Earth Science Unit 7

Relative humidity

psychrometers

Cloud height and atmospheric temperature

infrared satellite images

Temperature

thermometer

Cloud amounts and visibility

human observers

Air Pressure

barometer

Wind speed

anemometers

Precipitation and wind speed

Doppler radar

Maritime polar (norther Pacific, Bering Sea)

cool and humid

Continental tropical (southwestern desert of the United States)

warm and dry

The temperature at which air is saturated and condensation forms

dew point

Given as a percentage indicating how much water vapor is in the air on a certain day

relative humidity

Continental polar (central Canada)

cold and dry

Maritime tropical (Gulf of Mexico)

warm and humid

A _____________ is a scientist who studies weather.

meteorologist

Temperature is the measure of the _______ _______ of the molecules in the air.

kinetic energy

The part of the water cycle where water is returned to Earth's surface after evaporating and cooling is called __________ . This can take the form of rain, ice, or snow.

precipitation

If the dew point is 3�C , and the air temperature suddenly drops to -1�C _______, will form.

frost

Clouds transport ________ through the atmosphere.

water

Three conditions (__________ , ___________ , and __________ ), can interact to make thunderstorms.

warm temperature, moisture, rising air

Thunder occurs when __________ molecules rapidly expand and contract.

air

When we see a tornado, we are not seeing the swirling air. We are seeing the ________ and _________ lifted by the air.

dirt, debris

A tropical storm with winds exceeding ____ km/hr is a hurricane.

119

Being outside during a _________ is dangerous in part because of low visibility and a high chance for hypothermia.

blizzard

Isotherms are lines on a weather map that connect locations with the same ____________ .

temperature

_________ radar can estimate wind speed and predict precipitation by use of radio waves.

Doppler

As altitude increases which of the following occurs?
A) Air pressure decreases.
B) Air pressure increases.
C) Air pressure remains the same.
D) Air pressure behaves unpredictably because the two are unrelated.

A) Air pressure decreases.

Which type of air mass is formed over the ocean near the equator?
A) Continental tropical
B) Maritime tropical
C) Maritime polar
D) Continental polar

B) Maritime tropical

Which type of severe weather is NOT an intense tropical storm?
A) hurricane
B) typhoon
C) tropical cyclone
D) tornado

D) tornado

Which classification of tornado on the Fujita scale does the most damage?
A) F0
B) F2
C) F4
D) F5

D) F5

A severe weather watch means which of the following?
A) The conditions are right for severe weather, but it is not occurring yet.
B) Severe weather is occurring.
C) Severe weather has passed through and it is now safe to go outside.
D) It is the season du

A) The conditions are right for severe weather, but it is not occurring yet.

A severe weather warning means ________.
A) the conditions are right for severe weather, but it is not occurring yet
B) severe weather is occurring
C) severe weather has passed through and it is now safe to go outside
D) it is the season during which the

B) severe weather is occurring

Mr. Peterson had been very busy, but found a day to relax. He knew that the following day would be just as hectic as the days before. He described his relaxing day as "the eye of the storm."
To which type of severe weather was Mr. Peterson comparing his l

A) hurricane

Although typically wind speeds in tornadoes are faster than wind speeds in hurricanes, hurricanes inflict much more overall damage. Why is this?
A) Hurricanes are much larger than tornadoes.
B) Hurricanes last for a longer time than tornadoes.
C) Hurrican

D) all of the above

A radiosonde is which of the following?
A) a package of weather instruments carried many kilometers above the ground by a weather balloon
B) a specialized type of radar that can detect precipitation as well as the movement of small particles, which can be

A) a package of weather instruments carried many kilometers above the ground by a weather balloon

A Doppler radar _____.
A) is a package of weather instruments carried many kilometers above the ground by a weather balloon
B) can detect precipitation as well as the movement of small particles, which can be used to approximate wind speed
C) is a device

B) can detect precipitation as well as the movement of small particles, which can be used to approximate wind speed

Maps of weather reports have symbols that show which of the following?
A) dew point
B) type of precipitation
C) humidity
D) all of the above

D) all of the above

When water droplets in a cloud combine, become too heavy, and fall to the ground as rain, snow, sleet, or hail, we are experiencing ____.
A) evaporation
B) condensation
C) precipitation
D) transpiration

C) precipitation

____ humidity is a measure of the amount of water vapor that air is holding compared to the amount needed for saturation at a specific temperature.
A) Total
B) Partial
C) Relative
D) none of the above

C) Relative

The boundary between cold and warm air masses is called a ____.
A) front
B) storm
C) climate
D) flood

A) front

When severe weather conditions already exist, a(n) ____ is issued.
A) warning
B) advisory
C) watch
D) station model

A) warning

When air contains as much moisture as possible at a specific temperature, it is ____.
A) at its dew point
B) saturated
C) both a and b
D) none of the above

C) both a and b

The temperature at which air is saturated and condensation forms is the ____.
A) dew point
B) rain point
C) wind point
D) relative humidity

A) dew point

To keep track of high-and low-pressure areas, weather maps are drawn with lines connecting points of equal atmospheric pressure. These lines are called ____.
A) isotherms
B) equibars
C) fronts
D) isobars

D) isobars

Areas of low-pressure usually have ____.
A) cloudy weather
B) good weather
C) descending air
D) none of the above

A) cloudy weather

High pressure means good weather because ____.
A) the air masses rise
B) the air masses sink, making it difficult for clouds to form
C) clouds are blown away by wind
D) none of the above

B) the air masses sink, making it difficult for clouds to form

____ can be produced by thunderstorms.
A) Stationary fronts
B) Tornadoes
C) Volcanoes
D) Tsunamis

B) Tornadoes

The most powerful severe storm is the ____.
A) thunderstorm
B) tornado
C) hurricane
D) front

C) hurricane

A(n) ____ connects points of equal temperature.
A) isobar
B) isotherm
C) station model
D) none of the above

B) isotherm

A(n) ____ shows weather conditions at one specific location.
A) isobar
B) isotherm
C) cloud map
D) station model

D) station model

The hot and humid weather in Texas during the summer is most likely due to what type of air mass?
A) Continental polar
B) Continental tropical
C) Maritime polar
D) Maritime tropical

D) Maritime tropical

Frigid air that travels southward from Canada would be what type of air mass?
A) Continental polar
B) Continental tropical
C) Maritime polar
D) Arctic

A) Continental polar

Current, short-term variations in the atmosphere are referred to as ____.
A) humidity
B) lapse rate
C) weather
D) the ionosphere

C) weather

A balloon-borne package of sensors that gathers upper-level temperature, air pressure, and humidity is ____.
A) a radiosonde
B) a satellite
C) a hygrometer
D) Doppler radar

A) a radiosonde

What is the difference between a cold front and a warm front?

A warm front constructs together when lighter warm air moves toward colder heavier air. A cold front is formed when colder air masses move toward warmer air masses.

Your town is experiencing a drought in which the weather has been hot and dry for weeks. Infer which type of pressure system is stalled over the area. Explain your answer.

a high pressure system because no clouds are forming and no precipitation

Explain how clouds form. Then, identify and describe the three main cloud classifications based on shape.

Warm air rising and cooling and water droplets condensing around particles
Cumulus- puffy, flat bottoms
Stratus-sheet
Cirrus- thin feathery