Weather Test
17. High-pressure systems High pressure systems stop air from rising into the colder regions of the atmosphere where water can condense. What will most likely result if a high-pressure system remains in an area for a long period of time?
drought
What would a warm air mass over the ocean most likely cause?
rainfall
Which invention has done the most to help predict weather and warn people of approaching storms?
satellites
What symbol represents a warm front?
semi circles
What symbol represents a cold front?
triangles
What symbol represents a stationary front?
upside down triangles and semicircles
At what latitudes would a tropical air mass most likely form?
0 to 30o N or S
5. At what latitudes would a polar air mass most likely form?
60o + N or S
What is a center of high pressure that is generally responsible for fair weather?
Anticyclone
7. Clay is watching the weather to prepare for a trip to the beach tomorrow. The forecast predicts that a low pressure system will move in overnight. Which type of weather can Clay most likely expect in the morning?
Cloudy and rainy
As a warm moist air mass moving northward collides with a strong cold air mass moving southward, what observations will most likely be made
Clouds will begin to form.
What are the characteristics of maritime polar air masses?
Cool and humid
Which environmental factors most likely impact the formation of tornadoes in the area known as Tornado Alley?
Cool dry air colliding with warm moist air
What additional factor contributes to the rotational pattern of a hurricane?
Coriolis Effect
Which property of the air is most responsible for the formation of convection currents?
Density differences
What is the cause of lightning?
Discharge between rain clouds and Earth
In which direction do weather systems move in the USA?
From west to east
Winds blowing inland from oceans tend to have greater moisture than winds blowing over land. How does the high moisture content affect the coastal area climate?
Greater precipitation
What pressure system is associated with dry conditions?
High {High & dry}
What happens to a moist air mass as it moves upward in the atmosphere?
It becomes cooler and forms clouds.
What is the difference between a maritime air mass and continental air mass?
Maritime is over ocean water; continental is over land.
What pressure system is associated with rainy conditions?
Low {Low & flow}
What happens when cold air in the winter passes over large bodies of water?
Precipitation generally occurs over nearby land
What most likely happens when a cold air mass comes into contact with a warm, moist air mass
Rain or snow begins to fall.
A high-speed wind, called a jet stream, is moving from the west to the east across the United States. Which characteristic of this jet stream is most important in predicting weather patterns?
The jet stream separates the cold northern air from warm southern air.
The Earth's equator receives more direct sunlight than the regions to its north and south. This distribution of sunlight accounts directly for what phenomenon
The movement of rising air currents away from the equator
What is the main source of energy that drives all weather patterns?
The sun
Why does the force of a hurricane diminish as the hurricane moves over land?
The supply of warm, moist air decreases. Oceans transfer more energy to the atmosphere than land does.
How do the conditions for a tornado differ from the conditions for a hurricane?
Tornadoes for over land, while hurricanes form over bodies of water.
20. Hurricanes typically form during predictable times of year and in certain locations on Earth. Which factors best enable climatologists to forecast the time and location of hurricane formation?
Water current and temperature
6. When a cold front moves over a land region that has warm, moist air, a transfer of energy occurs. Cold air sinks and pushes warmer air upward. As energy is removed from the air, what will happen to water in the atmosphere?
Water in the atmosphere will undergo a phase change.
Every three to seven years the trade winds weaken and an El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event occurs. What are the results of ENSO on weather and fish?
Weather is opposite from the norms, sea surface temperatures are warmer, and food webs are disrupted.
The reading on a barometer rises when the air pressure ____.
increases
