PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY Atmospheric Disturbances

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PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHYAtmospheric Disturbances

• Chapter 6
• C.J. Cox

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Air Masses Atmospheric Disturbances

• Air Masses
• Fronts
• Mid-Latitude Cyclones
• Tornadoes
• Thunderstorms Lightning
• Hurricanes

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Air Masses

• Air Mass - large body of air with similar
  moisture and temperature characteristics
• air masses are characterized as wet or dry
• maritime or continental
• air masses are characterized as cold or warm
• arctic and polar or tropical

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Air Masses Atmospheric Disturbances

• Air Masses
• Fronts
• Mid-Latitude Cyclones
• Tornadoes
• Thunderstorms Lightning
• Hurricanes

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Front - the collision of two air masses of
differing temperature and moisture characteristics
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Air Masses Atmospheric Disturbances

• Air Masses
• Fronts
• Mid-Latitude Cyclones
• Tornadoes
• Thunderstorms Lightning
• Hurricanes

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Air Masses Atmospheric Disturbances

• Air Masses
• Fronts
• Mid-Latitude Cyclones
• Tornadoes
• Thunderstorms Lightning
• Lightning
• Hurricanes

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Dust Devil
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Water Spout
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Air Masses Atmospheric Disturbances

• Air Masses
• Fronts
• Mid-Latitude Cyclones
• Tornadoes
• Thunderstorms Lightning
• Hurricanes

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THUNDERSTORMS
Rising convectional currents of warm air form
cumuonimbus clouds Accompanied by strong winds,
heavy rains, lightning and thunder
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3 STAGES OF THUNDERSTORMS
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LIGHTNING - an intense discharge of electricity
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Positive negative charges (ions) are generated
within a cloud
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The friction of air on moving ice particles
causes charges
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When the difference in the charges becomes great
enough to overcome the natural insulating effect
of air - lightning occurs
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LIGHTNING - can form within a cloud cloud
to ground cloud to cloud
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ILLumination
Energy
- - - - -
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LIGHTNING FACTS The electricity generated in
one day of a good sized hurricane is greater than
that of the entire US in an entire
year Lightning tends to head for the highest
point as it makes a shorter path
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THUNDER
Intense heating of air by lightning causes air to
expand at supersonic speed producing an
explosional sound or a clap of thunder
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Air Masses Atmospheric Disturbances

• Air Masses
• Fronts
• Mid-Latitude Cyclones
• Tornadoes
• Thunderstorms Lightning
• Hurricanes

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Hurricanes
Giant cyclones formed over warm moist water (mT
air mass)
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PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHYAtmospheric Disturbances

• Air Masses
• Fronts
• Mid-Latitude Cyclones
• Tornadoes
• Thunderstorms Lightning
• Hurricanes