GEOS 218 Exam 3 Review

Where do most of the world's tornadoes occur?

"Tornado Alley" or Central US

Why are there Easterly winds in the Tropics in both hemispheres?

-Direct heating in the tropics causes air to rise -This air flow poleward aloft and descends around 30°N and 30°S -Air flows at the ground from north and south of the equator toward the equator to replace the rising air -Flow from the north in the northern hemisphere is turned to the right by the Coriolis force - toward the west or in an easterly direction -Flow from the south in the southern hemisphere is turned to the left by the Coriolis force - toward the west or in an easterly direction

Name 3 ways that heat is carried from the tropics to the poles on Earth by the atmosphere and ocean

-Warm air moving from tropics to poles, cooling and releasing heat -Warm water moving from tropics to poles, cooling and releasing heat -Evaporation from heating in tropics stores energy as vapor in air. Air transports vapor to poles where it cools and condenses into clouds/rain and releases the stored heat

Compared to today, sea level during the last ice age was: -120m lower -There is no way to tell 1About the same -120m higher

120m lower

How much warning time is typical before a tornado strikes?

13 minutes

What fraction is sea water on average is salt? -50% -10.1% -35% -3.5%

3.5%

Roughly what fraction of the world's tornadoes occur in the U.S.?

3/4

At which latitudes are there deserts on Earth? -0° (the equator) -30°N and 30°S -60°N and 60°S -All of these

30°N and 30°S

Roughly what fraction of the world's tornadoes occur in the U.S.?

70%

What fraction of the earth's surface is covered by oceans? -10% -50% -70% -30%

70%

How warm does the ocean need to be to form or sustain a hurricane?

79 OF

Which is NOT needed for a hurricane to form? -Very warm surface water -The Coriolis force -A cold front -Weak upper-level winds

A cold front

What is the large, main cloud structure that forms before a tornado called?

A wall cloud

How much lead time does a typical tornado warning give?

About 15 minutes

How many people die per year (on average) in the U.S. from severe weather? -Less than 10 -About 100 -About 500 -More than 1000

About 500

in the How many people die per year U.S. from severe weather? -Less than 10 -About 100 -About 500 -About 1000 -More than 10,000

About 500

What fraction of the world's tornadoes occur in the United States? -About 33% -About 10% -About 70% -All of them

About 70%

Which of the following is NOT associated with rain? -Cold fronts -Air flowing downward off of a mountain -Air flowing upward over a mountain -Warm fronts

Air flowing downward off of a mountain

Which of the three transport mechanisms above moves the most heat?

Air moving vapor around

New Orleans is particularly vulnerable to hurricanes because: -The city is mostly below sea level -The city and the delta it is built on are slowly subsiding -Hurricanes have historically hit the city about once a decade over the past hundred years -Sea level is rising which adds to effects of storm surge -All of the above

All of the above

Low pressure is generally associated with: -Rainy conditions -Rising air -Converging air flow -All of these

All of these

Thunderstorms can be formed when: -A cold front runs into a warm front -The ground is heated rapidly -Two separate warm air masses collide -All of these

All of these

Thunderstorms can be formed when: -A cold front runs into a warm front -The ground is heated rapidly -Two separate warm air masses collide -All of these

All of these

What is the definition of an air mass?

An air mass is a large body of air fairly similar to temperature and humidity.

A rogue wave is defined as: -Any wave over 40 feet tall -There is no definition, since they don't really exist - Awave caused by an earthquake -Any wave that is more than twice as big as the average wave in the area

Any wave that is more than twice as big as the average wave in the area

On what parameter are hurricanes classified (e.g. rainfall, storm surge, wind speed)

By their current maximum windspeeds, divided up into 5 categories

Which is true about climate and weather? -Weather can change, but the earth's climate is constant -Climate is long-term average, and weather is day-to-day changes -Weather is long-term average, and climate is day-to-day changes -Weather and climate are interchangeable terms

Climate is long-term average, and weather is day-to-day changes

Which of the following is NOT associated with thunderstorms? -Cold fronts -Lightning -Warm fronts -Hail

Cold fronts

Which of the following is NOT usually associated with hurricanes? -High winds -Storm surge -Intense rainfall -Cold fronts

Cold fronts

What aspect of tornadoes does this scale rank them on?

Damages (speed is hard to measure accurately)

The number of annual deaths from tornadoes is: -Increasing -Staying the same -Decreasing

Decreasing

Which of the following is NOT caused by rising air? -Adiabatic cooling -Deserts -Increasing humidity -Thunderstorms

Deserts

The equator is warmer than the poles because: -It is closer to the sun -Direct sunlight at the equator -Indirect sunlight at the equator -Geothermal heating

Direct sunlight at the equator

Sea level is rising today -Due to both warming and ice melt -Due to warming -Due to melting land ice -Sea is not rising, it is getting lower

Due to both warming and ice melt

What is the name of the scale we use to rank tornadoes?

