GEOL 102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Santa Ana Winds, Outflow Boundary, Vertical Draft
Document Summary
Chinooks are descending, warm and dry winds on the leeside of a mountain range. Hot and dry winds that often sweep through the la basin in the fall and winter. Winds descend from hot desert terrain down to the la basin parcel becomes warmer and drier because of compression heating. Generated as a thunderstorm produces a downdraft of cold air. Strong surface winds are able to loft sand and dust into the air. The leading edge of cold, sandy, and dusty air is called the thunderstorm gust front. Created by net radiation at the earth"s surface. At the center of a surface low, the air converges, and then must rise. At the center of a surface high, the air diverges, and most come aloft due to sinking motion. Weather strongly depends on where an air mass comes from. An air mass is a large body of air with similar temperature and humidity.
