Severe Weather

Question 1

Factors Affecting Wind

Answer 1

wind Speed and Direction

Question 2

What does the air pressure gradient do?

Answer 2

• drives winds

- ultimately comes from solar energy

Question 3

Types of Fronts

Answer 3

• stationary

- occluded

Question 4

Stationary Front

Answer 4

-air moves parallel to the boundary

Question 5

Occluded Front

Answer 5

-cold front overtakes a warm front

Question 6

What does a mid latitude cyclone do ad how does it move?

Answer 6

• affects our weather

- moves from west to east across continent

Question 7

Life Cycle of A Mid Latitude Cyclone

Answer 7

• front between cP and mT air masses
• establishes a low pressure cyclone with warm and cold fronts extending outwards
• cold front overtakes warm front
• occluded front forms and storm then dissipates

Question 8

Description of Thunderstorms

Answer 8

• associated with cold fronts

- updrafts caused by warm air and latent

Question 9

Tornadoes

Answer 9

• intense lows
• funnels of high wind
• associated with cold fronts
• formed from mesocyclones in thunderstorms

Question 10

What is the scale that measures tornadoes?

Answer 10

Enhanced Fujita Scale

Question 11

Hurricanes

Answer 11

• big low pressure areas
• need high sea surface temperature to form
• latent heat gives energy

Question 12

Causes of A Hurricane

Answer 12

• tropical disturbance-low pressure areas
• thick layer of warm water
• strong gradient of T in the atmosphere above the ocean surface

Question 13

Tropical Depression

Answer 13

-wind start spiral around low pressure

Question 14

Tropical Storms

Answer 14

-minimum sustained wind speed

>63 km