Meteorology - Chapter 6 - Air Pressure and Winds BANK
2) The National Weather Service measures air pressure in the unit of a millibar, which is equivalent to:
B) 100 Newtons per square meter.
64) Consider the pressure data recorded at Albany International Airport on September 27, 2011. What statement can you make about the weather Albany most likely experienced after these observations?
B) Albany likely experienced rain or storms.
18) What is a limitation of an altimeter that pilots must account for?
B) Its readings may be too low or too high if the temperature varies from the expected.
44) Upper air winds:
B) are generally faster than surface winds.
13) Which of the following would involve the greatest change in atmospheric pressure?
B) balloon ascent from sea level to 3 miles
37) The Coriolis effect influences the wind by:
B) changing the direction of the wind.
66) When air moves from the ocean onto land:
B) converging winds and ascending air result over the land.
57) Identify the choice above that represents a surface low pressure center in the Northern Hemisphere.
B) graph b
6) What units of pressure are used when air pressure is reported to the public in the United States?
B) inches of mercury
9) A cyclone is generally defined by meteorologists as:
B) low pressure systems.
27) A steep pressure gradient:
B) produces strong winds.
47) When geostrophic conditions exist in the atmosphere, the net force on the moving air is:
B) zero.
5) The maximum pressure range of the atmosphere, as defined by the highest and lowest pressures ever recorded, is between:
C) 870-1085 millibars.
54) Instead of the air flowing straight out of a high pressure system, it spirals out in a clockwise direction. The cause of the clockwise spiraling motion is:
C) Coriolis force.
40) With respect to the Coriolis force, which association is NOT correct?
C) Low wind speeds — strongest deflection
10) Why is the 500-mb level chart important for forecasting?
C) The winds at the 500-mb level determine the direction of movement for weather systems.
3) Who invented the mercury barometer?
C) Toricelli
29) If the earth were not rotating,
C) air would move directly from high to low pressure.
69) An aerovane is commonly used to measure:
C) both wind direction and wind speed.
25) The term pressure gradient refers to:
C) change in pressure along a horizontal surface.
58) Which option above is generally associated with "fair" weather?
C) graph c
20) Which of the following has the smallest impact on winds?
C) humidity
31) The Coriolis effect occurs because of this characteristic of the earth:
C) its rotation.
52) In the southern hemisphere, anticyclonic winds flow:
C) outward and counterclockwise.
22) Neglecting friction, the speed and direction of the horizontal wind are determined by:
C) pressure gradient and Coriolis.
7) Meteorologists convert all atmospheric pressure data to the equivalent sea-level air pressure in order to:
C) remove the effects of elevation.
63) If "fair" weather is approaching, the pressure tendency would probably be:
C) rising.
4) What is the average sea level pressure?
D) 1013.25 mb
32) A plane takes off from City A headed for City B, located directly to the north. The pilot flies directly north following a straight line, but arrives at a city some distance to the west of City B. What can be said of the airplane?
D) It was flying in the Southern Hemisphere.
34) Refer to the map above. Which of the following areas has the highest pressure gradient?
D) Lake Michigan/Southeastern Wisconsin
56) Identify the choice above that represents a surface low pressure center (in either hemisphere).
D) both a and b
38) Which of these factors influence the magnitude of the Coriolis force?
D) both wind speed and latitude
49) Anticyclonic flow is:
D) in the opposite direction of Earth's rotation.
28) The overall strength of a circulation system is determined by:
D) its pressure gradient.
15) Air pressure drops ________ with altitude in a column of cold (dense) air than in a column of warm (less dense) air.
D) more rapidly
48) The geostrophic wind describes a situation where the air moves:
D) parallel to the isobars.
12) Which type of meteorological instrument is used to collect the necessary data for the production of upper-level weather charts?
D) radiosonde
62) High air pressure zones are usually associated with:
D) relatively dry conditions.
43) The effect of friction on the wind directly and/or indirectly alters its:
D) speed and direction.
46) Geostrophic winds occur:
E) at high altitudes.
41) The Coriolis Effect does not apply to winds that:
E) cover long distances.
23) The pressure gradient force is directed from higher to lower pressure:
E) everywhere.
55) Identify the choice above that represents a surface high pressure center in the Southern Hemisphere.
E) none of these
21) The primary force which causes all winds is:
E) pressure gradient force.
30) It the Earth were not rotating:
D) winds would not be impacted by the Coriolis Effect.
67) When representing wind direction numerically, winds from the north are associated with:
A) 0 degrees.
61) You would expect vertical airflow in an anticyclone to result in:
A) convergence aloft.
98) A wind direction of 270 degrees means that the wind is blowing from the southeast.
Answer: FALSE
36) Refer to the map above. What best explains the high wind speeds found immediately around the low pressure center (L)?
C) the comparatively strong pressure gradient in the area
14) If air pressure is reduced by one-half for every five-kilometer increase in altitude, what would be the air pressure at a height of 25 kilometers as a fraction of sea-level air pressure?
