Weather and the Atmosphere Final Exam

parcel of air is at the surface (0 km) on the Windward side of a mountain. The air parcel has an AirTemperature of 20 ° C and a Dew Point Temperature of 10 °C. The parcel is forced over a mountain with an elevation of 3 km above sea level. Assume a moist adiabatic lapse rate of 6°C/km and that the Dew point Temperature does not change with height during unsaturated expansion. The dry adiabatic lapse rate is 10 °C/km. What is the Air Temperature of the parcel at the top of the mountain? (Highlighted Yellow)

- 2 deg C

Starting with a Surface Temperature of 32 deg C and given a Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate of 10 deg C / 1 km and a Moist Adiabatic Lapse rate of 6 deg C / 1 km, what is the Temperature of the parcel at 4000 m? (Highlighted Yellow)

- 4 deg C

The peak wavelength of energy from the sun is _____________, while the peak wavelength of energy from the earth is _____________.

.5 um; 10 um

If we receive 18 inches of snow, what is the liquid water equivalent?

1.8 inches

Standard sea level pressure is approximately_______________ mb.

1013

The process by which heat is transferred through horizontal motion is called:

Advection

The sky is blue because:

Air molecules scatter blue light more efficiently than other colors

What do Radiosondes measure?

Altitude, Temperature, Dew Point Temperature, Wind Speed.

With increased altitude, pressure _______________________ with height.

Decreases exponentially

Surface Pressure Gradient differentials result in:

Divergence of air out of a central surface High Pressure

The Inter-tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) is a region of converging ___________ surface winds where we can expect to see _______________ clouds.

Easterly; cumulonimbus

Which of the following scenarios is an example of "Weather"?

Expect a major thunderstorm at 4 pm this afternoon.

(True/False) Advection transfers heat through vertical motion and while Conduction transfers heat through physical contact.

False

(True/False) CO2 and H2O are atmospheric selective absorbers that shelter us from the sun's harmful incoming ultraviolet rays.

False

(True/False) In adiabatic processes, rising and sinking Air Parcel interior temperatures are cooled and warmed by the surrounding air.

False

True/False. The formation of Freezing Rain is associated with a higher "refreezing" level than Sleet.

False

True/False: A typical cloud droplet is large enough to fall through the air as precipitation.

False

True/False: The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere remains constant throughout the year.

False

True/False: We expect sinking motion and clear skies to be associated with a surface low pressure system.

False

The greenhouse effect is driven by the fact that greenhouse gases are:

Good absorbers of longwave radiation and poor absorbers of shortwave radiation

Upper level winds that travel parallel to curved isobars are classified as _________________ winds.

Gradient

What is the most accurate description of the greenhouse effect?

Greenhouse gases absorb and re-radiate longwave radiation back to the earth.

Given the 500 mb GeoPotential Height Distribution shown above, what is the Upper Level Pressure at the location indicated?

High

"Cirro" as a prefix is associated with ___________ clouds.

High Level

In the 3 Cell model - because of the pressure differential (gradient), winds travel from Latitudinal belts of _______ pressure to Latitudinal belts of ______ pressure.

High; Low

The term "Anticyclonic" is associated with rotation around a central ____________________ pressure system, while "Cyclonic" is associated with rotation around a central ______________ pressure system.

High; Low

If the earth has more incoming radiation than outgoing radiation, the temperature of the earth will ____________________.

Increase

If the Temperature of the air remains constant and the Dew Point Temperature increases, what happens to the Relative humidity?

Increases

On an early September morning (prior to sunrise), the surface has cooled considerably. Assuming the air aloft is warmer, this _____________ the stability of the atmosphere.

Increases

When a thermometer is directly exposed to the sun:

It indicates a higher temperature than that of the air.

Which of the following is true?

Land heats up and cools off faster than water

________________ is the heat associated with changing water from a solid to a liquid.

Latent Heat

When atmospheric water vapor condenses to form clouds, _________________ and the atmosphere is ____________________.

Latent heat is released; warmed

Coriolis deflects the large-scale motion of fluids (atmosphere and ocean) to the ___________________ in the ____________________ hemisphere.

