Weather Instruments
What instrument do meteorologists use to measure the distance from the ground to the base of clouds?
ceilometer
The outermost temperature layer of the atmosphere
exosphere
Center of a hurricane
eye
A tornado that forms over water
waterspout
What process traps heat in Earth’s atmosphere
Greenhouse effect
Measures wind direction
weather vane
The type of precipitation that forms when falling balls of ice are swept into the upper layers of a thunderstorm
hail
Why does a hurricane usually begin to weaken when it moves onto a continent?
the hurricane no longer has access to warm ocean water
What drought is defined by its effect on an area’s groundwater, streams, lakes, and reservoirs
hydrological drought
What extremely powerful radiation heats the molecules of the ionosphere?
cosmic rays
What is an advantage of Doppler weather radar over older radar systems
ability to measure wind speed
What type of lightning comes from the top of a large thunderstorm?
positive cloud-ground lightning
What type of cloud usually produces heavy rains, strong winds, and sometimes hail or tornadoes?
cumulonimbus
What is the type of air mass brings hot, dry weather?
Continental tropical
What is the coldest point in the atmosphere
Mesopause
“Lines of equal heat” on a weather map
isotherms
What type of precipitation is made of raindrops that freeze into tiny balls of ice before they hit the ground
sleet
A weather station recorded several hours of thunderstorms, followed by a drop in temperature. At the same time, a radar station reported a 100 km long north-to-south line of precipitation moving west to east across the station. What type of feature was this?
Squall line
What are warm, dry winds that travel down a mountain slope?
foehns
What process occurs when air expands with no heat gained or lost
adiabatic cooling
A weather instrument that simultaneously measures and transmits meteorological data from weather balloons to weather stations
radiosonde
What colorful displays occur when solar wind particles react with molecules in the atmosphere
Auroras
What forms the brilliant flash of a lightning bolt
Return Stroke
The process of liquid water turning into water vapor
evaporation
The heating elements of a toaster are wires made of a material that gets hot when an electric current is passed through them. The bread is held in place so that it is near, but not touching, the wires. What type of heat transfer does the toaster use to toast bread?
Radiation