Earth and Space - Quiz 7

Online quiz, 11 April 2026

Wind

Horizontal movements of air in response to convection

Convection currents: Hot air rises producing …

low pressure

Convection currents: Cool air sinks producing …

high pressure

Wind rush from … to fill the … left by …

Wind rush from high pressure to fill the voids left by low pressure

air zooka

Coriolis effect

The bending of air currents as the earth turns around them

Air masses

Large bodies of air that have consistent weather conditions

2 types of air masses

1. Cyclone

2. Anticyclone

Cyclone

A low-pressure air mass flowing inward rotating counterclockwise

counter clockwise, causes storms

Anticyclone

A high-pressure air mass flowing outward rotating clockwise

clockwise, causes nice and pleasant weather. starts cool, then warm up on the surface of the earth

Mp

Maritime polar: Moist and cold

cP

Continental polar: Dry and cold

mT

Maritime tropical: Moist and warm

cT

Continental tropical: Dry and warm

Table 19.1 Classification of Air Masses

Fronts

Boundaries between air masses

Polar front

Boundary between cold polar air and warmer surroundings

Warm front

Warm air mass is replacing a cold air mass

leads to stormy weather. warm air pushes/rises = causes change in weather/precipitation

Cold front

Cold air mass is replacing a warm air mass

Occluded front

Cold front overtaking a warm front, forcing warm air upwards

most complicated

How thunderstorms work

1. Unstable atmosphere

2. Lifting mechanism

Thunderstorms: Unstable atmosphere

• Ambient atmosphere cools faster than a rising air mass

• Allows an air mass to rise without stalling

Thunderstorms: Lifting mechanism

• Convectional lifting

• Frontal lifting

• Orographic lifting

Thunderstorms: Frontal lifting

Warmer air masses rises over a cooler air mass

Thunderstorms: Orographic lifting

Air flowing up a steep land surface

Air-mass thunderstorms are also called …

Single cell thunderstorms

Air-mass thunderstorms

Local thunderstorms that form over hot spots

Phases of formation of an air-mass thunderstorm

• Early stage

• Mature stage

• Dissipating stage

Early stage - air-mass thunderstorm formation

Rising cumulus clouds

Mature stage - air-mass thunderstorm formation

Indicated by rain, cumulonimbus clouds, updrafts and downdrafts

Dissipating stage - air-mass thunderstorm formation

Falling clouds, downdrafts continue

downdrafts karena air brings cloud downwards

Conditions of severe thunderstorms

on of the three, ga harus all three

1. Winds exceed 50 kms (knots) or 58 mph

2. Hail 1 inch in diameter

3. Tornado

Example of a severe thunderstorm

Super-cell thunderstorm

Super-cell thunderstorm

• Large, rotating thunderstorm

• Massive low-pressure are with wind sheer rotation

• Mesocyclone: rotation within the thunderstorm

• Produces winds, hail, and tornados

Mesocyclone

Rotation within the thunderstorm

Lightning

An intense discharge of electricity in the atmosphere

in the winter there is more water (great electricity conductor), which makes it often shock people.

voltage is not the problem, but it is the current that’s dangerous.

which is more dangerous: voltage or current

current

Thunder

Sound of the atmosphere shockwave

all lightning will create sound

… charges will accumulate at the bottom of the cloud

Negative

top will lose charges

… charges accumulate at the top

Positive

… charges first move down from the cloud as a step leader

Negative charges first move down from the cloud as a step leader

… return stroke follows up the path of the step leader from the ground

Positive return stroke follows up the path of the step leader from the ground

Conduction

The movement of electric charges by direct touch

Induction

The process of creating an electric charge over a distance

Tornados starts with …

the mesocyclone of the super-cell thunderstorm

counterclockwise rotation

Tornados: wall cloud forming

Strong updrafts create rapid condensation at lower altitudes, forming a wall cloud

A tornado will emerge as …

the wall cloud spics faster and the updrafts tightens the rotation (vortex stretching)

death from tornado is mostly because of

debris

which is stronger: tornadoes or hurricanes

tornados

because of the rotation and radius. when the radius is smaller, the velocity or speed goes up

L = mvr (radius, velocity, radius)

hurricanes are also called

typhoons or cyclones

Hurricanes

• Tropical cyclones

• Surges

Hurricanes - Tropical cyclones

Massive, rotating tropical airmasses

tropical bc need a certain warmth, water at least 80F

Hurricanes - Surges

Temporary rises in sea level due to low pressure and winds

warm air rises = low pressure

which rotates: tropical disturbance or tropical depression

tropical depression

Tropical disturbance

A cluster of thunderstorms over the tropics

Tropical depression

• Circulating tropical disturbance (rotates)

• Has become a tropical cyclone

Tropical storm

Tropical cyclone with a minimum of 39 mph winds

Hurricane wind speed

Equal to greater than 74 mph

Hurricanes are typically indicated by …

the formation of an eye

How a Hurricane Works

1. Rain bands

2. Eyewall

3. Eye

Hurricane - Rain bands

• Concentrated thunderstorms extending for hundreds of miles

• High concentration of tornados

Hurricane - Eyewall

• Large ring of rising, rapidly rotating thunderstorm

• Angular momentum prevents them from reaching the eye
  shower or sink draining water

Hurricane - Eye

• Center of the hurricane with clear calm conditions

• Slow moving, sinking air spilling over the eyewall

eye of the storm = calm diadem when diluarnya chaos

Hurricanes in the northern hemisphere

Counterclockwise rotation

Hurricanes in the southern hemisphere

Clockwise rotation

Hurricane Damages

• Storm surge

• Inland flooding

Hurricane Damages - Storm surge

• Wall of water associated with the winds of the storm

• Causes the most devastating damage

Hurricane Damages - Inland flooding

• Flooding as a result of the rainfall

• Causes most deaths

Wind damage

Widespread damage that can extend for miles onshore

Global winds

1. Trade winds

2. Doldrums

3. Horse latitudes

4. Prevailing westerlies

5. Jet streams

winds are named where they’re traveling to, not from

Trade winds

Easterlies traveling to the equator

Between 0-30º latitudes

low pressure in the equator