Left; Southern

According to Raleigh's Scattering Law, (Scattering Intensity = Constant / wavelength4), ________________ wavelengths provide the least scattering intensity.

Longer

CO2 and H20 are selective absorbers for what type of radiation?

Longwave

"Stratus" as a prefix or suffix is associated with ___________ clouds.

Low Level

In the Single Cell model, warm air at the Equator creates _______ surface pressure while cold air at the Poles creates _________ surface pressure.

Low; High

According to the single-cell circulation model, the atmospheric surface and vertical circulation is driven by:

The temperature contrast between the equator and poles.

Which of the following causes the earth's seasons?

The tilt of the Earth's axis

From surface to highest elevation, what is the order of atmospheric layers?

Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere

(True / False) According to the Stefan-Boltzmann's Law (E= constant xT4), hotter objects emit more total radiant heat power than do colder objects.

True

(True/False) Pure water suspended in the air (high altitudes) does not freeze until about -40o . What remains in that liquid state is known as "Super-cooled".

True

True/False) The evaporation of atmospheric liquid H20 cools the atmosphere.

True

Which of the following gases is considered a variable gas?

Water Vapor

What is the name of the winds in the Mid - Latitude Regions (30 degrees N/S to 60 degrees North N/S)?

Westerlies

The figure above displays a surface (sea level) pressure distribution and associated isobars (mb). Given this weather map, the winds at position A are most approximately:

Westerly

The moist adiabatic lapse rate is _________ than the dry adiabatic lapse rate due to latent heat ___________ to/from the atmosphere during the process of condensation.

less than; released

The earth emits the majority of its radiation in the form of _____________ radiation while the Sun emits the majority of its radiation in the form of ______________ radiation.

longwave, shortwave

According to the three-cell general circulation model, surface _____________ pressure is expected at 60 deg latitude which results in ____________ vertical air motion.

low; rising

________________ is the heat associated with changes in temperature.

Sensible Heat

The ozone layer, which absorbs much of the sun's _______________ radiation, is found in the __________________.

Shortwave (UV); Stratosphere

Which of the following has the highest Albedo?

Snow

Choose the most correct scenario for a sunny summer afternoon at a parking lot.

Solar radiation heats the asphalt; the air immediately above is heated through conduction; the warm air rises in free convection.

A wind blowing from south to north is referred to a ____________ wind.

Southerly

What type of low-level cloud is described as "sheets or layers" that cover most of the sky?

Stratus

Closely spaced surface pressure isobars create ___________________ pressure gradient forces than widely spaced isobars.

Stronger

What is the relationship of Temperature and Dew Point Temperature in Zone #1?

Temperature is greater than Dew Point Temperature

What happens at the lifting condensation level?

The air parcel has cooled to its dew point temperature.

The air parcel above has a temperature of 30 deg C on the surface. Its Dew Point temperature is 20 deg C. The dry adiabatic lapse rate is 10 deg C/km and the moist adiabatic lapse rate is 6 deg C/km. The Environmental Lapse Rate shown is 10 deg C/km. An external force lifts the air parcel from the surface to 2km of altitude (Highlighted Yellow) and the external forcing is removed. What will happen to the air parcel once the external forcing is removed? Will a cloud form?

The air parcel will continue to rise. Yes, a cloud will form.

If the temperature of an air "parcel" (a theoretical balloon of isolated air) increases, what will happen to the kinetic energy of that air parcel?

The kinetic energy will increase.

(Continuation from previous question) At the top of the mountain (3 km above sea level), the air parcel from the previous question precipitates out all of its moisture and then travels down the Leeward side of the mountain. What is the temperature of the parcel when it reaches the surface (0 km)? (Highlighted Yellow) Assume a moist adiabatic lapse rate of 6°C/km. The dry adiabatic lapse rate is 10 °C/km.

28 dg C

According to the three-cell general circulation model, the driest latitudinal regions on Earth should be found near:

30 deg latitude and the Poles

The values of the atmospheric CO2 (as measured by the Mauna Loa Observatory) were approximately ________________ in 1960 and __________________ in 2014.

315 parts per million; 400 parts per million

What is the wind speed and direction depicted by the wind barb shown in the figure above?

