure systems are usually associated with ____ weather.

a. / cold and dry / c. / sunny and dry
b. / cloudy and rainy / d. / warm and humid

4. Lines on a map that connect points of equal or constant temperatures are called ____.

a. / boundaries / c. / fronts
b. / isotherms / d. / station models

5. Lines on a map that connect points of equal or constant pressures are called ____.

a. / boundaries / c. / fronts
b. / isobars / d. / station models

6. Areas where isobars are closer together indicate __stronger winds___

7. Match each item with the correct type of air mass. (mT, mP, cT, or cP)

a. / warm and humid
maritime tropical / c. / cool and humid
maritime polar
b. / cold and dry
continental polar / d. / warm and dry
continental tropical

8. Match each item with the correct statement below.

i. / trade winds / iii. / prevailing westerlies
ii. / polar easterlies / iv. / jet streams
  1. Systems that lie between the poles and about 60° latitude in both hemispheres

Polar easterlies

  1. Narrow bands of fast, high-altitude westerly winds

Jet streams

  1. Winds occurring between 30° north and south latitude and the equator

Prevailing westerlies

  1. Winds that flow between 30° and 60° north and south latitude

Polar easterlies

9. Would a six-month period with no rain in a place that usually gets plentiful rainfall be considered a weather phenomenon or a climate phenomenon?

climate

10. Describe how a cool, dry air mass can modify into a warm, moist air mass

Moves over a warm water source. Air takes on the temperature and moist of the surface it lies over.

11. Compare and contrast the characteristics of a high pressure system and a low pressure system.

High pressure = clear conditions; low pressure = rainy conditions

12. Compare and contrast air masses and fronts.

Air masses = large masses of air that have similar temperatures and moisture levels; fronts = boundary between air masses

13. Explain how air masses form

Read section 20.1– Most important: know that it takes on the characteristics of the surface it forms over

14. Explain how clouds form.

Read pages 512-516. Know the differences between orographic lifting and frontal wedging.

15. Identify the four types of fronts and the weather conditions associated with each one.

Cold – With greatly contrasting air masses on either side of the front and potentially unstable conditions, violent weather can form.

Warm – temperature warms and light to no precipitation

Stationary – Gentle to moderate precipitation can fall along the stationary front

Occluded – heavy, then light rain

16. Compare and contrast a continental polar air mass and a maritime tropical air mass.

Continental = forms over land; maritime = forms over water; polar = forms in colder regions (higher latitudes); tropical = forms in warmer regions

17. You examine two weather maps of your area for two different days. One map shows isobars that are closely spaced; the other shows isobars that are far apart. Predict the difference in weather conditions for those days.

Windy the first day and not windy the next day.

18. What are the 3 stages of a thunderstorm?

Cumulus, mature, dissipating

19. Describe the formation of a tornado and hurricane.

*See your notes from class on 4/17

20. Explain the relationship between temperature and pressure. (Think about the cloud lab!)

As pressure increases, temperature increases

21. Rising air (ascending air)is associated with….

Low pressuresystems

22. Sinking air(descending air) is associated with…

High pressuresystems

Reminders:

  • Be sure to review figure 3 on page 560, pictures of the fronts, figure 3 on page 534, and figure 12 on page 518
  • Review the processes that lift air
  • Know which direction the Coriolis Effect deflects in the N. and S. Hemispheres
  • Review cloud types
  • Be able to read a weather map (Weather Model class activity)

High Pressure

Low Pressure