Storms - notes
Name
1. A
Per
is a violent disturbance in the atmosphere.
The 4 major types of storms are:
,
,
, and
A
.
is a scientist who studies weather and tries to predict it.
2. A
is a small storm often accompanied by heavy precipitation and
frequent
and
. These storms form in
large cumulonimbus clouds on hot, humid afternoons.
3. Explain the movement of air in a thunderstorm.
4.
is a sudden spark or electrical discharge. It is formed when
and
charges jump between parts of
a cloud, between nearby clouds, or between a cloud and the ground.
5. Lightning heats the air to
⁰C.
is the sound of the rapidly heated air expanding suddenly and explosively.
Since light travels
than sound, we see lightning
we hear
thunder.
6. What are the steps for Calculating Lightning Distance?
1.
2.
3.
7. Practice problem: How far away was the lightning strike?
8. Analyze the map. Which state has the most intense concentration of cloud-to-ground lightning?
Why is this?
9. How to be safe during a thunderstorm:

Go

Do NOT touch anything that can conduct

Crouch down in a
!
(metal; water)
(Avoid trees!)
10. A
is a rapidly whirling,
-shaped cloud that reaches
down from a storm cloud and to touch Earth’s surface.
11. How does a tornado form?
a. Warm, moist air flows in at the bottom of a cumulonimbus cloud and moves upward
b. A
pressure area forms inside the cloud
c. _
air rotates as it meets winds blowing in different directions at different altitudes
d. Part of the cloud descends to the earth in a
12.
.
is an area of the U.S. that has a high frequency of tornadoes
because cold, dry air moves south from Canada to meet warm, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico.
13. Tornadoes are ranked on the
They can range from an
by the amount of damage they cause.
(tree branches broken) to
14. The safest place to be during a tornado is in a storm shelter or the
15. A
(massive destruction).
of a well-built building.
is a tropical cyclone that has winds of 119 km/hour or higher. When formed
over the Pacific Ocean, these storms are called
,
. Hurricanes draw their energy from
air at the ocean’s surface.
16. List 3 facts about Hurricane Names:
17. What does a hurricane need to begin to form (what provides the energy)?
18. How long do hurricanes often last?
Why do hurricanes eventually stop?
If possible, what is the safest thing for people to do during a hurricane?
19. In California, snowstorms generally only occur at
20. Name 2 dangers of being caught in a California snowstorm.
.