MET1010 #1
Air which resists vertical displacements is considered to be: stable. unstable. neutral
stable
Sunlight passes through a thicker portion of the atmosphere at:
sunrise and sunset
A rising parcel of air that does not exchange heat with its surroundings is an example of:
An adiabatic process
Two objects, A and B, have the same mass but the specific heat of A is larger than B. If both objects absorb equal amounts of energy, A will become warmer than B. B will become warmer than A. both A and B will warm at the same rate. A will get warmer, but B will get colder.
B will become warmer than A.
The gas that shows the most variation from place to place and from time to time in the lower atmosphere is which of the following?
Carbon Dioxide
Considering each hemisphere as a whole, seasonal temperature variation in the Southern Hemisphere is ____ that in the Northern Hemisphere. greater than about the same as less than
less than
Typically, water vapor occupies about what percentage of the air's volume near the earth's surface?
less than 4%
The earth's radiation is often referred to as ____ radiation, while the sun's radiation is often referred to as ____ radiation. shortwave; longwave shortwave; shortwave longwave; shortwave longwave; longwave
longwave; shortwave
Without the atmospheric greenhouse effect, the average surface temperature would be:
lower than at present
The rate at which the temperature changes inside a rising (or descending) parcel of saturated air is called the: environmental lapse rate. dry adiabatic lapse rate. moist adiabatic lapse rate. latent heat release rate.
moist adiabatic lapse rate.
Water heats up ____ and cools off ____ than land. more quickly; more quickly more quickly; more slowly more slowly; more quickly more slowly; more slowly
more slowly; more slowly
In July, at middle latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, the day is ____ long and is ____ with each passing day. less than 12 hours; getting longer less than 12 hours; getting shorter more than 12 hours; getting longer more than 12 hours; getting shorter
more than 12 hours; getting shorter
The most abundant gases in the earth's atmosphere by volume are: carbon dioxide and nitrogen. oxygen and water vapor. nitrogen and oxygen. oxygen and helium. oxygen and ozone.
nitrogen and oxygen
In most areas, the warmest time of the day about 5 feet above the ground occurs:
In the afternoon between 2 and 5 pm
In the stratosphere, the air temperature normally:
Increases with increasing height
Most of the radiation emitted by a human body is in the form of:
Infrared radiation
Which of the following is NOT a reason why water warms and cools much more slowly than land? Solar energy penetrates more deeply into water. Heat energy is mixed in a deeper layer of water. Water has a higher heat capacity. A portion of the solar energy that strikes water is used to evaporate it. It takes more heat to raise the temperature of a given amount of soil 1°C than it does to raise the temperature of water 1°C.
It takes more heat to raise the temperature of a given amount of soil 1°C than it does to raise the temperature of water 1°C.
When it is January and winter in the Northern Hemisphere, it is ____ and ____ in the Southern Hemisphere. January; summer January; winter July; winter July; summer
January; summer
"A good absorber of a given wavelength of radiation is also a good emitter of that wavelength." This is a statement of: Stefan-Boltzmann's law. Wien's Law. Kirchhoff's Law. the First Law of Thermodynamics. the Law of Relativity.
Kirchhoff's Law.
At the North Pole the sun will rise above the horizon on ____ and set below the horizon on ____. June 22; September 23 September 23; December 22 March 21; September 23 June 22; December 22 March 21; December 22
March 21; September 23
In a volume of air near the earth's surface, ____ occupies 78 percent and ____ nearly 21 percent.
Nitrogen; Oxygen
If the average temperature of the sun increased, the wavelength of peak solar emission would:
Shift to a shorter wavelength
At what time of day is the relative humidity normally at a minimum?
When the air temperature is the highest.
In the Northern Hemisphere, which of the following days has the fewest hours of daylight?
Winter solstice (December 21).
