Thunderstorms
What are the three stages of a thunderstorm?
Cumulus, mature, and dissipating.
What are the two main gases in Earth’s atmosphere?
Nitrogen and oxygen.
What causes wind to blow?
Differences in air pressure.
Clouds and Precipitation
Tiny water droplets or ice crystals.
What is an air mass?
A large body of air with uniform temperature and humidity.
What hazard in thunderstorms can cause severe aircraft turbulence?
Updrafts and downdrafts.
What layer of the atmosphere do most aircraft operate in?
The troposphere.
What effect causes moving air to curve due to Earth’s rotation?
The Coriolis effect.
What type of cloud is flat and covers the sky like a blanket?
Stratus cloud.
What type of front forms when warm air moves over cold air?
Warm front.
What type of thunderstorm can last for several hours and form along fronts?
Squall line or supercell.
What gas makes up about 78% of the atmosphere?
Nitrogen
What are global wind belts that move from west to east at high altitudes called?
Jet streams.
What cloud type produces thunderstorms?
Cumulonimbus
Which front usually brings short, intense rainfall followed by cooler air?
Cold front.
What weather condition must exist for a thunderstorm to form?
Moisture, instability, and lifting mechanism.
What happens to air pressure as altitude increases?
It decreases.
What local wind occurs along coastlines during the day due to temperature differences?
Sea breeze.
What process causes rain to form from clouds?
Condensation and coalescence.
What weather pattern is associated with stationary fronts?
Long periods of clouds and rain.
What phenomenon involves rapid air movement and can cause sudden loss of altitude during flight?
Microburst or wind shear.
What is the boundary between the troposphere and the stratosphere called?
The tropopause.
Winds are named for the direction they blow ____.
From.
What type of precipitation freezes as it hits a cold surface?
Freezing rain.
What type of air mass forms over the ocean near the tropics?
Maritime tropical (mT).