What are the basic characteristics of Maritime Tropical Region (mT)?mT is warm, moist, and usually unstableMaritime PolarContinental Polar (cP)Continental Artic (cA)maritime tropicalContinental Tropical (cT)What is the basic definition of a front?Marks the transition between two air masses or different densities.Cold FrontWarm FrontStationary Frontoccluded frontWhich type of front moves fastest?Cold frontsWhat are the storm types in order from smallest to biggest?Tornadoes, thunderstorms, hurricanes, middle-latitude cyclonic stormWhat are the two dominant, permanent gases in our atmosphere and what are their percentages?Nitrogen - 78% Oxygen - 21%What are the two dominant, variable gases in our atmosphere?Water vapor and carbon dioxideOutside it is sunny and 66 degrees. Is this a statement about weather or climate?A statement about weather, it gives information about just that day, not over a period of time of that specific region.Where do scientists believe most of the earth's water originally came from?Numerous collisions with small meteors and out-gassing from volcanoes, ventsWhy are carbon dioxide and water vapor important greenhouse gases in our atmosphere and what happens if we have too much of them?The gases trap heat and absorbs the Earth's radiant energy. Having too much of them results in the atmosphere heating up too much.What happens to air density as you ascend in the atmosphere?Air density will decrease.If ozone is present at the earth's surface, what do we call it?Photochemical smogWhat are the four layers of the atmosphere from the earth's surface going upward?Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphereWhat defines the change from one layer to another?How the temperature changes with heightWhat weather element describes the average speed of atoms and molecules in a substance?TemperatureWhat is a hydrometeor?Precipitation. Particles of water and ice observed in the atmosphere.How do the winds blow around a center of high pressure?Clockwise and outwardHow do the winds blow around the center of low pressure?Counter clockwise and innerDo we measure wind direction by where the wind is coming from or where the wind is going to?Coming fromWhat is the tropopause?The boundary between the troposphere and the stratosphere.What does it mean for a region to be isothermal?Constant temperature with increasing heightIs the height of the tropopause above the earth's surface the same everywhere? Where is it the highest?The height of the tropopause varies and is usually higher near the equator.What is a temperature inversion?when temperature increases with heightWhat is a function of ozone in the stratosphere?It shields plants, animal, and humans from the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays.What is the instrument called that is launched into the atmosphere twice a day at multiple places around the world to measure atmospheric conditions?RadiosondeWhat is the difference between weather and climate?Weather is the condition of the atmosphere at any particular time and place. Climate is the average weather of a particular region over time.Does are rise or sink in the middle of a low pressure system?RisesIs a low pressure system called a cyclone or an anticyclone?CycloneHow do we measure air pressure?barometerDefinition of temperatureThe degree of hotness or coldness of a substance. The measure of the average speed of molecules and atoms in a substance.How do we measure humidity?Dew point temperatureWhat is the rate called when temperature changes with height?Lapse rateWhat is it called when the temperature increases with height?Temperature inversion