Clouds and Precipitation
Which type of cloud produces thunderstorms?
Cumulonimbus
Cold, dry air from Canada creates this mass
Continental Polar
A funnel-shaped cloud that touches the ground.
Tornado
Scientists who study weather.
Meteroologists
Two main factors used to classify climate.
Temperature and Precipitation
Any type of water that falls from the clouds
Precipitation
When a cold air mass overtakes a warm air mass.
Cold Front
These storms form over warm ocean water.
Hurricanes
Day-to-day atmospheric conditions.
Weather
The uneven heating of Earth’s surface causes this movement of air.
Wind
These clouds are thin, wispy, and high in the sky.
Cirrus Clouds
When neither air mass moves.
Stationary Front
A violent disturbance in the atmosphere.
Storm
Long-term average conditions.
Climate
This effect causes moving air to curve due to Earth’s rotation.
Coriolis Effect
These clouds form a grey layer and often bring steady rain.
Stratus Clouds
When a warm air mass is trapped between two cold air masses.
Occluded Front
This causes a hurricane’s storm surge.
High Winds and low pressure
The difference between weather and climate.
Weather is short-term; climate is long-term
These winds are caused by land heating and cooling faster than water during the day and night.
Land and Sea Breezes
This process turns water vapor into liquid droplets.
Condensation
These winds move weather across the U.S. from west to east.
Prevailing Westerlies
A forecast says a warm front is approaching—what weather conditions should you expect and why?
Warmer temperatures, gradual clouds, and steady precipitation because warm air rises over cold air.
The trapping of heat by Earth’s atmosphere.
Greenhouse Effect
Explain how uneven heating of Earth leads to global wind patterns.
Warm air rises at the equator, cool air sinks at the poles, creating convection currents and global winds.