Earth Science: Geology, the Environment, and the Universe

Section 2: Severe Weather

Severe Weather

1
Thunderstorms that have intense, rotating updrafts are called __________.
A)downbursts
B)tornadoes
C)supercells
D)air-mass thunderstorms
2
What type of thunderstorms are tornadoes associated with?
A)frontal thunderstorms
B)sea-breeze thunderstorms
C)air-mass thunderstorms
D)supercells
3
How hot is the air heated by lightning?
A)300° C
B)100 000 000 ° C
C)1 000° C
D)30 000° C
4
What sparks the development of a tornado?
A)strong downbursts
B)large contrast in the temperature of polar and tropical air
C)condensation of updrafts
D)weak upper-atmospheric currents
5
What causes thunder?
A)falling precipitation
B)the expansion and contraction of the air heated by lightning
C)friction between updrafts and downdrafts in a cumulonimbus cloud
D)condensation of updrafts
6
This table shows the Fujita Tornado Intensity Scale. According to this table, what causes the damage during a tornado?

Fujita Tornado Intensity Scale

RankCategoryPath of DestructionWind Speed (mph)Duration
F0 and F1Weakup to 3 miles60-1151-10 minutes
F2 and F3Strong15+ miles110-20520 minutes or longer
F4 and F5Violent50+ milesmore than 2001 hour or longer

A)hail
B)floods
C)wind
D)rain
7
You encounter a tornado that has a path of destruction 20 miles long that lasted about 30 minutes. Use the table to determine the rank of tornado this is.

Fujita Tornado Intensity Scale

RankCategoryPath of DestructionWind Speed (mph)Duration
F0 and F1Weakup to 3 miles60-1151-10 minutes
F2 and F3Strong15+ miles110-20520 minutes or longer
F4 and F5Violent50+ milesmore than 2001 hour or longer

A)F4
B)F5
C)F0
D)F2
8
Violent downdrafts from a thunderstorm that are concentrated in a local area are called __________.
A)downbursts
B)hurricanes
C)tornadoes
D)lightning
9
Which is NOT a characteristic of the Fujita tornado intensity scale?
A)wind speed
B)duration
C)size of funnel cloud
D)destruction
10
What causes lightning?
A)the expansion and contraction of the air heated by lightning
B)condensation of updrafts
C)falling precipitation
D)friction between updrafts and downdrafts in a cumulonimbus cloud
Glencoe Online Learning CenterScience HomeProduct InfoSite MapContact Us

The McGraw-Hill CompaniesGlencoe

Please read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy before you explore our Web site. To report a technical problem with this Web site, please contact the Web Producer.