CHAPTER 18 REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. What is the standard sea-level pressure in millib
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Question
CHAPTER 18 REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What is the standard sea-level pressure in millibars?
2. Write a generalization relating the spacing of isobars to the speed of wind.
3. How does the Coriolis effect modify air movement?
4. Contrast surface winds and upper-air winds in terms of speed and direction.
5. Describe the weather that usually accompanies a drop in barometric pressure and the rise in barometric pressure.
6. What is a local wind? List three examples.
7. Describe the relationship between the Southern Oscillation and a major El Nino event.
CHAPTER 19 REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Describe the weather associated with a continental polar air mass in the winter and in the summer. When would this air mass be most welcome in the United States?
2. What are the characteristics of a maritime tropical air mass? Where are the source regions for the maritime tropical air masses that affect North America?
3. Describe the weather along a cold front where very warm, moist air is being displaced.
4. What is the primary requirement for the formation of thunderstorms?
5. Based on your answer to Question 9, where would you expect thunderstorms to be most common on earth?
6. Why do tornadoes have such high wind speeds?
7. What general atmospheric conditions are most conducive to the formation of tornadoes?
8. When is tornado season?
9. Which has stronger winds, a tropical storm or a tropical depression?
10. Hurricane damage can be divided into three broad categories. Which category is responsible for the highest percentage of hurricane-related deaths?
11. A hurricane has slower wind speeds than a tornado, yet it inflicts more total damage. How might this be explained?
Explanation / Answer
Chapter 18-
1. 1013.25 millibars
3. It causes air masses to rotate. Coriolis effect is influenced by earth’s rotation. In the northern hemisphere air turns right and in southern, it turns left. The effect is visible when air moving over large distances for long period of time.
4. Upper air winds: Parallel the isobars; Coriolis effect and force due to pressure gradient balance each other; greater speed.
Surface winds: blow at angle across the isobars; Coriolis effect doesn’t balance out force due to pressure gradient (as coriolis effect is minimized due to slow winds on surface)
6. Local wind- the one influenced by the topography of that particular region. These winds are affected by factors like heat transfer. Example- Chinook (north America), Bora (Europe) & Katabatic winds.
Chapter 19-
6. The pressure inside the tornado is very low as compared to outside. This creates a sharp pressure gradient, making the wind speed too high.
7. Due to thunderstorms, conditions that come along could be – heavy rainfall, hailstones, high speed winds.
8. Maximum activity is seen during April till June.
9. Tropical storm as its wind speed is much greater.
10. Storm surge causes most of the deaths.