EF scale

Which process stores the most heat? -Raising air from sea level to a mountain top -Evaporating 1 gram of water into vapor -Melting 1 gram of ice into water -Condensing 1 gram of vapor into water

Evaporating 1 gram of water into vapor

Most lightning deaths occur in: -Arizona -Florida -Техas -Washington

Florida

The state with the highest incidence of thunderstorms in the US is: -Arizona -Washington -Massachusetts -Florida

Florida

What is the name of the scale on which tornadoes are ranked?

Fujita or Enhanced Fujita

Sinking air will _____. -Get warmer due to adiabatic compression -Get warmer due to adiabatic expansion -Get colder due to adiabatic expansion -Have increasing relative humidity

Get warmer due to adiabatic compression

Where does the warm, moist air come from?

Gulf of Mexico

The name for the circulation of air in the tropics- rising at the equator, flow toward the pole aloft, sinking at 30° and flow back toward the equator at the ground- is known as the _____ cell. -Hadley -Solar -Thermal -Tropical

Hadley

Most weather related deaths in the US annually are associated with: -Heat -Hurricanes -Tornadoes -Cold/Winter storm

Heat

Which form of severe weather kills the most people in the U.S. in the average year? -Heat -Winter Storm/Cold -Lightning -Tornado

Heat

Which form of severe weather kills the most people in the U.S.? -Heat -Winter -Storm/Cold -Flood -Hurricane -Lightning -Tornado

Heat

Rising air is NOT associated with: -High pressure -The passage of a cold front -Convection -Rainfall

High pressure

How does air behave at a cold front?

In cold front the warm moist air is lifted upward which may result in thunderstorms.

Most hurricanes occur: -In the late summer -In the deep winter -During El Ninos -In the South Atlantic

In the late summer

Hurricane Sandy was especially damaging because: -We had no warning about where it would made landfall -It was an especially large storm (-1000m across) -It had especially strong winds (> 180mph) -It dumped an unusually large amount of rain (> 30in)

It was an especially large storm (-1000m across)

Hurricane Sandy was unique because _____. -It was an especially large storm (1000 miles across) -It had especially strong winds (above 200 miles per hour) -It generated hundreds of tornadoes -It made landfall in New Jersey

It was an especially large storm (1000 miles across)

Which of the following statements about Hurricane Katrina is true? -It was a surprise because all the levees held and there was no flooding -It was not a surprise because hurricanes hit New Orleans every few years -It was a surprise because it was predicted to hit Southern Texas and changed direction at the last minute -It was a a surprise because New Orleans had never been hit by a hurricane before

It was not a surprise because hurricanes hit New Orleans every few years

Monsoons happen because: -The equator is warmer than the poles -The earths axis is tilted and we have seasons -Land and Ocean heat up and cool down at different rates -Global warming is occurring

Land and Ocean heat up and cool down at different rates

Tornadoes are most common in _____. -Mid-winter -Late spring -Late summer -October

Late spring

What are the differences between a tropical storm, a hurricane and a typhoon?

Location- Large tropical storms are names hurricanes in the Atlantic while typhoons are in the pacific.

Sea level does NOT depend on: -Melting of glaciers and ice caps -Melting of Arctic sea ice -Temperature of the ocean -Shape of the ocean basins

Melting of Arctic sea ice

Wind waves in the open ocean -Move in the opposite direction of the wind -Don't move the water below 10 feet down -Move the water long distances -Move energy through the water, but the water itself stays at roughly the same place

Move energy through the water, but the water itself stays at roughly the same place

The most common gas in our atmosphere is: -Water -Oxygen -Carbon Dioxide -Nitrogen

Nitrogen

In order from most to least, the major gases in our atmosphere are: -Carbon dioxide, methane, water, oxygen -Nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide -Radon, krypton, chlorine, natural gas -Oxygen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, helium

Nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide

Which season (winter, spring, summer or fall) has the highest hurricane activity in the Atlantic?

SUMMER

What is the difference between a tropical storm and a hurricane?

Same form but TS has wind speeds 39-73mph and Hurricanes have speeds>-74 mph

What is the difference between a hurricane and a typhoon?

Same storm, but different locations: Hurricanes in Atlantic, Typhoons in Pacific

The equator is warmer than the poles because: -Solar energy is more concentrated at the poles -The Coriolis force is strongest at the equator -Solar energy is more concentrated at the equator -The equator is closer to the sun than the poles are

Solar energy is more concentrated at the equator

Hurricane season: August, September, October: What controls this timing?

Solar energy maximum in summer

How does total energy received from the sun (solar) compare to the energy escaping from inside the earth (geothermal)? -Geothermal is much greater than solar -Solar is much greater than geothermal -We don't know as both are nearly impossible to measure -Geothermal is about the same as solar

Solar is much greater than geothermal

Weather and climate are primarily driven by what source of energy? -Earth's core -Earth's internal heat -Solar radiation -Tidal forces

Solar radiation

What are the three main ways that hurricanes cause damage to people and property?

