Air Masses and Fronts
What type of front involves a cold air mass moving into a warm air mass?
Cold Front
What tool is used to measure air pressure?
True/False: Cool air has higher pressure than warm air.
True.
False.
What type of front involves a warm air mass moving into a cold air mass?
Warm Front
What is dew point?
The temperature at which air is saturated with water and condensation occurs.
Why does air rise when it is heated up?
When heated, the molecules in the air spread out because they have more kinetic energy. This makes the air less dense and lower pressure.
At what time of year do hurricanes typically form? Why?
Late summer/early fall. At this point, the oceans in the tropics are the warmest.
What happens when a cold and warm air mass meet with equal force?
Stationary Front
What units are used to describe humidity?
g/m3
What are updrafts and why do they occur?
An updraft occurs when air is sucked upwards because it is less dense and has lower pressure than surrounding air.
What are the three stages of a thunderstorm's life cycle?
Cumulus Stage, Mature Stage, Dissipating Stage.
What's one region where you would expect to find a maritime tropical air mass?
Possible answers: Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Africa, etc.
What is relative humidity?
The amount of moisture in the air compared to the maximum amount of moisture which the air can hold at that temperature.
What is the difference between weather and climate?
Weather describes short term conditions while climate describes long term changes.
Why are there so many tornadoes in Tornado Alley?
Cold air masses from Canada meet warm air masses from the Gulf of Mexico and produce supercell thunderstorms which turn into tornadoes.
What is an occluded front?
When a warm air mass is caught between two cold air masses.
What device is used to measure wind speed?
Anemometer
Why is there wind on Earth's surface?
Different parts of Earth get heated differently by the sun. Regions with warmer air have lower pressure than regions with colder air. Air pushes from high pressure zones to low pressure zones, creating wind.
What causes lightning to form during thunderstorms?
Tiny of pieces of ice in the atmosphere rub against each other and produce positive/negative charges in the storm cloud. This charge is released as lightning.