Incoming solar radiation in middle latitudes is less in winter than in summer because: the sun's rays slant more and spread their energy over a larger area. the sun's rays are weakened by passing through a greater thickness of atmosphere. the cold dense air lowers the intensity of the sun's rays. all of these a and b only
a and b only
Where cold surface air replaces warm air, the boundary separating the different bodies of air is:
a cold front
An increase in albedo would be accompanied by ____ in radiative equilibrium temperature.
a decrease
On a weather map, sharp changes in temperature, humidity, and wind direction are marked by: a front. an anticyclone. a ridge. blowing dust.
a front
A sounding can be measured by: a thermometer. a psychrometer. a radiosonde. a barograph.
a radiosonde
Warming in the stratosphere is mainly caused by: absorption of ultraviolet radiation by ozone. release of latent heat energy during condensation. chemical reactions between ozone and chlorofluorocarbons. frictional heating caused by meteorites.
absorption of ultraviolet radiation by ozone.
In the atmosphere, tiny solid or liquid suspended particles of various composition are called:
aersols
The greenhouse gas that has been increasing in concentration, at least partly due to deforestation, is: carbon dioxide (CO2). chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). water vapor (H2O). ozone (O3). all of these
carbon dioxide (CO2)
In clear weather, the air next to the ground is usually ____ than the air above during the night and ____ than the air above during the day. colder; warmer colder; colder warmer; colder warmer; warmer
colder; warmer
Sinking air warms by the process of:
compression
The transfer of heat by molecule-to-molecule contact is:
conduction
Which set of conditions, working together, will make the atmosphere the most stable?
cool the surface and warm the air aloft
Evaporation is a ____ process.
cooling
As the air temperature increases, with no addition of water vapor to the air, the relative humidity will: remain the same. increase. decrease. increase until it becomes equal to the dew point temperature.
decrease
As the difference between the air temperature and the dew point increases, the relative humidity: increases. decreases. remains constant at a value less than 100 percent. remains constant and equal to 100 percent.
decreases
The number or mass of air molecules in a given space or volume is called:
density
The temperature to which air must be cooled in order to become saturated is the: minimum temperature. dew point temperature. wet-bulb temperature. freezing point.
dew point temperature
At sunset in the middle latitudes, look for a rainbow toward the: north. south. east. west.
east
The rate at which the actual air temperature changes with increasing height above the surface is referred to as the: environmental lapse rate. dry adiabatic rate. moist adiabatic rate. thermocline
environmental lapse rate.
When water changes from a liquid to a vapor, we call this process:
evaporation
Rising air cools by the process of ____.
expanding
If you were to take a breath of pure oxygen, from a tank, you'd be getting about ____ the amount of oxygen you'd get by taking a normal breath of our atmosphere. one-fifth half twice three times five times
five times
______ holds a planet's atmosphere close to its surface.
gravity
In a conditionally unstable atmosphere, the environmental lapse rate will be ____ than the moist adiabatic rate and ____ than the dry adiabatic rate.
greater; less
Which of the following are caused by the bending of light through ice crystals? rainbows and halos halos and the green flash halos and sundogs sundogs and sun pillars mirages and sundogs
halos and sundogs
The term "latent" means:
hidden
Which of the following is MOST likely associated with fair weather? high pressure area low pressure area a cold front a warm front
high pressure area
The primary source of oxygen for the earth's atmosphere during the past half billion years or so appears to be: volcanic eruptions. photosynthesis. photodissociation. exhalations of animal life. transpiration.
photosynthesis
Which of the following processes remove CO2 from the atmosphere?
photosynthesis
The amount of force exerted over an area of surface is called: density. weight. temperature. pressure.
pressure
Which of the following weather elements ALWAYS decreases as we climb upward in the atmosphere?
pressure
Often before sunrise on a clear, calm, cold morning, ice (frost) can be seen on the tops of parked cars, even when the air temperature is above freezing. This condition happens because the tops of the cars are cooling by ____. conduction convection latent heat radiation
radiation
On a clear, calm night, the ground and air above cool mainly by which process? evaporation reflection convection conduction radiation
radiation
When a plate of hot food is left on the table for awhile, it cools by: advection. radiation. latent heat energy release. specific heat.
radiation.
