Weather and Climate Pearson Plus Concept Check 9

Concept check 9.1 1) Briefly describe four characteristics of a midlatitude cyclone. warm fronts produce light-to-moderate precipitation over a wide area. Cold fronts produce heavy rain and high winds. 2) How does a stationary front produce precipitation when its position does not change or changes very slowly? overrunning happens along stationary fronts, light precipitation is likely. Because they stay over places for many days, flooding happens. 3) In what way are drylines different from warm and cold fronts? Drylines form because of humidity, drier air is dense, and the moist air in its path is like a cold front. Concept check 9.2 1)Briefly describe four characteristics of a midlatitude cyclone. Front develops, wave develops, cyclonic circulation develops, mature stage, occlusion, cyclone dissipates. 2)Explain the life cycle of a midlatitude cyclone according to the polar-front theory. The polar front theory shows us six stages in the lifecycle of a cyclone. We then see a clash of two air masses. 3)Describe how a midlatitude cyclone creates warm and cold fronts. warm air is cyclonically lifted vertically into the atmosphere where it combines with colder upper atmosphere air. Concept check 9.3 1)Briefly explain how the flow aloft maintains and strengthens cyclones at the surface. Air masses are pulled to the centers of low pressure, giving the chance for cyclones to be maintained. Given an upper-air chart, where do forecasters usually look to find favorable sites for cyclogenesis? Where do anticyclones usually form in relation to the wavy flow aloft? low pressure regions, where cyclones are Describe the motion of a midlatitude cyclone in relation to the flow at the 500-millibar level. The motion is straight Concept check 9.4 1)Briefly describe the conveyor belt model of midlatitude cyclones. Its 3 interacting air streams: two of them come from near the surface and the third originates in the uppermost troposphere. 2)What is the source of air carried by the warm conveyor belt? Gulf of mexico. 3) In what way is the dry conveyor belt different from both the warm and cold conveyor belts? Whereas both the warm and cold belts are near the surface, the dry air comes from the uppermost troposphere. Concept Checks 9.5 1) List four locations where mid latitude cyclones that affect North America tend to form. the Atlantic Ocean east of the Carolinas, Alberta, Colorado Rockies, The Gulf of Mexico. 2)Which cyclones mostly affect the central part of the United States? Midlatitude cyclones 3)Which cyclones mainly affect the east coast? The west coast? Gulf lows east, north pacific lows for west Concept Checks 9.6 1)Briefly describe the weather associated with the passage of a mature midlatitude cyclone when the center of low pressure is located about 200 to 300 kilometers north of your location We'd see cirrus clouds. Precipitation would increase as would the temp. The warm front involved with the cyclone passes by. A cold front follows, causing heavy winds and lots of rain, which could lead to storms. When the cold front passes, skies will clear away. 2)If the midlatitude cyclone described in Question 1 took 3 days to pass your location, on which day would the temperatures be the warmest? On which day would the temperatures be the coldest? Warmest on day 2. Coldest on day 3. 3)What winter weather is expected with the passage of a mature midlatitude cyclone when the center of low pressure passes about 100 to 200 kilometers south of your location? There would be stormy conditions, steady air pressure drop, snow is possible. Concept Checks 9.7 1)Describe the weather associated with a strong anticyclone that penetrates the southern tier of the United States in winter. Dense cold air that can bring high temps. 2)What is a blocking high-pressure system? Anticyclones go over a region for many days. Anticyclones then block the migration of midlatitude cyclones(Dry of flood) 3)What type of weather does a cut-off low-pressure system typically bring to an area? Dreary weather with lots of rain. Concept Checks 9.8 1)Briefly describe the weather at Fort Worth, Texas, from March 23 through March 25, during the passage of this well-developed spring storm. Warm and humid to cold polar air 2)How did the weather in the Duluth–Superior area of Minnesota and Wisconsin compare to that in the Fort Worth area during March 23–25? 1st day: high cool winds, good amount of snow 2nd day: harsh winds and temp drop 3rd day: no winds, temp drop 3)How did the weather in Atlanta, Georgia, change from March 23 to March 25? Hail to storm Eye of atmosphere 9.1 1)Which one of these five cloud types (A–E) tends to be generated along a cold front? B 2)If a warm front is approaching your location, list the names and appropriate letters of the other four clouds in the order in which they would pass overhead. Eye of atmosphere 9.2 1)What is the cloud type of the tallest clouds in this image? cirrus 2)Is the cloud pattern shown typical of a cold front or a warm front? warm 3)Is this front moving toward the southeast or toward the northwest? nw 4)Is the air mass located to the southeast of the front a continental polar (cP) or a maritime tropical (mT) air mass? MT Eye of atmosphere 9.3 What part of the storm is dominated by a maritime tropical (mT) air mass? A Where is the area dominated by a continental polar (cP) air mass located? B Where did the strongest thunderstorms occur when this image was produced? D What area of the storm experienced the heaviest snowfall? A Where is the location of lowest pressure? E