Air Masses
Fronts
Weather
Wind
Surprise
100
What air mass is wet?
Maritime
100
What happens at a stationary front?
Cold air mass and warm air mass meet but do not mix
100
What does a wind vane measure?
Wind direction
100
Does a land breeze occur during the day or at night? Is the land or sea warmer?
At night, sea is warmer
100
There is a high pressure system over California. Is there good or bad weather there?
Good weather
200
What air mass is dry?
Continental
200
What type of front brings the most severe weather? The least severe?
Occluded, stationary
200
What is the difference between weather and climate?
Weather is short term, changes rapidly (even hour by hour); climate is an average over time (at least a season).
200
Explain what happens to create a sea breeze.
Land is warmer -> air rises -> cool air from sea replaces it creating wind
200
What type of air mass would be off the coast of Alaska?
Maritime polar
300
What air mass is warm and dry?
Continental Tropical
300
What happens at a warm front?
A warm air mass overtakes a cold air mass creating light precipitation.
300
What does an anemometer measure?
Wind speed
300
Where are the Doldrums and what happens there?
On the equator, little to no wind -> ships get stuck
300
Many things revolve around the fact that warm air rises. Name one.
Sea breeze Land breeze Global winds Pressure systems
400
What air mass is cold and wet?
Maritime Polar
400
What happens during an occluded front?
Two cold air masses force a warm air mass upwards and creates severe precipitation.
400
What type of weather and what temperature air is found in a low pressure system?
Bad weather, warm air
400
Where are the trade winds? What type of weather is there?
0 to 30 degrees North and South of the Equator, usually good weather
400
Does a sea breeze occur at night or during the day? Is the land or sea warmer?
Day, land
500
What factors do meteorologists look for when defining an air mass?
Temperature, humidity, and pressure (Will accept answer without pressure)
500
Why does precipitation form at cold and occluded fronts?
As the warm air rises from the ground and cools, the water is forced to condense from water vapor to water drops.
500
What does a hygrometer measure?
Humidity (hydro = water)
500
Why does it matter that the land and sea heat unevenly?
Without uneven heating there would be no wind, and therefore no weather.
500
What is the Coriolis effect?
Due to the fact that the Earth turns, winds do not move straight North/South but instead they curve.
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