Module 10 Vocabulary

8. occurs when hurricane force winds drive a mound of ocean water toward coastal areas where it washes over the land
12. a branched channel of positively charged particles near the ground that rushes upwards to meet the stepped leader
14. a type of thunderstorm that forms when air rises because of unequal heating of Earth's surface within one air mass
15. the calm center of a storm
17. a violent, whirling column of air in contact with the ground
19. a branch channel of positively charged particles that rushes upward from the ground to meet the stepped leader; creates the illuminating part of lightning strikes
20. classifies hurricanes according to wind speed and gives an idea of the potential for property damage

1. a type of thunderstorm that occurs when an air mass rises by orographic lifting, which involves air moving up the side of a mountain
2. ranks tornadoes according to their destructiveness and estimated wind speed
3. an extended period of above-average temperatures
4. a type of thunderstorm that are produced by advancing cold fronts and, more rarely, warm fronts
5. violent downdrafts that are concentrated in a local area
6. large, rotating, low-pressure, tropical storms; the largest of these storms are known as hurricanes, typhoons, or cyclones
7. an extended period of below-average temperatures; the opposite of a heat wave
9. self-sustaining, extremely powerful storm; characterized by intense, rotating updrafts
10. a type of thunderstorm that occurs because land and water store and release thermal energy differently
11. a channel of partially charged air; generally moves from the center of a cloud toward the ground
13. estimates how cold the air feels to the human body based on the actual air temperature and wind speed
16. a tall band of strong winds and dense clouds that surround the eye
18. an extended period of well-below-average rainfall