Test 3 – Flashcards
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Supercell or mesocyclone
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A large thunderstorm with well-defined rotation
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How do tornadoes form?
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We don't understand fully, but some are apparently formed by temperature changes across the downdraft air around the mesocyclone.
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Funnel Cloud
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A rotating vortex that does not touch the ground
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What natural purpose does a tornado serve?
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A tornado moves air from one part of the atmosphere to another.
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What is the basis for rating a tornado on the enhanced Fuijita scale?
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Type of damage to specified types of buildings
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EF3 damage
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Strong frame house walls collapse
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How can a tornado destroy one house and leave the one next door almost unscratched?
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Some tornadoes have multiple small, intense vortices
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What is true about very wide tornadoes?
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They don't necessarily do more damage than narrower tornadoes
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If you're in a house with no basement, what should you do?
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Go to the middle of the house, closet, under the stairs, to the bathtub, face-down, cover yourself
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If I'm in my car and I can't drive away from a tornado, what should I do?
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Get out, get in a sturdy building or a low spot on the ground, not under a bridge
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What two states have the highest density of recorded tornadoes?
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Texas and Oklahoma
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Can tornadoes occur near mountains?
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Yes, tornadoes have been observed in the highest part of the Rocky Mountains.
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What is total water level?
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Surge+tide+waves+fresh water
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Which of these is not a hurricane hazard?
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Liquefaction
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Can forecasters accurately predict cyclone intensity?
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No- it's too complex and can't be done accurately
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Can forecasters accurately predict cyclone (hurricane) movement?
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Yes- it's straightforward and fairly accurate.
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Which of these conditions aid hurricane development?
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Warm water, high humidity, unstable atmosphere
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Major Hurricane
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A tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 111 mph, category 3+
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What fuels hurricane development?
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Evaporation of warm water
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How is heat transfer involved in hurricanes?
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Warm air is transferred from the surface to high elevations near the eye
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Which U.S. states have the lowest return periods for hurricanes?
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Florida, Georgia, New Jersey
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What is the peak of Atlantic hurricane season?
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Sept 10
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What layer of the atmosphere do we live in?
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Troposphere
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What happens to air density with altitude?
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Decreases with higher altitude.
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What is a major driving force for wind and weather?
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Atmospheric pressure
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Severe weather is often generated by large thunderclouds called cumulonimbus clouds. These clouds have a characteristic shape. What shape can help you recognize these large thunderclouds if you view them from a distance?
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Anvil Shape
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Lightning is generated by a build-up of ionic/electrical charges in the cloud.
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True
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What are clouds?
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Condensed water vapor
