Term
| What are the major greenhouse gases? |
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Definition
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
Methane (CH4)
Nitrous Oxide (N2O) |
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Term
| What are the effects of global warming? |
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Definition
- Climate/Tempature change
- Major shift in agricultural areas
- Ice Loss
- Sea Levels Rise
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Term
| What factors are involved in climate change? |
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Definition
- Insolation intensity
- Earth's orbit
- Land surface changes
- Atmospheric aerosol composition
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Term
| Acid deposition are mainly caused by the release of what gases into the atmosphere? |
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Definition
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Term
| What evidence is there that climate change is happening? |
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Definition
- Mean global air tempature has increased
- Sea Levels have increased
- Permafrost has warmed
- Increased frequency in extreme weather
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Term
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Definition
| an internation debate on how 38 industrialized countries agreed to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases to below 1990 levels. |
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Term
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Definition
| changes in the angle that Earth's axis makes with the plane of its orbit cause variations in seasonal temperature contrasts. |
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Term
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Definition
| the wobbling of Earth's axis over a period of about 26,000 years results in variations in seasonal temperature contrasts. |
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Term
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Definition
| variations in the shape of Earth's orbit (which occur on a cycle of 90-100 thousand years) cause variations in the difference between aphelion and perihelion, which causes variations in the amount of solar energy received at those times. |
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Term
| Sunspot activity tends to follow a cycle of roughly how many years? |
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Definition
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Term
| How are past climates determined? |
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Definition
- Remnant landforms
- Features associated with ice and water
- Coral reefs
- Past vegetation
- Relic soils
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Term
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Definition
| long-term statistical properties of the atmosphere. |
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Term
| Describe the general criteria by which the Koppen system delineates climates? |
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Definition
| The climatic zones delineated by the Köppen system generally correspond to characteristic networks of species that have evolved to survive the region's seasonal temperature changes, precipitation fluctuations, and weather events. |
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Term
| The Koppen scheme for classifying climates emplys annual and monthly averages of what variables? |
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Definition
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Term
| What are the five major climate groups according to Koppen? How do they differ? |
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Definition
- Tropical Climates
- Dry
- Mild Midlatitude
- Severe Midlatitude
- Polar
they differ in temperature and precipitation. |
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Term
| Where are the various dry climates located in the world, and what geographical characteristics cause them to occur where they do? |
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Definition
-located in the subsidence area
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Term
| What type of climate is defined by precipitation and potential evaporation? |
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Definition
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Term
| What climate type covers the largest amount of the Earth's land? |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| a graphical representation of basic climatic parameters, that is monthly average temperature and precipitation, at a certain location. It is used for a quick-view of the climate of a location. |
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Term
| Be sure you can determine the hemisphere of a location given its climograph. |
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Definition
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Term
| Where is permafrost found? |
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Definition
| tundra biomes or artic lands in Canada, Greenland, Scandinavia, and Russia. |
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Term
| In what parts of the U.S. would you find a Mediterranean climate? A Marine West Coast climate? |
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Definition
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Term
| Describe how the Bermuda high influences the climate of the eastern Unites States. |
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Definition
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Term
| Describe how the Icelandic low modifies the climate of the United States. |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| a weather reconnaissance device designed to be dropped from an aircraft at altitude to more accurately measure (and therefore track) tropical storm conditions as the device falls to the surface. |
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Term
| In what quadrant of a hurricane (in the northern hemisphere) do most tornadoes often form? |
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Definition
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Term
| Where do hurricanes gain most of their energy? |
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Definition
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Term
| The hurricane season in Australia occurs between which months? |
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Definition
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Term
| Hurricanes generally need water temperatures of what value to form? |
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Definition
| 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit) or higher |
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Term
| When are hurricanes most likely to form? |
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Definition
| the 1st June to the 30th of November over tropical oceans |
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Term
| What region of the world has the highest average number of hurricanes per year? |
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Definition
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Term
| What is the weather like within the eye wall of the a hurricane? |
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Definition
| Strong winds and wild thunderstorms |
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Term
| What is the weather like within the eye of a hurricane? |
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Definition
| Light winds and clear skies |
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Term
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Definition
| an offshore rise of water associated with a low pressure weather system, typically tropical cyclones and strong extratropical cyclones. |
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Term
| Why is the right-hand side of a hurricane (relative to the direction of movement) the most dangerous? |
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Definition
| Because wind speeds combine with the speed of the storm’s movement to create the area of highest potential impact. |
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Term
| What feature associated with hurricanes causes the greatest destruction to coastal regions? |
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Definition
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Term
| Is there a "typical" path that hurricanes take after forming? |
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Definition
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Term
| Describe the characteristics that distinguish tropical disturbances, tropical depressions, tropical storms, and hurricanes from one another. |
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Definition
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Term
| Hurricanes generally develop within which latitudinal zones? |
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Definition
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Term
| Describe the Saffir-Simpson scale. |
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Definition
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Term
| The fastes wind speeds and greatest storm surge occur in what part of a hurricane? |
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Definition
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Term
| A hurricane must have sustained wind speeds of at least __ mph or ____ km/hr. |
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Definition
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Term
| At what stage of development do hurricanes first receive an offical name? |
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Definition
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Term
| What are hurricanes called in Australia? Japn? Bangladesh? Taiwan? |
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Definition
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Term
| What are the three stages involved in the development of a thunderstorm? |
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Definition
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Term
| What U.S. state has the highest tornado density? |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
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Term
| What is the first observable step in the development of a tornado? |
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Definition
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Term
| Why is North America susceptible to tornadoes? |
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Definition
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Term
| Cloud-to-ground lightning makes up what % of all lightning? |
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Definition
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Term
| Cloud-to-cloud lightning makes up what % of all lightning? |
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Definition
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Term
| Which U.S. state experiences the most thunderstorms each year? |
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Definition
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Term
| Which U.S. state experiences the most tornadoes each year? |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
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Term
| Which months are tornadoes most frequent? |
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Definition
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Term
| Describe the Fujita scale. |
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Definition
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Term
| What is the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning? |
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Definition
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Term
| The most violent storms on the surface of the Earth are: |
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Definition
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Term
| Tornadoes most often move TOWARDS what direction? |
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Definition
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Term
| In the United States, tornadoes are most likely to occur in the month: |
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Definition
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Term
| In the United States, thunderstorms are most frequent in: |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| Results from the explosive expansion of air. |
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Term
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Definition
| Texas-Oklahoma-Kansas-Nebraska |
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Term
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Definition
| Classifies the severity of a tornado, based on the correlation of wind speed with the degree of destruction. |
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Term
| The upper part of the thunderstorm cloud is normally ____ charged, and the middle and lower parts are ____ charged. |
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Definition
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Term
| The terms leader, flash, and stroke are used when describing: |
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Definition
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Term
| Why do most tornadoes in the central U.S. occur during the spring months? |
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Definition
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