Chapter 4: Atmospheric Moisture and Precipitation
Chapter 5: Winds and the Global Circulation System
Chapter 6: Weather Systems
1. Thunderstorms are most associated with which of the following precipitation-producing mechanisms?
A) Orographic upliftB) AdvectionC) Conduction
D) ConvectionE) Wave cyclone development
2. The average environmental lapse rate is ______degrees Celsius per 100 metres
A) 1B) 10C) 0.64D) 6.4E) 5
3. The dry adiabatic lapse rate is ______degrees Celsius per kilometer.
A) 2.5B) 10.0C) 0.10D) 6.4E) 0.64
4. The temperature at which a parcel of air becomes saturated and condensation begins is called the ______.
A) point of vaporizationB) dew pointC) absolute humidity
D) latent heat of fusionE) specific humidity
5. The direct transition from solid ice to gaseous water vapor is known as:
A) evaporationB) depositionC) sublimation
D) condensationE) melting
6. During which of the following processes is latent heat released?
A) depositionB) sublimationC) melting
D) evaporationE) precipitation
7. Why is the wet adiabatic lapse less than the dry adiabatic lapse rate?
A) Water is colder at high altitudes
B) Dry air heats more quickly than wet air
C) Evaporation as air rises keeps air dry and therefore warmer
D) Condensation of water releases heat
E) Formation of water droplets absorbs latent heat
8. Which of the following situations would lead to radiation fog?
A) At night the temperature of the air layer at the ground falls below the temperature at which condensation begins
B) During the day, the temperature of the air layer at the ground increases as a nearby air mass moves in
C) Radiation fog commonly develops at the coast and is the result of warm marine air moving into coastal regions
D) Radiation fog commonly develops at the coast and is the result of cold marine air moving into coastal regions
E) Radiation fog commonly develops when warm moist air moves over a cold surface
9. Which of the following situations would lead to advection fog?
A) At night the temperature of the air layer at the ground falls below the temperature at which condensation begins
B) During the day, the temperature of the air layer at the ground increases as a nearby air mass moves in
C) Radiation fog commonly develops at the coast and is the result of warm marine air moving into coastal regions
D) Radiation fog commonly develops at the coast and is the result of cold marine air moving into coastal regions
E) Radiation fog commonly develops when warm moist air moves over a cold surface
10. What is a Chinook wind?
A) A weak flow associated with convection
B) A strong, persistent flow associated with convection
C) A weak flow associated with descending warm air
D) A strong, persistent flow associated with descending air
E) A flow of cold, dense air flows under the force of gravity from high to low regions
11. As a volume of air rises, ______.
A) it expands and becomes cooler
B) it expands and becomes warmer
C) it contracts and becomes cooler
D) it contracts and becomes warmer
E) it expands but its temperature does not change
12. Which of the following conditions would lead to unstable air?
A) When air is dry and cool
B) When air is dry, cool and descending
C) When the environmental lapse rate exceeds the adiabatic lapse rate
D) When the adiabatic lapse rate exceeds the environmental lapse rate
E) When the environmental lapse rate equals the adiabatic lapse rate
13. The so-called anvil top of a thunder cloud is the result of which of the following phenomena?
A) The anvil indicates the position of the tropopause which acts as a lid
B) Fast-moving, high altitude winds
C) Diversion of the cloud top by a nearby front
D) Asymmetrical condensation
E) High level clouds take up more space than lower level clouds
14. Which of the following is not characteristic of a thunderstorm?
A) strong updrafts
B) strong winds
C) rain and snow at intermediate altitudes of the cloud
D) small raindrops
E) potentially large hailstones
15. The sound generated by thunder is the result of which phenomena?
A) The impact of lightning hitting the ground
B) The rapid expansion of air heated by lightning
C) The sound of the electrical current associated with lightning
D) The sound of updrafts
E) The sound of downdrafts
16. Which of the following atmospheric conditions can lead to the accumulation of smog?
A) Prolonged, heavy rainB) High wind speedsC) Temperature inversion
D) Interior locationE) Mountain location
17. The rainshadow is located on the:
A) leeward side of a mountain rangeB) windward side of a mountain range
C) peak of a mountain rangeD) edge of desert regionsE) edge of coastal regions
18. The reverse process of sublimations is called:
A) compositionB) depositionC) evaporation
D) perspirationE) condensation
19. Given that an air mass holds 10 grams of water per kilogram of air with relative humidity of 50% at 75 degrees F. If the air temperature drops to 60 degrees F. what will happen to the relative humidity?
A) It will increaseB) It will decreaseC) It will only change if during the daylight hours
D) it will only change if during the night time hoursE) it will remain constant
20. What type of precipitation mechanism is in effect when air is forced up an over mountains and precipitation is produced?