55 knots; northeasterly

The panel above shows the Temperature and Dew Point Temperature observations from the Duane Physics weather station on 7/21/18. At what time on this day (UTC) did the maximum Relative Humidity occur?

7:30

Which of the following best describes the rotational system shown in the figure above?

Anti-Cyclonic; Southern Hemisphere

The furthest distance achieved from the Earth to the Sun during the Earth's yearly elliptical orbit is known as:

Aphelion

What can we infer from the image and graph above?

Arica has an average yearly temperature that is cooler than Rio de Janeiro because of the cold equator-ward flowing Peru current off shore

In atmospheric circulation, where does conduction occur?

At the surface (ground) to air interface

Given the 500 mb Geopotential Height contours above, which location has the lowest "upper level" Pressure?

C

Hurricanes rotate ________________ in the Southern Hemisphere.

Clockwise

What type of frontal system would produce this image on a weather Doppler radar?

Cold Front

Frontal Wedging is an atmospheric lifting mechanism in which a _________________ air mass advances underneath a _________________ air mass forcing ____________________ motion and cloud formation.

Cold; Warm; upward

According to Wien's Law (Wavelength = Constant / Temperature);

Colder objects emit radiation at longer wavelengths

In the atmosphere, what happens when Temperature and Dew Point Temperature are the same or nearly the same?

Condensation occurs and clouds form

Given a Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate of 10o C/ 1km and Moist Adiabatic Lapse Rate of 6o C/ 1 km, What is the Atmospheric Stability with an Environmental Lapse Rate of 7.5o C / 1 km?

Conditionally Unstable

During the daytime, the lowest level of the atmosphere (just above the surface) is warmed by the process of _______________.

Conduction

Three mechanisms of heat transfer are:

Conduction, Convection and Radiation

Land Breezes are associated with surface land _____________________ and occur during the ________________________.

Cooling; Night

Geostrophic Flow exists as a balance between what two forces?

Coriolis; Pressure Gradient

Hail tends to form in ___________________ clouds.

Cumulonimbus

Which of the following instruments will only provide wind speed?

Cup Anemometer

Which type of cloud often forms on the underside of large Cumulonimbus formations?

Mammatus

Which of the following processes cool the atmosphere?

Melting and Evaporation

Where are the coldest temperatures in our atmosphere found?

Mesopause

The Bergeron process is associated with ______________________________ clouds, while the Collision-Coalescence process is associated with ___________________ clouds.

Mixed phase; Warm clouds

What are the name of the winds in the earth's Tropical Regions (30 degrees South to 30 degrees North)?

NE and SE Trades

Air Parcels lifted into a STABLE atmosphere experience _______________________ buoyancy and will _______________.

Negative; Sink

If our atmosphere didn't exist:

Nights would be cooler and days warmer

According to the three-cell general circulation model, surface winds are ____________ directly north of the equator and _______________ directly south of the equator.

Northeasterly; Southeasterly

The figure above displays a surface (sea level) pressure distribution and associated isobars (mb). Given this weather map, the winds at position B are most approximately:

Northerly

Identify the Winds shown above:

Northern Hemisphere / Upper Level

The Tropic of Cancer is found in the __________________ hemisphere and at __________ degrees latitude.

Northern; 23.5

Given the 500 mb GeoPotential Height Distribution shown above, what is the wind direction at the location indicated?

Northwesterly

Which of the following gases is found in the second highest concentration in the atmosphere?

Oxygen

How do ice crystals grow initially in cold, "mixed phase" and high altitude Cumulonimbus clouds?

Rapid evaporation of super-cooled liquid droplets and subsequent ice crystal growth through vapor deposition.

After spinning your Sling Psychrometer, the device indicates a Dry Bulb temperature of 25 degrees Celsius and a Wet Bulb Temperature of 15 degrees Celsius. Which of the following are true:

Relative Humidity is less than 100% and the air is Unsaturated

Hadley Cell vertical circulation consists of?

Rising Air at 0 degrees N/S and Sinking Air at 30 degrees N/S

Ferrel Cell vertical circulation consists of?

Rising Air at 60 degrees N/S and Sinking Air at 30 degrees N/S