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SCI 100 – Meteorology Chapter 10 Focus
Questions and Topics to Study
What are the three “necessary ingredients” for the formation of any type of thunderstorm?
Why do ordinary (air mass) thunderstorms frequently form in the mid-to-late afternoon?
How do the formation conditions, weather features, and lifetime of severe thunderstorms differ
from ordinary (air mass) thunderstorms?
In what region of the United States do dry-line thunderstorms most frequently form?
Ch 10 Focus, page 1 of 4
Chapter 10 Questions and Topics to Study (cont’d)
Where does the highest frequency of ordinary thunderstorms occur in the United States?
Why there?
Describe how thunder is produced.
Explain why the central part of the United States (Tornado Alley) is more susceptible to tornadoes
than any other region of the world.
Describe the role of wind shear in the formation of supercell tornadic thunderstorms.
How has Doppler RADAR helped in the detection and warning of a tornadic event?
Ch 10 Focus, page 2 of 4
Chapter 10 Questions and Topics to Study (cont’d)
Tornado “Season”: Explain why there are more tornadoes in the spring and early summer months
(See Figure 10.37 on page 314)
Know the difference between a Tornado Watch and Tornado Warning, including who issues them.
Know the three conditions of the National Weather Service’s Definition of a Severe Thunderstorm
Define “derecho”. Know how to recognize it on a RADAR screen. Cite one local occurrence.
Know the term “entrainment” and its role in the formation of a thunderstorm’s downdraft.
Ch 10 Focus, page 3 of 4
Chapter 10 Additional Key Terms and Concepts
Enhanced Fujita Scale
Gust Front
Mesocyclone
Microburst
Squall-Line
Wall Cloud
Ch 10 Focus, page 4 of 4