Severe Weather

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms and definitions related to severe weather phenomena, focusing on lightning, hail, and associated atmospheric processes.

Hail

A ball of ice formed from supercooled water in cumulonimbus clouds.

Bergeron process

A process that creates ice crystals in clouds through updrafts and freezing.

Wet growth

A process where water slowly freezes around an ice crystal, creating a clear layer of hail.

Dry growth

A process that occurs when supercooled water quickly freezes, trapping air bubbles to form hail.

Lightning

A sudden discharge of electrical energy that can occur cloud-to-cloud or cloud-to-ground.

Steps of lightning formation

Includes charge separation in clouds, the step leader traveling toward the ground, positive charges flowing upward, and the return stroke visible as a flash.

Thunder

The sound caused by the rapid expansion of heated air from a lightning strike.

Waterspout

A weak vortex that forms over water and can be either fair weather or tornadic.

Derecho

A fast-moving cluster of downbursts characterized by bow-echo and shelf clouds.

Microburst

A brief, strong, straight-line wind generated from a dying thunderstorm.

Haboob

A dust storm related to downdrafts, deriving from Arabic meaning 'blasting.'

Charge separation

A key process in the formation of lightning within clouds.

Dart leader

A continuation of charge flow following the return stroke of lightning.

Stepped leader

The initial stage of lightning formation that travels from the cloud towards the ground.

Anvil crawler

A type of cloud-to-cloud lightning that resembles crawling along the anvil of a thunderstorm.

Lightning safety

Important measures to take during a lightning event, such as going indoors.

Updraft

An upward current of air that helps in the formation of hail.

Thumbnail

Visual representation of lightning effects on safety and environment.

Electrical energy discharge

The sudden release of energy that leads to lightning.