The instrument that measures temperature, pressure, and humidity at various altitudes in the atmosphere is the: barograph. radiosonde. aneroid barometer. altimeter.
radiosonde
Which of the following can only be seen when the sun is to your back and it is raining in front of you? sundog halo rainbow sun pillar corona
rainbow
What color would the sky be if air molecules selectively scattered only the longest wavelengths of visible light? white blue red black
red
Sunlight that bounces off a surface is said to be ____ from the surface. radiated absorbed emitted reflected
reflected
The bending of light that occurs when it enters and passes through a substance of different density is called: diffraction. reflection. refraction. scattering.
refraction
Halos are caused by: refraction of light passing through raindrops. scattering of light by ice crystals. refraction of light passing through ice crystals. diffraction of light by cloud droplets. reflection of light by ice crystals.
refraction of light passing through ice crystals.
The difference between the "moist" and "dry" adiabatic rates is due to:
relative humidity
The percentage of water vapor present in the air compared to that required for saturation is the:
relative humidity
Which of the following will increase in a rising parcel of air? saturation vapor pressure relative humidity mixing ratio air temperature none of these
relative humidity
As the air temperature increases, with no addition of water vapor to the air, the dew point will:
remain the same
The most latent heat would be released in a ____ parcel of ____ saturated air. rising; warm rising; cold sinking; warm sinking; cold
rising; warm
On a foggy night, it is often difficult to see the road when the high beam lights are on because of ____ of light by the fog. absorption scattering transmission refraction diffraction
scattering
Red sunsets, blue moons, and milky-white skies are mainly the result of: refraction. dispersion. reflection. scattering. diffraction.
scattering
The blue color of distant mountains is due primarily to: diffraction of light. scattering of light. refraction of light. emission of light. absorption of light.
scattering of light
A red shirt: selectively absorbs red wavelengths of visible light and scatters the rest. selectively scatters red wavelengths of visible light and absorbs the rest.
selectively scatters red wavelengths of visible light and absorbs the rest.
Most thunderstorms do not extend very far into the stratosphere because the air in the stratosphere is:
stable
A conditionally unstable atmosphere is ____ with respect to unsaturated air and ____ with respect to saturated air.
stable; unstable
The change of state of ice into water vapor is known as: deposition. sublimation. melting. condensation. crystallization.
sublimation
In the northern hemisphere, the number of hours of daylight begins to shorten after the: spring equinox. summer solstice. autumn equinox. winter solstice.
summer solstice.
Which of the following determine the kind (wavelength) and amount of radiation that an object emits? temperature thermal conductivity density latent heat
temperature
Which of the following provides a measure of the average speed of air molecules? pressure temperature density heat
temperature
The dry adiabatic rate is the rate at which: an air parcel rises. temperature changes in a rising or descending parcel of unsaturated air. volume changes when a parcel expands or is compressed. latent heat energy is released in a rising air parcel.
temperature changes in a rising or descending parcel of unsaturated air.
Meteorology is the study of: landforms. the oceans. the atmosphere. outer space. extraterrestrial meteoroids that enter the atmosphere.
the atmosphere
In the earth's upper atmosphere, visible light given off by excited atoms and molecules produces: flares. the solar wind. the aurora. prominences.
the aurora.
The wind direction is: the direction from which the wind is blowing. the direction to which the wind is blowing. always directly from high toward low pressure. always directly from low toward high pressure.
the direction from which the wind is blowing.
Ozone in the stratosphere:
Protects like form harmful ultraviolet radiations
How do red and blue light differ?
