GEO Final Exam (Atmosphere)

25 July 2022
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humidity
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the amount of water vapor in the air
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Even though ground-level ozone is a health hazard, the "ozone layer" in the stratosphere is a health benefit because ________.
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it screens out some harmful solar radiation
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Which of the following gases is the greatest absorber of energy emitted by Earth?
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CO2
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The lowest layer of the atmosphere is the ________.
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troposphere
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The temperature decrease in the troposphere is called the ________.
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environmental lapse rate
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Which of the following locations would have the lowest average air pressure?
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Summit of Mount Everest, highest mountain on Earth
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Ozone is concentrated in the middle part of the ________.
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Stratosphere
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Weather is ultimately driven by ________.
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energy input from the sun
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A day of the year when the length of the night is equal to the length of the day is known as a(n) ________.
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equinox
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The tilt of Earth's axis from the perpendicular to the plane of Earth's axis is called ________.
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inclination of axis
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The parallel of latitude, 23ยฝยฐ north latitude, marking the northern limit of the sun's vertical rays is called ________.
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tropic of cancer
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positions depicts the Northern Hemisphere winter solstice?
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split down the middle, black on the RIGHT side
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The process of ________ explains how warm, less dense air is replaced with cooler, denser air masses.
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convection
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The fraction of the total radiation that is reflected by a surface is ________.
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albedo
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The storage of heat in the lower layer of the atmosphere due to certain gases absorbing heat is called ________.
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greenhouse effect
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Carbon dioxide and ________ are the most important heat absorbing gases in the lower atmosphere.
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water vapor
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On a map, lines connecting points of equal temperature are ________.
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isotherms
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Closely spaced isotherms indicate a high ________.
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temperature gradient
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The annual temperature range at most latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere is much smaller than that in the Northern Hemisphere. The reason for this is that ________.
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there is a greater percentage of water surface in the southern hemisphere
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What is the ultimate energy source for most wind?
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solar radiation
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At which location would you expect air to have the highest density on a typical winter day?
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the temperatures at Barrow,Alaska would be the coldest, and because cold air is denser than warm air, the densest air should be found there.
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Which parameter has the most influence in changing air pressure?
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horizontal movement of air (When airflow aloft causes air to pile up at a certain location, it causes the air pressure to increase at the surface.)
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What are the main differences between aneroid barometers and mercurial barometers?
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Aneroid barometers are smaller and more portable, but less accurate than mercurial barometers. (Aneroid means "devoid of liquid". Aneroid barometers contain a metal chamber that is sensitive to variation in air pressure, allowing it to be much smaller than a mercury barometer, which requires a long glass tube, but allows for finer and more accurate measurements.)
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The density of mercury is 13.5 times greater than the density of water. If you were to build a barometer that used water instead of mercury to record the standard pressure at sea level, what would be the height of that barometer? Assume that the mercury barometer is 76 centimeters, or 29.92 inches, long (this is the standard atmospheric pressure at sea level).
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1026 centimeter
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Which of the following options describe the features of the ideal location to erect wind turbines in order to generate the most electricity?
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-flat, elevated land -strong pressure gradient Note: Elevation, the ruggedness of topography, and the pressure gradient are important considerations of where to construct wind turbines
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How would an object in Earth's atmosphere be deflected as a result of Earth's rotation?
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to the right in Northern Hemisphere, and to the left in Southern Hemisphere
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What is the Coriolis effect?
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the deflection of moving objects to the right in the Northern Hemisphere, and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere
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Which way would an airplane deflect if flying from the North Pole toward the equator?
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to the right
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Which way would an airplane deflect if flying from the South Pole toward the equator?
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to the left
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Which way would an airplane deflect if flying from the North Pole toward the equator?
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to the west
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Which way would an airplane deflect if flying from the West Coast of the United States to the East Coast of the United States?
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to the south
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Which way would an airplane deflect if flying from the East Coast of the United States to the West Coast of the United States?
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to the north
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Which way would an airplane deflect if flying from the east coast of South Africa to the west coast of South Africa?
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to the south
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Which way would an airplane deflect if flying from the west coast of South Africa to the east coast of South Africa?
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to the north
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Lines on a weather map connecting places of equal air pressure are called ________.
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isobars
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When the pressure gradient force is balanced by the Coriolis force, high altitude ________ move parallel to isobars.
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geostrophic winds
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The jet stream has winds that blow up to ________, which can greatly influence the impact of weather patterns over a continent.
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120-240 kilometers per hour
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What is a cyclone?
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a center of low atmospheric pressure
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Which way does air converge on a cyclone in the Northern Hemisphere?
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counterclockwise direction
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How does air move near the top of a cyclone?
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same direction as air in the upper atmosphere
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Why are cyclones generally associated with clouds and rain?
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air in cyclones undergoes cooling at it rises
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What is an anticyclone?
