Processes
Wind and Mid-Lat Cyclones
Air Masses
Air Masses con't
Multiple Choice
100
Fog forms when open bathroom window after shower on cold day? Fog forms when warm, moist air moves over an icy surface? Fog forms in low lying areas on clear nights w/ light to no wind?
Evaporation (mixing) fog Advection fog Radiation fog
100
I occur when the air along the mountain side becomes warmer than the air around it because of solar radiation.
What is valley breeze?
100
moist and cold
What is mP (maritime polar)?
100
Responsible for hot, muggy summer weather in the Midwest and the East.
What is mT (maritime tropical)?
100
Sea Breeze
The summer monsoon is similar to which: 1. Sea breeze 2. Land breeze 3. Mountain breeze 4. Valley breeze
200
Air forced to lift around a low pressure center? Air that rises on its own without any outside forcing? Occurs when air approaches a mountain?
Convergence Convection Orographic lift
200
I am a downslope wind that occurs when the air over a snow covered plateau sinks down the side of the plateau because of density.
What is katabatic wind?
200
dry and extremely cold
What is cA (continental arctic)?
200
Responsible for clear and pleasant weather during the summer.
What is cP (continental polar)?
200
Responsible for: Light mist or drizzle Hailstones Light to moderate rain or snow
Stratus Cumulonimbus Nimbostratus
300
5 things we look for when determining where a front can be found on a weather map?
1. Sharp temperatures changes over short distance 2. Change in moisture content 3. Rapid shifts in wind direction 4. Pressure changes 5. Clouds and precipitation patterns
300
I am lifted orographically. The moisture in me is rained out and therefore I warm rapidly as I descend the leeward side of a mountain.
What is chinook wind?
300
dry and warm
What is cT (continental tropical)?
300
Responsible for below zero winter temperatures in the southern states such as Texas and Florida.
What is cA (continental arctic)?
300
Three Things needed for the development of clouds.
1. Moisture in the air. 2. A lifting mechanism 3. Cloud condensation nuclei
400
Explain why a land breeze tends to be weaker than a sea breeze.
There is a larger temperature difference between land and water during the day. A larger temperature differences causes a larger pressure difference causes a larger pressure difference which causes stronger wind. Since a land breeze occurs at night and a sea breeze occurs during the day, the sea breeze is the stronger wind.
400
I develop over the desert when it is cool. As I descend into a basin I warm through compressional warming.
What is Santa Ana wind?
400
dry and cold
What is cP (continental polar)?
400
Responsible cool weather with showers over the pacific northwest.
What is mP (maritime polar)?
400
Positve NAO- for Northern Europe, Southern Europe, and East coast of US Negative NAO- for Northern Europe, Southern Europe, and East coast of US
Positive: Northern Europe gets more and stronger winter storms and is wet. Southern Europe gets fewer storms and is dry. East coast of the US has mild and wet winter conditions. Negative: Northern Europe gets fewer storms and is dry. Southern Europe gets more stronger storms and is wet. East Coast of the US has more dry and cold air outbreaks and therefore gets more snowy weather conditions.
500
Describe in detail how you can get a land breeze circulation at night at a location where you have a large body of water.
As the evening comes the land cools off a lot more than the water. This causes the air above the water to expand and the air above the land to shrink. The expanding air column over the water causes high atmospheric pressure aloft. The shrinking air column over the land causes low atmospheric pressure aloft. This pressure difference causes wind to blow aloft from water to land. This wind brings air molecules from the air column over water to the air column over land. This increases the atmospheric pressure at the surface over the land. We have high atmospheric pressure at the surface over land and low at the surface over water. This pressure difference causes the surface wind to blow from land to water. This is the land breeze.
500
Explain why a mid-latitude cyclone will die if there is an upper level low directly over the surface low.
With a low at the surface we have convergence. We have air piling up at the surface has no where to go because air in upper level flows parallel to isobars and counterclockwise around it. This= no convergence or divergence aloft. With air piling up into the center of the low and not being able to rise, makes increase in mass causing an increase in pressure. When pressure increases in a low pressure center = mid-lat cyclone is weakening.
500
moist and warm
What is mT (maritime tropical)?
500
Two air masses responsible for the formation of the dry line.
What are mT (maritime tropical) and cT (continental tropical)?
500
Three circulations cells on Earth and at what latitudes does the air rise and fall in each one of these three cells?
Hadley cell - equator (rise) and 30 N & S (fall) Ferrel cell - 60 N & S (rise), 30 N & S (sinking) Polar cell- 60 N & S (rise),90 N & S (sinking)
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