Thunderstorms, Tornadoes, and Coastal Processes Flashcards

Flashcards covering thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, and coastal processes for exam preparation.

Weather

Specific atmospheric conditions at a particular time and place.

Climate

Average weather conditions over many decades.

Temperature

How hot or cold something is; average speed of air molecules.

Thermal Energy

Sum of all kinetic energy in a material.

Heat

When thermal energy is transferred.

Pressure

Force applied by air on a specified surface area.

Vapor Pressure

Portion of air pressure exerted by water vapor.

Saturated Air

Contains all the water vapor it can hold; dictated by temperature and atmospheric air pressure.

Saturation Vapor Pressure

The atmosphere's vapor holding capacity.

Relative Humidity (RH)

Measure of how close the air is to saturation.

Cold Front

Cold air mass advances under a warm air mass; thunderstorms are common.

Warm Front

Warm air mass advances while cold air retreats.

Occluded Front

Advancing cold front overtakes a retreating warm air mass.

Stationary Front

A static boundary between warm and cold air masses.

Mid-latitude Cyclones

Develop as air swirls around low-pressure centers; can cause devastating weather in temperate climates.

Lightning

Electrostatic discharge.

Tornado

Violently rotating air vortex; often associated with supercell thunderstorms.

Supercell Thunderstorm

Contains a rotating updraft called a mesocyclone.

Weather Radar

Detects precipitation using pulsed radio waves.

Hurricane

Tropical storm system characterized by rotation around a low-pressure center, strong winds, and heavy rain.

Tropical Disturbance

A cluster of thunderstorms lasting more than one day.

Tropical Depression

Disturbance circulating around a low-pressure center.

Tropical Storm

Maximum sustained winds of 63 - 118 km/h.

Hurricane

Maximum sustained winds >119 km/h.

Hurricane Eye

Nearly cloud-free, circular area in the storm's center.

Eye Wall

Swirling cloud around the eye; fastest winds are found here.

Spiral Rainbands

Arc-shaped banks of aligned thunderstorms that flow along to teh hurricane's eye.

Eddies

Small scaled swirls within larger circulation patters.

Intertidal Zone

The region between 2 shorelines positions.

Longshore Drift

The gradual transport of sediment parallel to a beach.

Sea Cliff

Wave may erode the toe of sea cliff

Longshore Currents

Occur when waves strike a shore at an oblique angle

Rip Currents

When backwash flows over a beach or longshore bar