Study Guide- Unit Severe Weather Test

Note- this is a guide only. Not all material that is

on the test is on the study guide. There may be some

material shown on the study guide that we do not get to.

1. Define the following:

a. Pressure gradient

b. Barometer

c. Wind vane

d. Anemometer

e. Isobar

2. a. Draw and label a set of isobars to represent low pressure

b. Draw and label a set of isobars to represent high pressure

c. What is your contour interval?

d. Draw an arrow to show the direction of air movement

e. Draw a set of isobars to represent very fast winds.

3. Draw and label the pressure and wind belts. Show the

direction of air movement and whether the air is rising or

sinking. Be sure to label the latitudes.

4. On the figure 1, label the pressure and wind belts. Be sure to label the latitudes.

5. Why can an umbrella salesman in India take long vacations in the winter? How does air pressure over India affect umbrella sales? Read page 635

6. List and describe the 5 main types of air masses. Be sure to include the source regions.

7. Define front. List the 4 types of fronts and draw their symbol and describe the weather associated with each.

8. What is the major source of precipitation in the US?

9. Sketch the warm and cold fronts listed on page 605-606. Include in your picture: precipitation type, temperature before and after the front, cloud type, cloud development (horizontal or vertical)

10. Why is more violent weather associated with a cold front?

11. What clouds types are associated with a warm front and a cold front?

12. What type of weather is associated with a cyclone? In what direction does the air move?

13. Which has more of an effect on weather a fast or slow

moving air mass, explain your reasoning?

14. Refer to the diagram to answer the following.

a. What type of front is at point B?

b. Describe the clouds and precipitation and temperature, and pressure at B.

c. What type of front is at point D?

d. Describe the clouds and precipitation and temperature and pressure at D.

e. Describe the clouds and precipitation and temperature and pressure at E.

f. Which area are tornadoes most likely to for. Explain

g. What is the approximate pressure at point B?

15. What types of clouds are associated with thunderstorms?

16. Draw a station model for the following:

In Tampa, there is 100% cloud cover with winds from the East at 65 knots. The temperature is 89oF and the dew point is 88o F. The pressure is 1007mb and there are heavy rain showers in the area.

17. Does # 16 represent high or low pressure, how do you know?

Define the following terms:

18. Tornado alley, waterspout, wall cloud, eye wall, Tornado watch, tornado warning, Saffir-Simpson scale, Fujita scale, tropical storm, tropical depression, spiral rain bands (feeder bands) eye, Funnel cloud, hurricane watch, storm surge, Hurricane warning

19. Sequence for hurricane development and wind speeds in knots associated with them.

20. Conditions for hurricane development

21. When is tornado season for Alabama?

22. Where does Alabama rank in terms of # of tornadoes each year

23. On the fujita scale, what is the classification of a tornado when mobile homes are overturned?

24. On the fujita scale, what is the classification of a tornado when missile are generated?

25. On the fujita scale, what is the classification of a tornado with devastating damage?

26. What hurricane formed in 1992 and had 30 billion dollars in damage?

27. Conditions for tornado development

28. Worst places to seek shelter in a tornado

29. Use your weather chart to determine the trends in weather and associate trends to pressure.

30. List three phenomenon associated with a thunderstorm

31. At what water temp do hurricanes form?

32. What type of clouds form in thunderstorms?

33. What causes most hurricane deaths/damage?

34. What is the relationship between pressure gradient and winds? Calculate a pressure gradient to determine speed of winds

35. Does Hollywood depict science accurately? Using specific example, support your answer.

36. Describe the three ways that air can be forced to rise to form clouds and precipitation.

37. A meteorology set up a small weather station outside of school. It has a few simple instruments: a thermometer, a barometer, a rain gauge to measure rainfall, and a pychrometer. The students took measurements with the instruments once a day for a week. They then filled in the chart below. The barometer broke, so they were not able to finish collecting air pressure data. Use figure 2 and what you know about weather, to answer the following questions.

a. A cold front passed through the student’s city during the week. On which day did the front pass through? Give two reasons to support your answer.

b. The students did not record cloud cover data. If they had, what would their observations have been as the front arrived?

c. If the students’ barometer had continued to work, would the air pressure reading for Wednesday have been higher or lower than the one for Tuesday, when the weather was clear? Support your answer.

d. Given the relative humidity on Thursday, would you expect clear or cloudy skies? Why?

e. Using the terms specific humidity and capacity, describe the relationship between the two on Wednesday.

38. Complete page 598 numbers 1-3 and 5-7 in the textbook.

Figure 3