What happens at night regarding land and sea temperatures?
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The land loses heat more quickly, causing a land breeze.
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What happens at night regarding land and sea temperatures?
The land loses heat more quickly, causing a land breeze.
What wind speed does a tropical storm need to become a hurricane?
119 km/h (74 mi/h or 64 knots).
Where on Earth are hurricanes not found?
Antarctica and latitudes near the equator.
What is the calm area at the center of a hurricane called?
The eye of the storm.
Why does sea salt not affect the evaporation of water?
Sea salt does not evaporate with water.
What is a tornado?
A violent storm characterized by a rotating column of air.
What temperature conditions are necessary for rain to fall?
Temperatures in the air and at the surface must be above freezing (32°F, 0°C).
What is the focus of an earthquake?
The point of initial energy release or slippage, generally at considerable depth.
What causes hurricanes to die down?
When they move over land or into cooler latitudes.
What causes the indents on raindrops?
Air resistance.
How does acid rain affect aquatic ecosystems?
It makes lakes and streams more acidic, harming plants and animals.
How does a mercury barometer work?
It measures atmospheric pressure by the height of a mercury column supported by external air pressure.
What is the normal height of the mercury column in a barometer?
About 76 cm (30 in.).
What is the relationship between height and pressure in a mercury barometer?
The greater the height (h), the greater the pressure (p).
What is the epicenter of an earthquake?
The location on the Earth's surface directly above the focus.
What is a tsunami?
A series of ocean waves that sends surges of water onto land, often caused by undersea earthquakes.
What is a common misconception about the shape of raindrops?
Many believe raindrops are teardrop-shaped, but smaller raindrops are nearly spherical, while larger ones have a small indent.
What are the different types of lightning discharges?
Intracloud, cloud-to-cloud, cloud-to-ground, and air discharges.
How wide can tornadoes be?
They can range from 75 meters (250 feet) to up to two miles across.
How long do tornadoes typically touch the ground?
They often touch down for only a few minutes and travel less than a mile, but some can last longer.
What are the main atmospheric effects discussed?
Precipitation, local storms, rain storms, thunderstorms, lightning, tropical storms, hurricanes, and tornadoes.
What is humidity a measure of?
The moisture or water vapor in the air.
What instrument is used to monitor seismic waves?
Seismograph.
What can cause a tsunami besides undersea earthquakes?
Underwater landslides, volcanic eruptions, or the impact of a large meteorite.
What is the origin of the word 'volcano'?
It comes from Vulcan, the Roman god of fire.
What is the study of earthquakes called?
Seismology.
What are the different names for hurricanes in various regions?
Typhoon in Southeast Asia, cyclone in the Indian Ocean, and willy-willy in Australia.
What role do condensation nuclei play in precipitation?
Condensation nuclei provide surfaces for water vapor to condense upon, helping droplets gather and grow large enough to fall.
What is a rainstorm?
A heavy downpour of rain.
What causes local winds?
Thermal circulations due to geologic features.
How does the Northern Hemisphere affect summer monsoons?
It receives more direct rays of the Sun, warming the air above the land.
What are the main parts of the water cycle?
Evaporation, transpiration, condensation, and precipitation.
What is a volcano?
A vent from which hot molten rock, ash, and gases escape, or the mountain created by solidified lava.
What are vertical air motions called?
Updrafts and downdrafts, collectively known as air currents.
What is a monsoon?
A giant seasonal convection cycle that brings heavy rains from the ocean.
What is precipitation?
Any liquid or frozen water that forms in the atmosphere and falls back to Earth.
What is the trough of a tsunami?
The low point beneath the wave's crest that often reaches shore first.
What distinguishes a thunderstorm from a regular rainstorm?
The presence of thunder and lightning.
What gives a tornado its great destructive potential?
The concentration of its energy in a relatively small region.
How is relative humidity defined?
The ratio of the actual moisture content to the maximum moisture capacity of a volume of air at a given temperature.
What are common methods to manage humidity in homes?
Using dehumidifiers in summer and humidifiers or exposed pans of water in winter.
What warning sign indicates a tsunami is approaching?
The retreating of sea water, exposing harbor and sea floors.
What is an earthquake?
A tremendous release of energy accompanying the rupture or repositioning of underground rock.
What is air motion?
The horizontal movement of air along the Earth’s surface.
What primarily causes earthquakes?
Movement of lithospheric plates.
How does hail form?
Hail forms in thunderstorm clouds when water droplets are pushed upward into colder temperatures, freeze, and grow as more droplets freeze onto them.
What is a tornado commonly referred to as?
A twister.
What does a relative humidity of 0.50 indicate?
The air is 'half full' of moisture, containing half as much water as it can hold at that temperature.
What creates different kinds of precipitation?
The temperature of the cloud and the air between the cloud and the ground.
How often do earthquakes occur?
Perhaps a million times each year.
What causes the motion of air in a tornado?
The difference in pressure between the center (low pressure) and the outer edge (high pressure).
What phenomenon occurs when land heats up more quickly than water during the day?
A sea breeze.
What conditions lead to snowfall?
Snow falls when all the air between the cloud and Earth's surface is below freezing.
What is the process that leads to cloud formation?
Warm, moist air rises, cools at higher altitudes, reaches its dew point, and condenses due to condensation nuclei.
How do raindrops form?
Raindrops form when clouds reach a critical mass of water droplets, which collide and merge, growing in size until they fall.
What happens to extra-large raindrops as they fall?
They usually split into two smaller droplets.
What can a very powerful earthquake do?
Lay waste to a large area.
What is pressure defined as?
The force per unit area.
What are faults?
Large crustal features formed by the movement of rocks on either side of a fracture.
What are clouds composed of?
Clouds are composed of millions of microscopic water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air.
What are the four basic root names for cloud classification?
Cirrus, Cumulus, Stratus, and Nimbus.
How do storms rotate in the Northern Hemisphere?
Counterclockwise.
What type of water is precipitation always considered?
Fresh water.
What is acid rain?
Precipitation contaminated by pollutants in the atmosphere.
What causes lightning in a thunderstorm?
A separation of charge in a thundercloud due to the movement of water droplets.
