Meteorology Exam 3 Mizzou Aldrich

Frontogenesis

The formation, strengthening, or regeneration of a front.

Frontolysis

the weakening or dissipation of a front

weather front

A boundary between two air masses

Continental Polar (cP)

cold and dry stable air mass (Canada)

Maritime Polar (mP)

cool, moist, and unstable (Northern Atlantic and Northern Pacific)

Continental Arctic (cA)

cold and dry stable air mass (North Pole area Greenland Alaska)

Maritime Tropical (mT)

warm, moist, and usually unstable (warm waters of the tropics and Gulf of Mexico)

Continental Tropical (cT)

Hot and dry (Desert Southwest and northern Mexico during summer)

Jet Stream

a high-speed high-altitude airstream blowing from west to east near the top of the troposphere

NORTH side has COOL weather and SOUTH side has WARM weather

What is the difference in temperature and moisture properties on either side

of the jet stream?

The POLAR JET STREAM is most commonly found between latitudes 30° and 60° (closer to 60°), while the SUBTROPICAL JET STREAM is located close to latitude 30°

Where are the polar and subtropical jet streams located?

Ridge

an elongated area of high atmospheric pressure

850-750 millibars

What height is the Low-Level Jet (LLJ) located?

Trough

an elongated area of low atmospheric pressure

Important source of moisture for thunderstorms

What is the Low-Level Jet (LLJ) responsible for?

high pressure

A mass of sinking cool air that usually bring fair weather.

low pressure

A mass of rising warm air that usually bring wet, stormy weather.

planetary boundary layer

The layer of air closest to the Earth's surface

Friction

What makes the planetary boundary layer different from the others?

Planetary Scale

-LARGEST scale

-Includes long waves in the westerlies

10,000 km and larger

-Lasts weeks or more

Microscale

The smallest scale of atmospheric motion

Southerly

If you are located to the WEST of a HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM, you would expect the wind to be going what direction?

HADLEY Cell

What surface winds move from the NORTH to SOUTH and are turned RIGHT by CORIOLIS?

FERREL Cell

What surface winds move SOUTH to NORTH and turn LEFT?

POLAR Cell

What surface winds move NORTH to SOUTH and turn RIGHT?

Synoptic Scale

-LARGE scale

-Includes high and low pressure systems, and hurricanes,

-500- 2,000 km

-Lasts days to weeks

Northeast Trade Winds

Where are HADLEY Cells located?

Mesoscale

-MIDDLE scale

-Includes fronts and thunderstorms (severe weather)

-From a few km to 500 km

-Lasts hours to a few days

Westerlies

Where are FERREL Cells located?

Polar Easterlies

Where are POLAR Cells located?

Eddy

small turbulent gust of wind