OCe Ch6
What type of force is the Coriolis effect?
ficticious
Which way does air converge on a cyclone in the Southern Hemisphere?
in a clockwise direction
Which way does air converge on a cyclone in the Northern Hemisphere?
in a counterclockwise direction
Where are Hadley cells found?
in the atmosphere near the equator
How does air move near the top of a cyclone?
in the same direction as air in the upper atmosphere Submit
Earth's atmosphere is heated primarily by __________.
re-radiation of solar energy from Earth's surface back into the atmosphere as infrared radiation
The largest loss of life from a hurricane is usually due to:
storm surge.
When do all locations on Earth experience equal lengths of day and night?
September and March Equinox
At what latitude(s) on Earth is the speed of rotation the greatest?
0 degrees
If you were the captain of a sailing ship, which of the following latitudes would you want to avoid MOST?
30 degrees
The prevailing westerlies occur in which of the following regions?
30 to 60 degrees
Which of the following will cause the lowest air pressure at the surface?
A column of warm, less dense air
Why are anticyclones not generally associated with clouds and rain?
Air in anticyclones undergoes warming as the air descends.
Why are cyclones generally associated with clouds and rain?
Air in cyclones undergoes cooling as it rises.
When are the Sun's rays perpendicular to Earth's surface at the equator?
During the March and September Equinox
The prevailing westerly winds blow in which of the following directions in the Southern Hemisphere?
From northwest to southeast
Which of the following statements is/are true regarding the Coriolis effect?
In the Northern Hemisphere, the Coriolis effect causes an object to be deflected to the right of its intended direction, In the Southern Hemisphere, the Coriolis effect causes an object to be deflected to the left of its intended direction.
At which latitude on the Earth is the speed of Earth's rotation the slowest?
North and South poles
Which wind belt curves to the right due to the Coriolis effect and blow from northeast to southwest?
Northeast trade winds
Polar high pressure occurs in which of the following regions?
Polar (90 degrees)
Based on the characteristics, what is the name of the wind belt being described as cold, dry winds generally from the east?
Polar easterlies
A boundary or belt characterized by cold deserts occurs in which of the following regions?
Poles (90 degrees)
Which of the following is responsible for 90% of the deaths associated with hurricanes?
Storm surge
How does the location of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) change over time?
The ITCZ migrates south of the equator in Northern Hemisphere winter and north of the equator in Northern Hemisphere summer.
You are enjoying time at the beach on a warm summer day. It is late afternoon, and a breeze has started to develop. For most of the day, the winds were calm; the breeze only started within the past hour or so. Based on these details, what can you say about this breeze? Select all of the options that apply to this scenario.
The breeze is most likely a cool breeze coming from the water., Warm land has now sufficiently heated the overlying air, so that cooler air over the ocean is now moving onshore as a sea breeze.
If Earth rotated in the opposite direction, how would global atmospheric circulation be affected?
The global wind belts would blow in the opposite east-west direction.
How does the inclination of Earth's axis change over the course of a year?
The inclination of Earth's axis does not change.
A jet stream generally diverges above a low-pressure (warm) center. However, at Earth's surface, air converges at a low-pressure center. If the divergence of the jet stream is greater than the convergence of air at the surface low-pressure center below it, what will happen to the surface winds?
The surface winds will likely get stronger.
What two factors explain why the prevailing westerlies blow toward the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and the southwest in the Southern Hemisphere?
The two factors are the direction of circulation in the Ferrel cell and the Coriolis effect. Submit
In which layer of the atmosphere is all weather generated?
Troposphere
Which of the following statements provides a possible logical explanation for the increased number of tornadoes during the 1990s and 2000s compared to the 1950s and 1960s?
Using Doppler radar more effectively allows scientists to detect more tornadoes than was previously possible., Population increases mean that more people could report tornadoes in more areas.
What is an anticylone?
a center of high atmospheric pressure Submit
What is a cyclone?
a center of low atmospheric pressure
The percentage of solar radiation reflected from the surface of Earth back into space is known as the __________.
albedo
Which areas of Earth experience the most precipitation?
areas near the ITCZ
Where does the length of day remain the same throughout the year?
at the equator
In the Northern Hemisphere, September 23 is known as ________.
autumnal equinox
A cold air mass moving into an area occupied by relatively warm air is called a(n) ________.
cold front
In which direction must the merry-go-round be pushed to simulate the Coriolis effect on Earth?
counterclockwise
Which way does air move in an anticyclone in the Northern Hemisphere?
down, and in a clockwise direction
Which way does air move in an anticyclone in the Southern Hemisphere?
down, and in a counterclockwise direction
When would you expect the low-pressure cell over the North Pole to be most developed?
during the Northern Hemisphere winter
Which of the following characteristics of Earth's relationship to the Sun explains the existence of Earth's seasons?
earth spins on its axis completing one rotation each day, earth's axis is always pointing in the same direction relative to the stars, earth orbits around the sun, completing one orbit each year, earth's axis is tilted relative to its orbital plane
A tropical cyclone with a wind speed of 220 km/hr. would be classified as Category ________ on the Saffir-Simpson Scale of hurricane intensity.
four
What drives Hadley cell circulation?
heating from the Sun
Earth rotates about its axis and all objects on its surface are constantly moving around in a large circle in space. Which of the following are influenced by Coriolis effect?
ocean currents, helicopter, or a flight
Typically, the United States is influenced more by ________ air masses during the winter and more by ________ air masses during the summer.
polar; tropical
A person experiences a popping feeling in their ears during the takeoff or landing of an airplane or while driving on steep mountain roads due to changes in the ________ of the atmosphere.
pressure
Areas of low pressure tend to have ______ air and _____ weather.
rising, stormy
Air warmed by the land that rises and is replaced by cooler air from the ocean may produce a:
sea breeze
The Sun reaches its most northerly point in the sky, directly overhead along the Tropic of Cancer, during the:
summer solstice
Hurricanes frequently make landfall on the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts, but rarely, if ever, occur on the Pacific coast. The primary reason for the rarity of West Coast hurricanes is that __________.
the ocean water near the U.S. coast does not get warm enough to supply the needed heat energy for
The Coriolis effect is caused by __________.
the rotation of Earth
What two features are many of Earth's deserts associated with?
the subtropical highs and cool ocean currents found along the west coasts of continents Submit
What is the December solstice?
the time of the year when Earth's geographic North Pole is leaning most directly away from the Sun Submit
What is the June solstice?
the time of the year when Earth's geographic North Pole is leaning most directly toward the Sun
As a result of the Coriolis effect in the northern hemisphere, winds always are deflected:
to the right of their original direction.
The wind belt(s) with strong, reliable, generally easterly winds is (are) the:
trade winds.
What are tropical cyclones called in the western North Pacific Ocean?
typhoons
The Coriolis effect is due to changes in the ________ of Earth with latitude.
velocity