A) 1/32
50) Why do surface winds cross the isobars at an angle toward lower pressure (instead of blowing parallel to the isobars)?
A) Friction reduces the speed so Coriolis is weakened.
51) What does Buys Ballot's Law state?
A) If you stand with your back to the wind, there is low pressure on your left and high pressure on the right.
42) According to researchers at University of Colorado Denver, what was the most important factor in the high number of home runs at Coors Field?
A) The predominant summer wind direction is in favor of the batter.
19) Divergence in the atmosphere is best defined as:
A) air moving out of an area.
17) An altimeter is an adaptation of the:
A) aneroid barometer.
16) The addition of water vapor will cause the density of air to:
A) decrease.
65) Cyclonic airflow is characterized by:
A) divergence aloft and convergence at the surface.
59) You would expect vertical airflow in a cyclone to result in:
A) divergence aloft.
39) As seen by an observer on Earth, the Coriolis effect is an illusion; no deflection can actually be measured.
A) false
45) The wind speed normally increases with height in the layer of air next to the ground. This illustrates the fact that:
A) friction is present only close to the ground.
53) In the northern hemisphere, cyclonic winds flow:
A) inward and counterclockwise.
8) If you want to locate the centers of high and low pressure systems, you will need a map that has:
A) isobars.
33) Refer to the map above. The labeled lines on the map are called ________ and they represent lines of equal ________.
A) isobars; pressure
26) What do isobars represent on a map?
A) lines connecting points of equal air pressure
24) The force that generates wind is:
A) pressure gradient force.
68) A wind rose is used to identify:
A) prevailing wind direction.
11) ________ are elongated high pressure areas extending towards the poles and are associated with ________.
A) ridges; warm, dry air
35) Refer to the map above. Which of the following areas is most likely to be experiencing rain or other significant weather?
A) the Great Lakes region
60) Weather reports of wind express only the horizontal motion of the air. The vertical component of the air motion is usually:
A) very much slower.
1) The best explanation for the cause of atmospheric pressure is:
A) weight of the air above.
70) Of the various elements of weather and climate, changes in air pressure are probably the most easily perceived by people.
Answer: FALSE
72) The inventor of the mercury barometer was Sir Francis Bacon.
Answer: FALSE
76) An elongated region of low pressure is called a ridge.
Answer: FALSE
80) The most important force causing the wind is due to the earth's rotation.
Answer: FALSE
81) If pressure gradient was the only force acting on the air, it would move in a curved path.
Answer: FALSE
82) The speed of the wind at a place is primarily determined by the barometric pressure at that place.
Answer: FALSE
84) An isobar is a line connecting points of equal humidity.
Answer: FALSE
87) The Coriolis effect only applies to atmospheric motions; aircraft, rockets, people, etc. are not influenced.
Answer: FALSE
88) The Coriolis effect is strongest at the equator and diminishes in strength poleward.
Answer: FALSE
89) Friction at the surface results in a stronger Coriolis force.
Answer: FALSE
92) Anticyclones characteristically have winds blowing toward their center.
Answer: FALSE
94) Stormy weather is more closely associated with anticyclones than with cyclones.
Answer: FALSE
99) The prevailing wind is defined as the instantaneous direction of the wind at the moment of observation.
Answer: FALSE
71) Air pressure is exerted in all directions.
Answer: TRUE
73) If the pressure at sea level were 1020 millibars, it would be considered higher than average.
Answer: TRUE
74) The mercury barometer is larger and less portable than an aneroid barometer.
Answer: TRUE
75) Standard sea level atmospheric pressure in the U.S. is approximately 29.92 inches of mercury.
Answer: TRUE
77) If you're cooking pasta for your big romantic date, you'd better allow a few extra minutes for it to cook once it comes to a boil if you're at a high altitude.
Answer: TRUE
78) During times of warmer temperature (summer), the atmospheric pressure is usually less.
Answer: TRUE
79) The primary cause of wind is not atmospheric pressure but atmospheric pressure differences.
Answer: TRUE
83) A steep pressure gradient indicates strong winds.
Answer: TRUE
85) The most fundamental reason for all atmospheric motions is the non-uniform heating of the earth by the Sun.
Answer: TRUE
86) In the Northern Hemisphere, the Coriolis effect causes all moving objects that travel large distances in the atmosphere to deflect to the right of their original path.
Answer: TRUE
90) Gradient winds follow a curved path.
Answer: TRUE
91) Winds flow cyclonically around all areas of low pressure.
Answer: TRUE
93) Low air pressure zones are associated with cloudy skies and stormy weather.
Answer: TRUE
95) Horizontal wind motion can help cause vertical air motion.
Answer: TRUE
96) Cyclones are characterized by converging surface winds and rising air.
Answer: TRUE
97) A southwest wind blows toward the northeast.
Answer: TRUE
