GEOG1- Midterm #2 (Ch. 7 Weather Systems)
Terms
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- air mass
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-Large body of air throughout which the temperature and humidity is similar.
-Moves across earth's surface
-Take on the characteristics of where they where formed. - cold front
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-The leading edge of a cool air mass displacing a warm mass.
-Steep front, more dense, pushes up the warm air in front of it providing a rising mechanism for precipitation and brings about a change in temperature
-Cumulus/cumulonimbus clouds form bringing heavy rain and showers - easterly wave
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A long but weak migratory low-pressure trough in the tropics.
Can cause Hurricanes. - eye
- The center of a tropical cyclone where it is nonstormy while the winds circle around it.
- eye wall
- The edge of the eye of a tropical cyclone where the winds reach their highest speeds.
- hurricane
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A tropical cyclone with winds at least above 74mph. Also known as typhoons or cyclones in other areas of the world.
-Bring heavy rains, high winds and storm surge.
-Low pressure cyclones that form due to easterly waves or disturbances in the tradewinds
-Need warm waterss and have to be at a latitude above 8 degrees.
-Thrive on latent heat. - microburst
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A powerful downdraft (75-100mph) that can occur during thunderstorms.
Can send small planes to the ground. - midlatitude (traveling) anticyclone
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An extensive migratory high-pressure cell that moves in and replaces the midlatitude cyclones.
Bring clear skies. - midlatitude cyclone
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Large migratory low pressure system that occurs in the midlatitudes and follows the rossby waves and caused by the mixing of polar and subpolar air
Located near the subpolar low, low pressure, have cold and warm fronts moving counterclockwise. (Cold-Southwest / Warm-Eastward)
Movements: west to east, winds and the fronts moving
Life Span: Cold catches up with the warm because it moves faster, becomes an occluded front until the rising mechanism and energy is shutoff once the warm air is pushed up. - occluded front
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A front formed when a cold front catches up with a warm front since the colder is faster.
The warm air is forced upwards which creates heavy rain from the quickly rising warm air, and the cold air will incorporate the warm and then there is no front. - polar outbreak
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Brings much colder than normal temperatues.
Hazard to crop growing (citrus, such as florida) - source region
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A part of earth's surface that is particularly suited to generate air masses.
The air masses take on the characteristics of these source regions.
Continental: extreme temperatures and dry
Maritime: moderate temperatures (cool to warm)and moist
Whether the source region is over land or water and at what latitude makes a difference. - stationary front
- The common boundary between two air masses that are not displacing one another.
- storm surge
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A surge of wind-driven water that is the biggest hazard when it comes to hurricanes hitting the shoreline.
Caused because the low pressure and rising air causes the water to lift and the wind pushes the water out in front of it. - thunderstorm
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A violent storm that is caused by rapidly rising air such as during a strong cold front, very unstable air and in orographic lifting.
Brings the hazards of lots of heavy rain that can cause flooding, lightning and it's sound, thunder, microbursts, and tornadoes. - tornado
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A cyclonic low pressure cell that occurs in very unstable air and when there is windshear. The movement of air different directions creates a tube of spinning air which can be pushed vertically and become narrower, faster.
Typically don't last very long.
NA/USA get the most since there isn't anything stopping the polar air from mixing with the warm air from mexico. - tropical cyclone
- Called hurricanes in the US, they are low pressure storms that consist of a prominent low-pressure center and eye that can create winds that reach higher than 74mph.
- typhoon
- The name of a tropical cyclone in Japan and the north pacific.
- warm front
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The leading edge of a warm air mass rising over cold.
Cirrus clouds can be seen at the edge, and usually stratus clouds form and bring light rain and drizzle and sleet/freezing rain.