A) convectionB) condensationC) frontalD) orographicE) Santa Ana wind
21. How does the magnitude of the Coriolis force vary with latitude?
A) Deflection is zero at the equator and maximum at the poles
B) Deflection is zero at the poles and maximum at the equator
C) Deflection is zero at the equator and poles and maximum at mid-latitudes
D) Deflection is zero at mid-latitudes and maximum at the equator and poles
E) Deflection is constant across the Earth's surface
22. The ITCZ is also referred to as the ______.
A) equatorial highB) equatorial troughC) mid-latitude convergence zone
D) polar highE) polar low
23. The Trade Winds blow from:
A) the Subtropical High to the Equatorial Low
B) the Subtropical High to the Subpolar Low
C) the Doldrums to the Horse Latitudes
D) the Polar High to the Subtropical High
E) the Polar High to the Doldrums
24. An air mass where air converges at the surface, ascends and rotates in a clockwise direction is:
A) a low pressure cell in the Northern Hemisphere
B) a low pressure cell in the Southern Hemisphere
C) a high pressure cell in the Northern Hemisphere
D) a high pressure cell in the Southern Hemisphere
E) both a low pressure cell in the Southern Hemisphere or a a high pressure cell in the Northern Hemisphere
25. In high pressure systems:
A) air rises and converges at the surface
B) air rises and diverges at the surface
C) air subsides and converges at the surface
D) air subsides and diverges at the surface
E) air subsides but neither converges or diverges
26. What is the geostrophic wind?
A) an upper-air wind that blows perpendicular to the isobars
B) a surface wind that is affected by friction and blows at an angle across the isobars
C) a surface wind that is not affected by the Coriolis force
D) an upper-air wind that blows parallel to the isobars
E) a surface wind characterized by constant speed and direction
27. Which of the following statements concerning the pressure gradient force is correct?
A) In certain cases the force may be directed from lower to higher pressure
B) Pressure gradient force acts parallel to isobars
C) Pressure gradient force is greatest when isobars are spaced closest together
D) The pressure gradient force affects only vertical wind flow
E) Pressure gradient force acts perpendicular to isobars
28. The pressure gradient force ______.
A) increases as differences in atmospheric pressure increase per unit of distance
B) decreases as differences in atmospheric pressure increase per unit of distance
C) is unrelated to differences in atmospheric pressure
D) is related to vertical changes in water vapour per unit of atmospheric volume
E) cancels out the Coriolis force at high altitudes where wind speeds are greater
29. Surface winds converge towards ______.
A) an anticycloneB) a cycloneC) an area of high pressure
D) the Subtropical highE) the Polar high
30. Which of the following statements about oceans gyres is incorrect?
A) Gyres are ocean currents that form large continuously moving loops
B) Corresponding subtropical gyres on either side of the equator both circulate in clockwise direction
C) Gyres, such as the tropical gyres, are reinforced by wind belts such as the Trade Winds
D) Gyres circulate in clockwise and anti-clockwise directions
E) Gyres tend to form as cells elongated in an east-west directions
31. Upwelling is:______
A) the rising of cold water from the ocean depths in open water near the center of the earth's major oceans
B) the rising of warm water from the ocean depths in open water near the center of the earth's major oceans
C) the rising of cold water from ocean depths near coastlines
D) the rising of warm water from ocean depths near coastlines.
E) the development of eddies from ocean currents
32. In an anticyclone, a ______-pressure cell, air ______.
A) low/converges to the centerB) low/diverges from the centerC) high/converges to the center
D) high/diverges from the centerE) high/ascends
33. A sea breeze flows ______.
A) during the day from the body of water towards the adjacent land area
B) during the day from the land surface towards the adjacent body of water
C) during the night from the body of water towards the adjacent land area
D) during the night from the land surface towards the adjacent body of water
E) during the night from mountain regions towards the adjacent body of water
34. At the ITCZ ______.
A) air descends to the surface creating a high pressure belt
B) descending air collides with ascending air creating an unstable air interface
C) air ascends from the surface to the tropopause and flows poleward
D) air ascends from the upper atmosphere where it meets ionized air which is descending from the troposphere
E) descending air, from the upper atmosphere, meets ionized air creating a high pressure belt
