Weather Unit Test Study Guide-

Please define the following terms:

Climate- the average conditions of temperature, precipitation and winds in an area
Weather- the day to day changes in temperature, precipitation and wind
Air mass- a huge body of air that has the same temperature, humidity, and air pressure
throughout
Tornado- a severe storm that has very high speed spinning winds, is usually less than a
mile wide, and has the ability to cause etreme damage
Hurricane- a severe storm with winds of a least !" mph, forms over the ocean, can be up
to #$$ or %$$ miles wide and can last for a wee&'
Maritime Tropical Air Mass- formed near or over a body of water in an area that is
warm
Maritime Polar Air Mass- formed near or over a body of water in an area that is cold'
Continental Tropical Air Mass- formed over land in an area that is warm
Continental Polar Air Mass- formed over land in an area that is cold
Fronts- boundary between two air masses of different temperature, pressure, and
humidity
Cold Front- a cold air mass moves in on a warm air mass and forces warm moist air up'
This usually causes short thunderstorms' (Please draw the symbol for a cold front)
Warm Front- warm air mass gently glides or rises over a colder air mass, and this
normally causes rain for many hours' (Please draw the symbol for a warm front)
Occluded Front- This is when a very cold air mass moves in on a cold air mass, and
traps moist air between them' This causes long periods of precipitation' (please draw the
symbol for a occluded front)
Stationary Front- * cold air mass meets a very large warm mass, and they battle for a
very long time staying in the same spot' This causes etremely long periods of rain'
(please draw the symbol for a stationary front)
Trade Winds- a consistent system of prevailing winds occupying most of the tropics
(between the Tropic of +ancer and the Tropic of +apricorn)
Doldrums- an ocean region near the e,uator with calm waters and little wind
Meteorologist- the person who determines, predicts and forecasts the weather
Wind Shear- -s necessary for tornadoes to form' -t is an invisible, hori.ontal, spinning
effect of the air in the lower atmosphere
Tornado Alley-The place where the ma/ority of tornadoes form (Teas, 0ansas,
1&lahoma)
nhanced Fu!ita Scale- This is the name of the scale in which tornadoes are rated' The
scale starts at 23$ (smallest tornado) to 23# (largest tornado)
Coriolis ""ect- This is needed to create the spin in hurricanes' -t is when winds or
currents curve because of the rotation of the earth'
Troposphere- lowest layer of atmosphere' This is where weather occurs'
Mesosphere- middle layer of atmosphere' 4eteors burn up here'
Thermosphere- hottest layer of atmosphere' -t is where auroras are'
Stratosphere- second layer of earth5s atmosphere' +ontains the o.one layer
Descri#e the properties o" cold air- +old air sin&s' -t has high density and high
pressure' -t has little moisture
The earth heats une$enly% Please descri#e the reason&cause o" the une$en
heating' The sun is heated unevenly by the sun because the sun5s rays hit different
parts of the earth at different angles' This is caused by the earth5s tilt, earth5s
shape and the earth5s composition'
Descri#e the conditions in which tornadoes can occur' Tornadoes occur in the
great Plains of the U'S' fre,uently' This is because the cold air from the Gulf of
4eico meets warm air moving down from +anada
Descri#e the conditions in which a hurricane occurs% 6urricanes need warm
ocean water to feed their power' The typically form # to 7# degrees 8orth or
South of the e,uator' -t is necessary to have a low pressure system over warm
ocean water of at least 9$ degrees 3ahrenheit
What is the di""erence #etween a se$ere weather warning and a se$ere
weather watch' * watch is when severe weather is possible' * warning is when
severe weather is epected momentarily'
Descri#e winds-their causes( types and the di""erences- Wind always blows
from high pressure to low pressure' Wind is caused by the uneven heating of the
earth' The two ma/or types of winds are global and local' The local wind blows
over short distances' The global winds blow steadily from specific directions over
long distances'
What a""ects climate- earth5s topography, landforms
What )ind o" air pressure is there during #ad weather- low pressure