ATMO 170A1: FINAL EXAM
123 Cards in this Set
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Nitrogen gas (N2)
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clear cold liquid, most abundant gas in air,
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Oxygen gas (O2)
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pale blue liquid, comes from plants and photosynthesis
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Water (H2O)
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Occurs naturally in gas and in liquid and solid phases, a main greenhouse gas
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Argon (Ar)
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a colorless and odorless inert gas
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Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
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a main greenhouse gas, dry ice in solid form, gas is invisible
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Stromatolites
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column-shaped structures made up of layers of sedimentary rock
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Carbon Monoxide (CO2)
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Colorless, odorless, toxic gas, most abundant pollutant
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Incomplete combustion
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The reaction of a hydrocarbon with oxygen at high temperatures in which the products are carbon monoxide, and/or carbon and water, Fuel + oxygen (less amount) + heat source = energy + CO
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Wintertime morning pollutant
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trapped in morning surface radiation inversion layers
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Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)
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First recognized air pollutant, combustion of coal or other fuels with high sulfur content
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London-type smog
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at some times where visibility would drop to less than 5 feet
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Acid rain
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where SO2 is converted to sulfuric acid in clouds and falls to the ground
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Tropospheric ozone
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ozone that falls into the troposphere
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Key component of Photochemical smog
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ozone
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Gravity pulls
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downward on a mass producing weight
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Pressure is a measure of
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the weight of the air above
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Mercury barometer
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used to measure atmospheric pressure and is really just a balance that can be used to weigh the atmosphere
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Average sea level pressure
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1000 mb
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Air pressure and air density
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both decrease with increasing altitude
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Troposphere
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lowest layer in the atmosphere, decreasing temperature with increasing altitude.
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Troposphere contains
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most of the water vapor and clouds
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Stratosphere
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an isothermal layer, extends to about 50 km above earth, stable layer.
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Tropopause
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the boundary between the troposphere and the stratosphere.
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Temperature inversion
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atmospheric condition in which warm air traps cooler air near the earth's surface
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Ideal gas law
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law that states the math relationship of pressure (P), volume (V), temperature (T), the gas constant (R), and the number of moles of a gas (n); PV=nRT.
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Temperature and density change
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in a way that keeps pressure constant
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Cold air is
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high density air in the atmosphere
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Warm air is
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low density air in the atmosphere
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Two forces acting on an air parcel
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the strength of the gravity force, and an upward pointing pressure difference force, the two cancel out and are equal
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Archimedes Law
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An object immersed in in a fluid experiences an upward buoyant force equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object
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Isobar
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a line drawn to connect points of equal atmospheric pressure
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Isotherm
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Line drawn on a weather map that connects points having equal temperature
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Cyclone
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winds spinning around low pressure
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Anticyclone
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a high-pressure center of dry air
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Convergence
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causes air to rise
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Rising air
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expands and cools, sometimes forms a cloud
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Pressure gradient on a weather map
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when closely space contours are changing rapidly with distance, produces fast winds
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Winds blow
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parallel to the contours and from west to east
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Trough
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a U shaped portion of a pattern in a upper level chart
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Ridge
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a N shaped portion of a pattern in a upper level chart
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Temperature is a measure of
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average kinetic energy
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Temperature scales
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fahrenheit, celsius, kelvin
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Delta T equals
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Delta E divided by mass times specific heat
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specific heat
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used to account for the fact different materials react differently when energy is added to them
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Conduction
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energy is transported from hot to cold by random atomic at a rate that depends on the material, metal is a good conductor, when you touch it, it is always cold
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Convection
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energy transport by organized motion of atoms or molecules (works in gases and liquids or solids) Free (rising and sinking air), wind chill and ocean currents
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Electric Field Arrow
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Shows the direction and gives an idea of the strength of the electrical force that would be exerted on a positive charge
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Wavelength is one way of
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distinguishing between different types of radiation
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Water has a high specific heat and
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Also moderates the climate
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Boiling and Freezing Point Celsius
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100, 0
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Boiling and Freezing Point Fahrenheit
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212, 32
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Kelvin Average Temperature of Earth
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300K
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EM Radiation
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Can transport energy through empty space
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Latent Heat
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heat absorbed or radiated during a change of phase at a constant temperature and pressure
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UV Light
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Most energetic and the most harmful
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UV Light on the EM spectrum is
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From 0-0.4
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Visible light on the EM spectrum is
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From 0.4-0.7
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Infrared light on the EM spectrum is
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From 0.7 to 1
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Sun emits
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not so much UV light, lots of Visible light, and lots of Infrared light
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Earth emites
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Infrared light only
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Amount of light emitted equation
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E=rT^4
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Greenhouse effect
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natural situation in which heat is retained in Earth's atmosphere by carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, and other gases
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IR light emitted by the earth is
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Absorbed by greenhouse gases
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The atmosphere emits IR light
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Upward and downward
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The earth gets back some of what is would have lost and
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is as a result warmer
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The atmosphere is transparent to
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visible light
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The atmosphere absorbs some
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wavelengths of IR light but transmits other wavelengths
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The atmosphere also emits
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IR light
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Clouds raise the nighttime low temp because
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they are good IR absorbers
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Clouds lower the daytime high temp because
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they are good reflectors of sunlight
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Relative Humidity Equation
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RH=100% x mixing ratio/saturation mixing ratio
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Mixing ratio and Dew Point
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tell you how much moisture is actually in the air
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Warm air has a higher
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mixing ratio than cold air
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Warming the air lowers
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the Relative Humidity
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Rain Shadow Effect
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precipitation falls on the windward side of a mountain range, resulting in lush vegetation & a warm, moist climate on one side, but a desert area on the leeward side.