35. The polar zones are associated with ______pressure and ______winds.
A) low/ easterlyB) low/ westerlyC) high/ westerly
D) high/ easterlyE) high/ southerly
36. Which of the following factors is responsible for the monsoon?
A) The seasonal movement of the ITCZ over Africa and Asia
B) Development of high pressure over Asia in July
C) Development of low pressure over Asia in January
D) Flow of air from the Indian ocean over the land surface in January
E) All of the above
37. Which belt of winds corresponds with the subtropical high?
A) doldrumsB) horse latitudesC) southeast trades
D) prevailing westerliesE) northeast trades
38. The phenomena known as El Nino occurs in which ocean?
A) PacificB) IndianC) North AtlanticD) South AtlanticE) Arctic
39. As you increase in altitude, barometric pressure:
A) holdsB) increasesC) decreasesD) is temperature dependantE) none of the above
40. When looking at a weather map of isobars, where would you find the highest wind speed:
A) near the equatorB) where the isobars are closer together
C) where the isobars are farthest apartD) at the center of high pressureE) along the coast
41. Lifting air in equatorial region that separates at great altitude, moves toward the poles and descends near 30 degrees N or S to form:
A) the subtropical high pressure beltB) the tropical high pressure belt
C) cold, moist airD) the doldrumsE) the equatorial trough
42. The phenomena which leads to the development of tropical storms is:
A) convergent lifting precipitationB) the inter-tropical convergence zone
C) a polar outbreakD) a westerly waveE) an easterly wave
43. Cold fronts compared to warm fronts are:
A) slower moving, with more intense rainfall
B) faster moving, with more intense rainfall
C) slower moving, with less intense rainfall
D) faster moving, with less intense rainfall
E) faster moving, with rainfall of long duration
44. An Arctic air mass differs from a Polar air mass in that:
A) Arctic air masses are colder than Polar air masses
B) Arctic air masses contains less moisture than Polar air masses
C) Arctic air masses originate from continental regions, whereas a Polar air masses originate over oceans
D) Arctic air masses originate over Arctic oceans and nearby land, whereas Polar air masses form over a distinct latitude zone from 50 to 60 degrees latitude
E) Arctic air masses originate over form over the eastern Arctic, whereas Polar air masses form over western Arctic oceans
45. Warm fronts compared to cold fronts are:
A) slower moving, with more intense rainfall
B) faster moving, with more intense rainfall
C) slower moving, with less intense rainfall
D) faster moving, with less intense rainfall
E) faster moving, with rainfall of long duration
46. Which of the following statements describes the global paths of tropical cyclones.
A) From east to west in the northern hemisphere and from west to east in the southern hemisphere
B) From west to east in the northern hemisphere and from east to west in the southern hemisphere
C) From east to west in both the northern and southern hemispheres
D) From west to east in both the northern and southern hemispheres
E) From east to west in the northern hemisphere and from south to north in the southern hemisphere
47. Which of the following conditions is most likely to lead to the development of tornadoes?
A) Cool, stable air associated with interior, mountain regions
B) Warm, stable air associated with continental interiors
C) Cold front lifts a warm front leading to turbulence
D) Cold front lifts another cold front leading to alternating patches of stable and unstable air
E) Warm dry front lifts a cool maritime front leading to turbulence
48. What are hurricanes known as in the western Pacific region?
A) hurricaneB) typhoonC) cycloneD) depressionE) wave cyclone
49. Which of the following is not one of the primary factors that contribute to a storm surge?
A) underwater shape of the bay floorB) low atmospheric pressures
C) high wind speedsD) high intensity hurricaneE) heavy rain
50. Which of the following statements describes the global paths of tropical cyclones.
A) From east to west in the northern hemisphere and from west to east in the southern hemisphere
B) From west to east in the northern hemisphere and from east to west in the southern hemisphere
C) From east to west in both the northern and southern hemispheres
D) From west to east in both the northern and southern hemispheres
E) From east to west in the northern hemisphere and from south to north in the southern hemisphere
______
ESSAYS ON NEXT PAGE
5 POINTS OFF FOR EACH NOT ANSWERED
Select two (2) of the following.
Use a diagram to help explain your answers.
Use at least 5 sentences to explain each answer.
5 POINTS OFF FOR EACH NOT ANSWERED
- Describe the factors responsible for the transport of heat and moisture from equatorial to polar regions.
- Describe the development of wave cyclones.
- Describe the potential impact of global warming in the development of hurricanes. Explain why the nature of such impacts is still a matter of debate.
- Compare and contrast the conditions associated with warm and cold fronts.
- Explain the difference between mP and mT air masses.
- Compare and contrast the principles of dry and wet adiabatic lapse rates.
- Describe and explain the different conditions responsible for different types of precipitation.
- Compare and contrast the formation and characteristics of different types of fog.
- Describe and explain the factors leading to the Asian monsoon seasons.
- Describe and explain the impact of the Coriolis force upon the path of objects or parcels of air in the atmosphere
- Describe the role and development of deep ocean currents.
- Explain the concept of “El Nino”.
- Describe the weather conditions at your location with reference to air stability and humidity. Indicate the day and date you used.