Earth Science Test 11

The conditions of the atmosphere at a particular time and place

A scientist who studies weather

A measure of the average speed of air molecules

The push or force of the air on Earth’s surface

The amount of water vapor in the air compared to the maximum possible

Air temperature at which water vapor condenses into dew, frost or clouds

When the air temp and dew point are close there is going to be high humidity.

The speed and direction of air moving across the ground

Wind is made by the air moving from high air pressure to low pressure areas.

Lines on a weather map used to show air pressure and wind

Isobars are helpful because when the lines are close together it means that there is very strong winds.

Evaporation is going to cause humidity in the air and condensation will cause cloud formation.

Any type of liquid or solid water that falls to Earth’s surface

Precipitation made when water droplets or ice crystals melt and fall

Raindrops that freeze when they hit the ground

Small ice pellets made when rain freezes before hitting the ground

Lumps of ice that fall from thunderstorm clouds

A body of air with similar air pressure, temperature, and humidity

An air mass is formed when a large area of air sits over a region of the Earth, for many days it will take on the characteristics of the land and water below forming an air mass.

Air masses move across the U.S. by a jet stream that pushes air from West to East across the U.S.

Warm and dry air mass

Cold and dry air mass

Warm and humid air mass

Cold and humid air mass

Air moving clockwise around dense, sinking air

Air moving counterclockwise around less dense, rising air

Low pressure systems allow the water vapor in the air to rise high enough to cool and condense into clouds.

A transition zone or boundary between 2 air masses

When a cold air mass pushes warmer air across the land causing colder temperatures, short bursts of heavy precipitation and or / thunderstorms, fast moving

When a warm air mass pushes colder air across the land causing thick, low clouds and widespread light precipitation with warmer temperatures, slow moving

When equal powered cold and warm air masses temporarily stop moving causing unpredictable conditions depending on whether the warm front or cold front is overhead

When 2 cold air masses meet as they push a warm air mass higher in the atmosphere causing long, gentle rains followed by short, heavy rains and / or thunderstorms

Evaporation causes water vapor to rise into the atmosphere, rising water vapor cools to dew point making clouds of water drops or ice crystals, and when these drops or crystals grow large and heavy, gravity pulls them down as precipitation.

A cloud whose base is at ground level

Feathery or wispy white clouds that form in very cold air above 18,000 feet resulting in no precipitation

Flat gray layers of cloud found below 6,000 feet that cause drizzle, freezing rain and / or snow

Puffy white clouds with a darker base found below 6,000 feet that rarely cause precipitation

Very large, tall, dark bottomed clouds can reach up to 60,000 feet, they can produce heavy thunderstorms and heavy rain, hail or snow

The difference between the air temperature and the dew point is smaller, clouds form at lower altitudes. When the spread is larger, clouds form at higher altitudes.

1. You subtract the dew point from the air temperature

2. Divine by 4.4

3. Multiply by 1,000

   1. Add your total to the elevation of the location

A well developed cumulonimbus clouds made of warm, humid air

A spiral column of fast - moving wind that lowers from cumulonimbus cloud to land

A large, low pressure thunderstorm with wind speeds faster then 38 miles per hour

A very large, spiral, low pressure thunderstorm which forms over the Atlantic Ocean with wind speed over 74 miles per hour accompanied by wind, rain, thunder, lightning, hail, and flooding

A hurricane that forms over the Pacific Ocean

A dome of water pushed onto land during storms such as hurricanes

Wind moving across a lake picks up moisture which cools and condense at the shore causing heavy snowfall

A low pressure storm system that undergoes rapid intensification resulting in strong winds and heavy precipitation

A long, narrow weather system over water carrying massive amounts of water vapor falls as rain and snow when they make landfall