Strong winds, flooding and storm surges

Tornadoes are most closely associated with the formation of: -Thunderstorms -Supercells -Hurricanes -Warm fronts

Supercells

The Fujita and Enhanced Fujita tornado scales rank tornadoes based on: -The amount of damage that occurs -Measured wind speed from radar -The width of the tornado -Measured pressure drop inside the tornado

The amount of damage that occurs

The number of tornado deaths per year is generally decreasing because: -The number of tornadoes is decreasing due to global warming -We build structures that can withstand all but the strongest tornadoes -The amount of lead time between the warning and the tornado's arrival has increased -The number of tornado deaths is actually rising

The amount of lead time between the warning and the tornado's arrival has increased

Which of the following is true about hurricanes? -They always form right on the equator -The wind speeds in a hurricane are at least 120 mph -The can only form over water warmer than 79°F - A typhoon refers to a small storm with wind speeds less than 50mph

The can only form over water warmer than 79°F

Which of these does NOT affect the size of wind-driven waves? -The area over which the wind blows -The wind speed -The length of time the wind blows -The temperature of the wind and the water

The temperature of the wind and the water

Which is NOT true about tornadoes? -They are generally formed from supercells -They are generally 100's of miles wide -They can produce the fastest winds of any weather phenomenon -The highest concentration of tornadoes in the world is in the central US

They are generally 100's of miles wide

Which is true about hurricanes? -The always have wind speeds over 120mph -They always form over land -They are high pressure systems -They spin clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the North

They spin clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the North

What is the area with the most tornadoes annually called, and where is it located?

Tornado Alley

Which of the following was not associated with Hurricane Katrina? -Massive storm surge -Tornado activity -Very strong winds -Very heavy rainfall

Tornado activity

The above map shows the annual frequency of ______. -Hurricanes -Lightning -Tornadoes -Warm fronts

Tornadoes

Explain in a few words why the tropics are warmer than the poles.

Tropics receive direct sunlight (more concentrated) while poles receive indirect sunlight- slanted so more spread out

Tropical storms called hurricanes in the Atlantic are called what in the Western Pacific? -Cyclones -Depressions -Typhoons -Hurricanes

Typhoons

Jet streams are _____. -Strong currents in the ocean -Upper level bands of high-velocity air flowing from east to west over the equator -Upper level bands of high-velocity air flowing from west to east in the mid-latitudes -Vapor trails from commercial airlines

Upper level bands of high-velocity air flowing from west to east in the mid-latitudes

What aspect of hurricanes does the Saffir-Simpson scale rank them on?

WIND SPEED

What happens at a warm front? -Cold air rises over the warm air to form clouds and rain -Cold air pushes warm air rapidly upward which cools to form clouds and rain and thunderstorms -Warm air falls to form rain -Warm air rises gently to form clouds and rain and drizzle

Warm air rises gently to form clouds and rain and drizzle

Which of these is NOT associated with typical hurricanes? -Strong wind -Water spouts -Storm surge -Heavy rain fall

Water spouts

Surface ocean currents generally move... -With the wind -Against the wind -At right angles to the wind -It is random

With the wind

With global warming, we expect hurricanes to: -Increase in number, but not in strength -Increase in strength, but not in number -Increase in both number and strength -Decrease in number and strength -a, b, or c (but not d): we don't have enough evidence to say yet

a, b, or c (but not d): we don't have enough evidence to say yet

The greenhouse effect is _____. -solely due to human activity and has only been around since the Industrial Revolution -entirely natural and is responsible for keeping the Earth's surface habitable -the increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere -what causes the seasons

entirely natural and is responsible for keeping the Earth's surface habitable

As air rises, it will: -expand and cool -compress and warm -expand and warm -compress and cool

expand and cool

The strongest winds in a (Northern Hemisphere) hurricane are _____. -in the eye -in the eye wall -typically about 100 miles away from the eye -on the left-hand side of the storm (looking in the direction the hurricane is moving)

in the eye wall

Hurricanes around a central core in the Southern Hemisphere. -rotate in a clockwise direction -rotate in a counterclockwise direction -move in a back and forth motion -move in a random pattern

rotate in a clockwise direction

Which of the following has the highest albedo? -snow -ocean -forest -sand

snow

The Coriolis force occurs because ______. -the moon is pulling on the Earth -the Earth is revolving around the sun -the velocity of Earth's rotation varies by latitude -all of the above

the velocity of Earth's rotation varies by latitude

Where in the atmosphere does weather happen? -stratosphere -weather zone -ozone layer -troposphere

troposphere

Hurricanes are _____ and tornadoes are _____. -created in supercells; created over very warm ocean water -common in winter; also common in winter -usually 100's of miles across; usually less than 1 mile across -found in the Western Pacific; found in the Atlantic, but both are the same

usually 100's of miles across; usually less than 1 mile across

The difference between weather and climate is _____. -weather is local, climate is regional -weather is a day-to-day phenomenon, climate is a long-term average -weather is just the non-scientific term for climate -there is no difference between the two-the terms are interchangeable

weather is a day-to-day phenomenon, climate is a long-term average

The uneven distribution of solar radiation, the pull of gravity and the rotation of the Earth combine to produce _______. -earthquakes and volcanic eruptions -mass extinctions -the greenhouse effect -winds and ocean currents

winds and ocean currents