Air Masses and Fronts Webquest - Commack Schools



Name ________________________________Period ______Date ____________________550545050800*Note: If any of the below links do not work, please Google the question to find its answer.00*Note: If any of the below links do not work, please Google the question to find its answer.Ms. De PintoAir Masses & Severe Weather WebquestPart 1: Air MassesSite 1: Air Masses - The Basics1. What is an air mass? 2. Where do polar and tropical air masses develop? (Give the approximate latitudes.)3. For each of the four air masses, what is the description this website gives? Using the map on Site 2 (below) indicate where these would be found in the US.1. cP:2. cT:3. mP:4. mT:Site 2: Air Masses in the US4. Why is the United States not a great place for air masses to form?Site 3: Air Masses - More Information5. This site describes five basic types of air masses. You have already described 4 of these earlier. Describe the 5th type.6. Label the air masses on the map with the appropriate abbreviation.1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.7. What do the letters “K” or “W” mean when attached to an air mass? 8. When does America typically have its most violent weather? Why?Site 4: Air Mass Visualizations9. In the first illustration, what kind of air mass is passing over the region? What type of weather will it bring?10. In the second illustration, what kind of air mass is passing over southern California? What type of weather will it bring?11. Go to the website: to find out what causes a high pressure air mass. a. What causes an air mass to have a high pressure?12. The website will help you answer the following question:a. What causes an air mass to have a low pressure?13. Look at this picture: . Does air move from high pressure to low, or low to high? Part 2. Global Winds14. a. (Gh)/wwhlpr/global_winds.rxml What are the Global Winds? ______________________________________________________________130810026035000 b. Label B – L in the diagram below. c. Jet Stream i. Go to the following website What is the jet stream? What does the jet stream map show us? About how fast is the jet stream moving today and in what direction? Part 3. Coriolis Effect15. The Coriolis Effect affects Earth’s winds. Read the information at this website to find out about the Coriolis Effect: (Gh)/guides/mtr/fw/crls.rxml . The video at the bottom will give you a visual of the Coriolis Effect. a. Click on the “Pressure Gradient” link. What is the direction of the net force between two pressure systems? From pressure to __________ pressure.b. Click on the “High” link. What is a High Pressure Center and what does it mean?c. In the video, why does the ball not roll straight across the merry-go-round? d. How is the Earth similar to the merry-go-round? (look at the figure) e. Wind is an object that is affected by the Coriolis Effect. What happens to winds in the Northern Hemisphere as a results of the Coriolis Effect? 16. Use the animation at the following website to help you find out how the Coriolis Effect affects wind: Which way does the Coriolis Effect deflect wind in the Northern Hemisphere? Part 4. Pressure Centers and Weather17. Go to the website listed here: (Gh)/wx/surface.rxml . Then, find the picture that says “Sea Level Pressure with IR satellite”. Click on this figure to bring up a new window. Click on the button that says “Animate”. Choose “96 frames”. Answer the following questions:This map shows you isobars and cloud cover. Click on the ? help to explain what an isobar is. b. Look at the map and find Chicago. Between which two isobars is Chicago?c. Press “Play” on the window, and watch where the clouds travel. Do the clouds tend to be near High pressure centers (H) or Low pressure centers? 18. This website will help explain why High pressure centers usually mean good weather, and Low pressure centers usually mean bad weather: . Go here and read to discover why this is true, and then answer the following questions:a. Air descends (comes down) at High pressure areas. Why does descending air not allow for clouds to form?b. Air ascends (goes up) at Low pressure areas. Why does ascending air allow for clouds to form?c. Use diagram to determine the direction of wind motion. What is the direction around a High pressure system?d. What is the direction around a Low pressure system?Site 5: Front Illustrations19. Click on the “Cold Front.” What happens in the illustration? 20. Click on the “Warm Front.” What happens in the illustration?21. In both the cold front and the warm front, warm air rises and cold air stays near Earth’s surface. How are they different?Site 6: Cold Fronts22. What is a cold front and in what direction does one typically move?23. How are cold fronts represented on a weather map?24. From the chart at the bottom of the page, what happens to the wind as a cold front passes through? What about the precipitation?Site 7: Warm Fronts25. What is a warm front and in what direction does one typically move?26. How are warm fronts represented on a weather map?27. Using the chart at the bottom of the page, when a warm front passes through an area, what happens to the temperature and precipitation levels in that area?Site 8: Stationary Fronts28. What is a stationary front and what type of weather does one typically bring?29. What is the weather map symbol for a stationary front?Site 9: Occluded Fronts30. How does an occluded front form?31. What is the weather map symbol for an occluded front?Site 10: Locating Air Masses32. Visit the site listed above and see how well you do at locating the air masses. (Hint: Start with exercises 3 and 4 then go back to complete 1 and 2.)Once you complete this page, raise your hand to have Ms De Pinto initial your worksheet. _________Site 11: Fujita Scale14. What kind of storms are classified on the Fujita Scale?15. Describe the damage done at each scale rating:F1:F2:F3:F4:F5:Site 12: Tornado Alley17. What 19 states make up tornado alley? (abbreviations are fine)Site 13: Tornadoes in the United States:18. Which state gets the most tornadoes per square mile? __________________________________________Site 14: US Tornado Climatology19. Where in the world can tornadoes happen?20. Where in the world are tornadoes most likely to happen?Site 15: Hurricane Watches and Warnings21. What is the difference between a hurricane watch and a hurricane warning?Site 16: What Can't We Stop Hurricanes?22. Why can't we stop hurricanes?Site 17: Intensity Scales23. Which intensity scale is used for hurricanes?24. If a hurricane has wind speeds of 103 mph, what category storm isSite 18: Review Quiz33. Go to the above website and answer all 15 questions.When you finish, write down your score as the number you got right (out of 15) and the percent (out of 100) it equals. # Correct: _______________ Percent Score out of 100: ______________Before you record your final score, have Ms. De Pinto initial your worksheet again. ______________ ................
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