Red has a higher wavelength and lower frequency blue has a lower wavelength
White light is ____ of electromagnetic radiation. a single long wavelength a single short wavelength a mixture of all visible wavelengths a mixture of all types
a mixture of all visible wavelengths
At the 500 mb level, the amount of oxygen inhaled in a single breath is ____ of that inhaled at sea-level.
about one half
If the environmental lapse rate is less than the moist adiabatic rate, the atmosphere is:
absolutely stable
When the environmental lapse rate decreases more rapidly with height than the dry adiabatic rate, the atmosphere is:
absolutely unstable
The sun is directly overhead at Mexico City (latitude 19°N): once a year. twice a year. four times a year. never.
twice a year.
Secondary rainbows occur when: two internal reflections of light occur in raindrops. light refracts through ice crystals. a single internal reflection of light occurs in raindrops. light refracts through a cloud of large raindrops. the sun disappears behind a cloud and then reappears.
two internal reflections of light occur in raindrops.
The sun emits a maximum amount of radiation at wavelengths near ____, while the earth emits maximum radiation near wavelengths of ____.
.5 micrometers, 10 micrometers
Which of the following environmental lapse rates would represent the most unstableatmosphere in a layer of unsaturated air?
110 per 1,000 m
Which latitude belt best describes the middle latitudes?
300 to 500
On the average, about what percentage of the solar energy that strikes the outer atmosphere eventually reaches the earth's surface? 5 percent 15 percent 30 percent 50 percent 70 percent
50 percent
Which latitude below would experience the fewest hours of daylight on Dec. 22? 60°S 20°S 0°(Equator) 20°N 60°N
60°N
A towering cloud, or cluster of clouds, accompanied by thunder, lightning, and strong, gusty winds is a:
Anticyclone
Suppose you are outside in very cold temperatures, wearing a winter coat that is quite effective at keeping you warm. Which of the following is true? The coat is the source of the heat that keeps you warm. Your body generates the heat that keeps you warm. The coat prevents your body's heat from escaping to the surrounding air. Both a and c are true. Both b and c are true.
Both b and c are true.
Which cloud type below would most likely form in an unstable atmosphere?
Cumulonimbus
The dry adiabatic lapse rate is ____ greater than the moist adiabatic lapse rate.
The fact that latent heat is released by a rising parcel of saturated air
Which of the following is TRUE about rainbows? The rainbow will be seen in the west when the sun is setting. Rainbows form when rays from the sun are scattered. The brightest rainbows are seen around noon. To see a rainbow at sunrise, you should look toward the west.
To see a rainbow at sunrise, you should look toward the west.
Clouds often form in the:
Troposphere
Air molecules selectively scatter visible light because: air molecules are smaller than the wavelength of visible light. air molecules are much larger than the wavelength of visible light. air molecules are the same size as the wavelength of visible light. the electrons that orbit around the nucleus of atoms have a blue color.
air molecules are smaller than the wavelength of visible light.
The temperature at which water boils depends mainly on: air temperature relative humidity air pressure air density the specific heat of air
air pressure
The earth's atmosphere is divided into layers based on the vertical profile of:
air temperature
In a temperature inversion:
air temperature increases with increasing height.
During the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, astronomical winter begins in the Northern Hemisphere. the noon sun is overhead at 23.5°S latitude. at middle latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, this marks the longest night of the year. all of these
all of these
Refraction of light by the atmosphere is responsible for: scintillation of starlight. mirages. causing the sun to appear to flatten-out on the horizon. increasing the length of daylight. all of these
all of these
Which of the following would be TRUE if the earth did not have an atmosphere? There would be fewer hours of daylight. The sky would always be black. The stars would be visible in the sky during the day. all of these
all of these
The temperature of a rising air parcel: always cools due to expansion. always warms due to expansion. always cools due to compression. always warms due to compression. remains constant
always cools due to expansion.