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Cloud condensation nuclei are
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abundant in air and make it easier for clouds to form
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cirro or cirrus
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high
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alto
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middle
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strato or stratus
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layer
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cumulo or cumulus
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puffy
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nimbo or nimbus
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precipitation
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Cumulonimbus (CB) is a
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Thunderstorm Cloud
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Altocumulus Clouds
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Choppy looking separate cloud elements about the size of your thumbnail when held at arms length
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Altostratus Clouds
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Hazy, gray cloud thick layer, sun may be visible but will appear blurred or fuzzy
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Nimbostratus Clouds
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gray cloud layer producing precipitation. Precipitation usually fairly light, continuous, and cover large areas
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Stratocumulus Clouds
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Separate patches of cloud or waves of cloud with widths about the size of your fist, lumpy
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Cumulus Clouds
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Blue sky lumpy clouds, resemble cotton balls, low enough to have a 3-D appearance
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Virga
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rain that evaporates before hitting the ground
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IR (infrared) Satellite Photograph
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Satellite photographs the Infrared emitted by clouds, the ground and the ocean
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VIS (visible) Satellite Photograph
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Satellite photographs sunlight that is reflected by clouds
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Freezing rain
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Ice storms occur
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Graupel
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soft hail, snow pellets
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Sleet
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clear ice, single pellet of ice (snowcone)
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Grey on a satellite photo means
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low altitude layer clouds with a warm top, and strong emission of IR
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White on a satellite photo means
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a cumulonimbus cloud with cold top and weak emission
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Hail is produced
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in strong thunderstorms with tilted updrafts
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A high heat index would be cause by
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heat and humidity
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Ice Crystal Process
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works in cold clouds where water droplets and ice crystals are found mixed together
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Collision-Coalescence (CC) Process
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that works in warm clouds that contain water droplets. Only found in tropics
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Newton's 1st Law of Motion
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an object at rest/motion will remain at rest/motion until acted upon by an outside force
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PGF is parallel to the
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contours and points
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CF is parallel to the
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wind and to the right in the northern hemisphere
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Low pressure blows
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blows clockwise in the southern hemisphere
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At the equator (0 degrees)
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doldrums, ITCZ, low pressure, calm surface winds, rising air
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At 15 degrees
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trade winds
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At 30 degrees
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high pressure, calm surface winds, horse latitudes, sinking air
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At 45 degrees
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sw winds
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Frictional Force
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Direction: always opposite wind
Strength: Depends on wind speed, Depends on surface
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Hurricanes form over
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warm ocean water in the subtropics between the equator and 30 latitude
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I. Cumulus Stage
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Updrafts throughout
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II. Mature phase
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precipitation forms, starts to fall, carries air downward that forms a downdraft
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III. Dissipating Stage
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Downdraft spreads throughout the clouds and cuts off updraft, downdraft may spawn new cell
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Gust Front
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Cold downdraft spilling out of a thunderstorm cloud and begins to move outward
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Mesocyclone
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Medium sized, winds spinning around low pressure. Low pressure in the core creates inward pointing pressure gradient force
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Wall Cloud
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largest and strongest tornadoes come from a wall cloud
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Wind Sheer
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Changing wind direction or wind speed with distance
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Tornadoes are most frequent
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in the spring
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Fujita Scale
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Scale used to rate tornado strength and intensity
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Intracloud Lightning
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Most common, 2/3 of all lightning
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Cloud to Ground lightning
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2nd most common, 1/3 of all lightning
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Upward (ground to Cloud) lightning
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rarest type
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Cloud to ground discharge steps
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1. "Stepped Leader" 2. Upward positive charge 3. Return stroke
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The strong ring of thunderstorm surrounding the eye of a hurricane is called the
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eye wall
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ATMO 170A1: FINAL STUDY GUIDE