Exam 9: Wind: Small-Scale and Local Systems

Wind direction and speed can be determined with an aerovane.

An aerovane is an instrument that indicates both wind ____________________ and ____________________. It consists of a bladed propeller that rotates at a rate proportional to the wind speed. Its streamlined shape and a vertical fin keep the blades facing into the wind. When attached to a recorder, a continuous record of both wind speed and direction is obtained.

Waves forming by wind blowing over the surface of the water are known as ____.

How can winds be observed by satellites?

Suppose a west wind of 20 knots blows over a coastal region which is densely covered in shrubs. If this same wind moves out over the middle of a large calm lake, its speed and direction would probably be ____.

Strong winds blowing over vegetation results in rapid water loss in the plant.

The amount of energy transferred to the water (and thus the height to which a wave can build)depends upon four factors: 1. wind speed 2. length of time that the wind blows over the water 3. the fetch 4. wind direction.

Which association is most accurate?

If huge waves pound against the beach communities of Southern California for several days during clear, calm weather, it is a good bet that ____.

Draw a sketch to show where eddies can form when air blows rapidly over a mountain range. Show on your sketch where you might expect eddies and clouds to form.

Cumulus clouds that appear above isolated mountain peaks are often the result of ____.

Blowing sand eventually comes to rest ____________________ obstacles, which can be anything from a rock to a clump of vegetation.

During the summer along the coast, a sea breeze is usually strongest and best developed ____.

A valley breeze develops its maximum strength in the early afternoon.

On the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains, chinook winds are driest when ____.

Will a valley breeze or a mountain breeze produce clouds? Explain.

Would you expect a well-developed sea breeze circulation to cause clouds to form over the land or over the ocean?

If you are standing directly south of a smoke stack and the wind from the stack is blowing over your head, what would be the wind direction?

Describe some examples of particularly strong winds in U.S. history.

Which of the below determines how high a wind wave will grow over the open ocean?