Which of the following conditions would be described as the most stable? Environmental lapse rate is 13°C per kilometer. Environmental lapse rate is 3°C per kilometer. isothermal conditions an inversion
an inversion
The lowest temperature is usually observed: at the time of sunset. near midnight. several hours before sunrise. around sunrise. several hours after sunrise.
around sunrise.
During the winter in the Northern Hemisphere, the "land of the midnight sun" would be found: at high latitudes. at middle latitudes. near the equator. in the desert southwest. on the West Coast.
at high latitudes
Radiational cooling typically occurs:
at night (once the sun sets and the amount of outgoing energy is greater than incoming energy).
Nighttime temperatures rarely drop below the dew point temperature because: the dew will absorb all the heat. saturation vapor pressures always increase at night. at saturation, latent heat of condensation is released into the air. both the dew will absorb all the heat and latent heat of condensation is released into the air at saturation.
at saturation, latent heat of condensation is released into the air.
The time of day when the relative humidity reaches a maximum value is usually: at the time when the air temperature is highest in the middle of the afternoon at the time when the air temperature is lowest just before sunrise about midnight
at the time when the air temperature is lowest
The main reason(s) for warm summers in middle latitudes is that: the earth is closer to the sun in summer. the sun is higher in the sky and we receive more direct solar radiation. the days are longer. all of these b and c only
b and c only
Since the turn of this century, CO2 in the atmosphere has: been increasing in concentration. been decreasing in concentration. remained at about the same concentration from year to year. disappeared entirely.
been increasing in concentration
The processes of condensation and freezing: both release sensible heat into the environment. both absorb sensible heat from the environment. do not affect the temperature of their surroundings. do not involve energy transport.
both release sensible heat into the environment.
As a radiosonde balloon ascends through the atmosphere, the balloon:
burst
The earth is tilted at an angle of 23.5° with respect to the plane of its orbit around the sun. If the amount of tilt were increased to 40°, we would expect in middle latitudes: hotter summers and colder winters than at present. cooler summers and milder winters than at present. hotter summers and milder winters than at present. cooler summers and colder winters than at present. no appreciable change from present conditions.
hotter summers and colder winters than at present.
When the air temperature increases, the saturation vapor pressure will: increase. decrease. remain the same. vary over an increasingly broad range of values.
increase
If the air temperature remains constant, evaporating water into the air will ____ the dew point and ____ the relative humidity. increase; increase increase; decrease decrease; increase decrease; decrease
increase; increase
If the earth's average surface temperature were to increase, the amount of radiation emitted from the earth's surface would ____, and the wavelength of peak emission would shift toward ____ wavelengths.
increase; shorter
The earth emits radiation with greatest intensity at:
infrared wavelengths
A south wind:
is a wind that originates in the south and blows north. (Blows from the south)
According to Wein's displacement law, the wavelength at which maximum radiation occurs: is inversely proportional to the temperature. is proportional to the temperature. is inversely proportional to the pressure. is proportional to the pressure.
is inversely proportional to the temperature.
The temperature of the tropopause: is close to the temperature at the earth's surface. is much colder than the temperature at the earth's surface. has never been measured. is much warmer than the temperature at the earth's surface. is nearly the same as the sun's temperature.
is much colder than the temperature at the earth's surface.
Lines connecting points of equal temperature are called: isobars. isotherms. thermals. thermographs.
isotherms.
A knowledge of air stability is important because: it determines the direction of movement of storms. it determines the vertical motion of air. it determines the movement of high pressure areas. it determines seasonal weather patterns.
it determines the vertical motion of air.
The rate at which temperature decreases with increasing altitude is known as the:
lapse rate
The cold feeling that you experience after leaving a swimming pool on a hot, dry, summer day represents heat transport by:
latent heat
What is released as sensible heat during the formation of clouds?
latent heat
The heat energy released when water vapor changes to a liquid is called: latent heat of evaporation. latent heat of fusion. latent heat of fission. latent heat of condensation.
latent heat of condensation.
