Storm Formation
What happens to temperature as you go higher in the atmosphere?
it get colder
How does water vapor enter the air?
Water vapor enters the air through evaporation.
What is wind?
horizontal movement of air from areas of high pressure to low pressure
What is a cold front?
when a fast moving cold air mass overtakes a slower, warm air mass.
Weather includes...
Temperature, pressure, precipitation, humidity, and wind
What is an updraft?
air pushing upward
What occurs during condensation?
Water vapor cools and changes into liquid water, forming clouds.
How does air pressure affect weather?
High pressure leads to clear skies, while low pressure can result in stormy weather.
What does an occluded front look like on a weather map?
Purple or pink with triangles and semi-circles going in the same direction
Scenario: Air is rising over mountains and losing moisture. What is this phenomenon called?
Rain Shadow Effect
how is hail formed?
The rain is carried by the updraft and freezes the droplet until it is too heavy for the cloud
Why is one side of a mountain drier?
The air rises and cools, leading to condensation and precipitation on one side, leaving the other side dry.
What is the Coriolis Effect?
The effect of Earth's rotation on the direction of winds and currents.
What is an air mass?
A large body of air that moves across land.
Scenario: A fast-moving cold front overtakes a slower warm front suddenly and causes a severe weather event. What front moved in?
Occluded
What does warm air do and why?
It rises because it is less dense
What are the stages of the water cycle?
Evaporation, condensation, transpiration, precipitation, runoff, collection, infiltration, groundwater.
What is used to measure air pressure?
barometer
What is an occluded front?
A combination of two fronts that form when a cold front catches up and overtakes a warm front.
What was the biggest issue when it came to Hurricane Katrina?
The flooding caused the damage and devastation to be worse than it could have been if the dams did not break
Describe how a cloud forms.
How does sunlight affect the water cycle?
Sunlight warms the ground and water bodies, causing evaporation to occur.
What is a narrow belt of strong winds that blow in the upper troposphere
Jet stream
What does a Stationary front look like?
Red semi-circles and blue triangles in the same line but pointing in opposite directions
Last week it was sunny and clear skies, this week it is rainy and overcast. What pressure system was here last week? What air pressure system moved in?
Last week: High pressure
This week: low pressure