Atmospheric Basics
This layer of the atmosphere is where all weather occurs.
What is the troposphere?
The main source of energy that drives all weather on Earth.
What is the Sun?
The global wind belt that moves weather across the United States.
What are the westerlies?
Large bodies of air with similar temperature and humidity.
What are air masses?
The cloud type associated with thunderstorms.
What is cumulonimbus?
This term describes how tightly packed air molecules are.
What is density?
The process where warm air rises and cool air sinks.
What is convection?
This effect causes moving air to curve instead of traveling straight.
What is the Coriolis Effect?
This type of air mass is warm and humid.
What is maritime tropical (mT)?
A rotating column of air that touches the ground.
What is a tornado?
Warm air rises because it is ______ than cold air.
What is less dense?
Air moves from areas of ______ pressure to ______ pressure
What is high to low?
A daytime wind that blows from water toward land.
What is a sea breeze?
This front usually causes short, intense storms and a drop in temperature.
What is a cold front?
A large storm that forms over warm ocean water and has an eye.
What is a hurricane (tropical cyclone)?
The force created by the weight of air pressing down on Earth’s surface
What is air pressure?
Uneven heating of Earth causes differences in temperature, which leads to this.
What is wind?
These three circulation cells help move air around the planet.
What are the Hadley, Ferrel, and Polar cells?
A front that forms when neither air mass moves.
What is a stationary front?
A winter storm with heavy snow, strong winds, and low visibility.
What is a blizzard?
This term refers to the day-to-day condition of the atmosphere.
What is weather?
This explains why the equator is warmer than the poles.
What is unequal solar heating due to Earth’s curvature?
This explains why coastal areas usually have milder temperatures than inland areas.
What is water heating and cooling more slowly than land?
This front forms when a cold front catches up to a warm front.
What is an occluded front?
This type of flooding happens quickly and is extremely dangerous.
What is a flash flood?