Which of the following are NOT units of pressure? millibars newtons inches of mercury (Hg) pascals
newtons
How much radiant energy will an object emit if its temperature is at absolute zero? the maximum theoretical amount none the same as it would at any other temperature depends on the chemical composition of the object
none
If the setting sun appears red, you may conclude that: the sun's surface temperature has cooled somewhat at the end of the day. only the longest waves of visible light are striking your eye. the next day's weather will be stormy. you will not be able to see the moon that night.
only the longest waves of visible light are striking your eye.
The gas that absorbs most of the harmful ultraviolet radiation in the stratosphere is: water vapor. nitrous oxide. carbon dioxide. ozone. chlorofluorocarbons.
ozone
Stars are not visible during the day because: the scattered light coming from the sky is too bright to be able to see the weaker light from stars. the earth is pointed away from the center of the galaxy. the light from the stars is absorbed and scattered by the atmosphere and does not reach the ground. all of these
the scattered light coming from the sky is too bright to be able to see the weaker light from stars.
The blueness of the sky is mainly due to: the scattering of sunlight by air molecules. the presence of water vapor. absorption of blue light by the air. emission of blue light by the atmosphere.
the scattering of sunlight by air molecules.
The main reason why vegetables take longer to cook in boiling water at high altitudes is because: water boils at a higher temperature with higher altitude. the temperature of the boiling water decreases with increasing altitude. there is less oxygen in the air at high altitude. saturation vapor pressure decreases with increasing altitude.
the temperature of the boiling water decreases with increasing altitude.
The sun emits its greatest intensity of radiation in: the visible portion of the spectrum. the infrared portion of the spectrum. the ultraviolet portion of the spectrum. the x-ray portion of the spectrum.
the visible portion of the spectrum.
The hottest atmospheric layer is the:
thermosphere
The lag in daily temperature refers to the time lag between the: time of maximum solar radiation and the time of maximum temperature. time of minimum temperature and the time of maximum solar radiation. minimum and maximum temperature for a day. minimum and maximum solar energy received at the surface for a given day. sunrise and sunset.
time of maximum solar radiation and the time of maximum temperature.
Almost all of the earth's weather occurs in the: exosphere. stratosphere. mesosphere. thermosphere. troposphere.
troposphere
The atmospheric layer in which we live is called the: troposphere. stratosphere. thermosphere. ionosphere. exosphere.
troposphere
There is a lot of mixing and overturning of air in which of the following atmospheric layers? stratosphere troposphere mesosphere none of the above
troposphere
Which of the following has a wavelength shorter than that of violet light? a. green light b. blue light c. infrared radiation d. red light e. ultraviolet radiation
ultraviolet radiation
The proper order from shortest to longest wavelength is: visible, infrared, ultraviolet. infrared, visible, ultraviolet. ultraviolet, visible, infrared. visible, ultraviolet, infrared. ultraviolet, infrared, visible.
ultraviolet, visible, infrared.
Electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths between 0.4 and 0.7 micrometers is called:
visible light
Solar radiation reaches the earth's surface as:
visible light
What two sets of conditions, working together, will make the atmosphere the most unstable? cool the surface and warm the air aloft cool the surface and cool the air aloft warm the surface and cool the air aloft warm the surface and warm the air aloft
warm the surface and cool the air aloft
The only substance near the earth's surface that is found naturally in the atmosphere as a solid, liquid, and a gas is:
water
Which of the following is considered a variable gas in the earth's atmosphere?
water vapor
The most abundant greenhouse gas in the earth's atmosphere is:
water vapor or H2O
Generally, weather in the middle latitudes tends to move from ____ to ____. west; east east; west north; south south; north
west; east
Condensation is more likely to occur: when the air cools. when the wind is calm. when winds blow from the ocean over land. at night.
when the air cools
If you want to keep an object cool while exposed to direct sunlight,
wrap it in aluminum foil with the shiny side facing outward.
