Earth and Space Essay

Submitted By GrandSlam5354
Words: 361
Pages: 2

Chapter 19 is about weather patterns and storms. Weather patterns are the result of the movements of large bodies of air, called air masses. They are usually 1,600 kilometers or more across and it is characterized by a similar temperature and moisture at any given altitude. And when these air move out of its region of origin, it carries the temperature and moisture condition with it, thus affecting a large portion of a continent. Source region is the area where the air mass acquires its characteristic of temperature and moisture. (552 – 553). There are three severe weather types, such as thunderstorm, tornado, and hurricane. A thunderstorm produces lighting and thunder. It also produces strong wind and heavy rain, or maybe hail. Thunderstorm forms when warm, humid air rises in an unstable environment. There are many reasons that can trigger the upward air movement; an example is the unequal heating of Earth’s surface (562). Another type of storm is tornado, it is ranked high among nature’s most destructive forces. It is a windstorm that takes form of a rotating column of air that extends downward from a cumulonimbus cloud (564). The last type of storm is hurricane. Most hurricanes form between the latitude of 5 degrees and 20 degrees. It is powered by the latent heat release when huge amount of water vapor condense. Hurricanes develop mostly in the late summer because the water is warm enough to provide the necessary heat and moisture to the air. As latent