Weather and Climate

Large clouds that often produce thunderstorms are called

• stratus clouds

• cirrus clouds

• nimbostratus clouds

• cumulonimbus clouds

Any form of water that falls from clouds is called

• dew

• evaporation

• condensation

• precipitation

Cold, dry air affecting the northern United States in winter often comes from

• maritime polar air masses

• maritime tropical air masses

• Continental polar air masses

• continental tropical air masses

The prevailing westerlies, the major wind belts over the continental Unites States, generally push air masses from

• east to west

• west to east

• north to south

• south to north

When a rapidly moving cold air mass overtakes a slow-moving warm air mass, the result is a(n)

• cold front

• occluded front

• warm front

• stationary front

When a warm air mass and a cold air mass meet and neither can move the other, the result is a(n)

• occluded front

• stationary front

• cold front

• warm front

A funnel-shaped cloud that touches Earth's surface is called a

• hurricane

• cyclone

• tornado

• thunderhead

Hurricanes typically form over

• cold ocean water

• tropical rain forests

• warm ocean water

• very dry land masses

A storm is a(an)

• dome of water that sweeps across the coast where a hurricane lands

• huge body of air that has similar temperature, humidity, and air pressure at any given height

• boundary where unlike air masses meet and do not easily mix

• violent disturbance in the atmosphere

Scientists who study weather and try to predict it are called

• astronomers

• climatologists

• meteorologists

• weatherologists