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center of high atmospheric pressure
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Which way does air move in an anticyclone in the Northern Hemisphere?
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down, and in a clockwise direction
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Which way does air move in an anticyclone in the Southern Hemisphere?
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down, and in a counterclockwise direction
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Why are anticyclones not generally associated with clouds and rain?
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air in anticyclones undergoes warming as the air descends
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The __________ travel(s) from the subtropical high to the Equator.
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trade winds
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Define a Hadley cell.
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A three-dimensional tropic circulation cell where air rises at the Equator and sinks at ~30o latitude
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Subsiding cold air at the polar high produces the __________
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polar easterlies
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What two pressure zones in the Northern Hemisphere are connected by the westerly winds?
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subtropical high and polar front
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The intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) is characterized by __________.
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warm, moist air that rises and travels both North and South
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A __________ is another name for winds that blow in an onshore direction during the day
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sea breeze
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Which of the following is a true statement regarding land breeze?
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Air moves from a high-pressure zone at low altitude above the land toward a low-pressure area at low altitude over the sea.
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A valley breeze is defined by __________.
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rising warm air that triggers cloud formation at high elevations
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A __________ occurs at _____, when cold air travels downslope and warm air rises.
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mountain breeze, night
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Which of the following distinguish a chinook from other types of breezes?
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Chinooks increase in volume and warm up while moving downslope.
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Several consecutive days of rather constant weather in an area probably indicates ________.
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air mass weather
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What is a front?
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the boundary between two air masses of different temperatures
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Where does rain occur in a warm front?
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rain occurs along and in front of a warm front
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Where does rain occur in a cold front?
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rain occurs along and behind a cold front
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How are rain patterns different near warm and cold fronts?
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Rain near a warm front occurs over a wider spatial area and is less intense than near a cold front.
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How are cold and warm fronts different?
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The type of front is determined by which air mass is moving
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Why does rain occur near a cold front?
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Rising warm air cools, resulting in cloud formation of rain
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Why does rain occur near a warm front?
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Rising warm air cools, resulting in cloud formation and rain.
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Occluded fronts form because ________.
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cold fronts travel at a faster rate than warm fronts
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A(n) ________ occurs when dense cold air is actively advancing into a region occupied by warmer air.
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cold front
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Hail, thunder, and tornadoes are all characteristic features of a(n) ________ front.
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cold
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Cold fronts are about twice as ________ as warm fronts and move more rapidly, too. These two factors mean warm air is forced aloft more rapidly, and more dramatic weather is produced.
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steep
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Precipitation along a cold front is generally ________ intense and of ________ duration than precipitation associated with a warm front.
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more; shorter
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https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/gallery/mohippo/images/migrated-image/4/figure-7-warm-front%28image%29.jpg
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example of a warm front
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What are midlatitude cyclones?
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migrating low-pressure cells that move in the band of the westerlies
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What happens when air masses of different temperatures meet?
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well-defined boundaries form between the air masses
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Which of the following statements about movement in midlatitude cyclones are accurate?
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-The cold front advances faster than the center of the storm, and the warm front advances more -The entire cyclone moves from west to east. -Surface winds move counterclockwise.
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Part complete What is occlusion in a midlatitude cyclone?
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Occlusion is the process by which a cold front overtakes a warm front.
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When do midlatitude cyclones stop producing storms?
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when the cold front has completely taken over the warm front
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Midlatitude cyclones typically move ________ across the United States.
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eastward
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What is the name of the day-to-day weather producer in much of the central and eastern United States?
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mid-latitude cyclone
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In 3D, a high-pressure system exhibits __________.
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anticyclonic flow
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A low-pressure system is characterized by __________.
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an ascending mass of air
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Which of the following statements is true regarding mid-latitude cyclones?
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they exhibit air masses that are divided by fronts
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A cyclone is ________.
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the term for circulation around any low-pressure center, no matter how large or intense it is
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What is a tropical cyclone?
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a low-pressure disturbance that develops over warm, tropical waters
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Where are tropical cyclones found?
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at lower and middle lattitudes
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Which of the following names mean "tropical cyclone"?
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-hurricane -typhoon -cyclone
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Why is heavy rain associated with hurricane formation?
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Rising moist air cools. As air cools, water condenses and eventually falls.
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Why is warm, moist air considered the "fuel" for a hurricane?
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Air cools as it rises. As air cools, water vapor will condense out as liquid water. Condensation releases heat, providing energy to the hurricane.
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How big can the diameter of a hurricane become?
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500 miles
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Hurricanes are characterized by ________.
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intense convective (thunderstorm) activity and strong cyclonic circulation
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why are fossils so well preserved in Waynesville, OH
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better shales
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what is paleoecology
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the interaction between fossil organisms and their environments
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the most common fossil found in Caesar creek is
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brachiopods
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what is a shallow water rock formations
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-dissipation cracks -broken up fossils -fossils of shallow water organisms