Maritime Weather and Oceanography Flashcards

Storm surge is best defined as:

Answer: An abnormal rise in sea level caused by a storm's winds and low pressure

Storm surge is the abnormal rise in sea level generated by a storm's strong onshore winds and low atmospheric pressure pushing water toward and onto the coastline.

What Beaufort scale number corresponds to hurricane-force winds?

Answer: 12

Beaufort force 12 corresponds to hurricane-force winds of 64 knots (73 mph) or greater, which produce phenomenally high seas and extremely dangerous conditions.

Which NWS product provides specific forecasts for U.S. coastal and offshore marine areas?

Answer: Coastal Marine Forecast

The Coastal Marine Forecast is issued by NWS and provides wind, wave, and weather information for specific coastal and nearshore zones used by mariners.

A squall is best described as:

Answer: A sudden, sharp increase in wind speed lasting several minutes

A squall is a sudden, brief, violent increase in wind speed, often accompanied by rain, and typically lasts only a few minutes before subsiding.

Marine weather warnings are issued as a 'gale warning' when sustained winds are expected to reach:

Answer: 34–47 knots

A gale warning is issued when sustained winds of 34 to 47 knots are expected, indicating dangerous conditions for most mariners.

The term 'fetch' in maritime meteorology refers to:

Answer: The distance wind travels over open water, affecting wave generation

Fetch is the unobstructed distance over which wind blows across open water; the longer the fetch, the larger and more powerful the waves that can develop.

What is the primary cause of rip currents in coastal waters?

Answer: Water piling up from breaking waves and returning seaward through gaps in sandbars

Rip currents form when water that has been pushed shoreward by waves returns seaward through gaps or breaks in sandbars, creating a fast-moving, narrow offshore current.