NATS101 section 34 Quiz 6 Review Material

Topics covered: Cyclogenesis, Forecasting, Thunderstorms, Lightning, Tornadoes

Cyclogenesis

Understand Figure 8.19 (8.23)

Types of fronts

Role of short waves in initializing mid-latitude cyclones

Forecasting

Understand the simple types of forecasts: persistence, climatology, analogy and trend

Understand the 3 phases of weather forecasting

What is an analysis?

Why computer generated forecasts alone are insufficient and humans must interpret the forecasts

Know what accuracy and skill mean

What limits forecast accuracy?

The difference between a “warning” and a “watch”

Two types of weather satellites and their similarities and differences

Make sure you can determine from the ENSO3.4 index which phase ENSO is in (El Nino, La Nina or normal)

Thunderstorms

Types of thunderstorms and the differences in behavior

Conditions conducive to severe thunderstorm formation

Roles of updrafts, downdrafts and wind shear

What is conditional instability?

Flash floods

Lightning

Charge separation in the cumulonimbus cloud

Lightning statistics: where it occurs, how close it can come to you

Lightning safety

The role of the National Lightning Detection Network

Tornadoes

Tornado intensity scale

How tornadoes form

Tornado statistics: where do they form, what types of tornadoes cause the most deaths

US Deaths by type of weather event