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Chapter 13.1. The nature of storms. Thunderstorms. Abundant source of moisture and latent heat that maintains warmth and upward motion The air must lift and condense, releasing the latent heat The atmosphere must become unstable. Thunderstorm Frequency. Air-mass Thunderstorms.
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Chapter 13.1 The nature of storms
Thunderstorms • Abundant source of moisture and latent heat that maintains warmth and upward motion • The air must lift and condense, releasing the latent heat • The atmosphere must become unstable
Air-mass Thunderstorms • Caused by unequal heating of the Earth’s surface • Most common in the afternoons
Frontal Thunderstorms • Caused by converging warm and cold air masses • More frequent during an advancing cold front
Chapter 13.2 Severe weather
Severe Thunderstorms • Cold fronts • Low pressure systems • Supercells- powerful self-sustaining storms characterized by intense updrafts
Lightning • Atmospheric discharge of electric current • Heats surrounding air to 30,000oC • This superheated air expands rapidly producing the sound we call thunder
Wind • Downbursts- violent downdrafts • Macrobursts- area of 5km or more; winds of more than 200km/h • Microbursts- smaller area; deadlier; harder to predict; winds exceeding 250km/h
Hail • Supercooled water freezes and collides due to strong updrafts and downdrafts • Largest hailstone on record- 7 inches wide. That’s almost the size of a soccer ball!!
Floods • Rising water due to precipitation • Flash floods- runoff occurring over a short amount of time
Tornadoes • Violent, rotating column of air that contacts the ground
Chapter 13.3 Tropical Storms
Tropical Cyclones • Large, rotating, low-pressure storms
Hurricane Hazards • Storm surges are caused by hurricane-force winds driving water up and inland